How Does a Solar Power Plant Work?

by Murod Aslamov, Javohir Mahmudov

Published: June 09, 2025

Last Updated: June 09, 2025

In Uzbekistan, since our childhood, we have grown up hearing stories about our land being “serquyosh o’lka” (sunny land) under “musaffo osmon” (clear sky). What if these descriptions have practical applications? This article explains how effectively this sunny land with clear skies is used with the help of the most popular type of green energy – solar energy.

Working Process

Solar power plants (SPPs) convert solar energy into usable electrical energy. To make it happen, initially, sunlight should fall on solar panels. Then, photons of sunlight hit the surface of solar panels, which are made from silicon. Then the surface of the solar panels ejects electrons when exposed to sunlight. This physical phenomenon is called the photoelectric effect and was discovered by Albert Einstein.

Next, ejected electrons move in the closed circuit, which is built into solar panels to generate voltage. This process is called the photovoltaic effect.

The electric current generated by solar panels is called Direct Current (DC) because it flows in one direction. This type of current is also used for storing electricity. However, consumers use the type of current called Alternating Current (it constantly changes its direction for more effective distribution). Hence, after the electricity is produced in the solar panels, a device called an Inverter turns DC into AC. In solar power plants, the electricity then goes to the Grid, which distributes it to cities and houses. The excessive energy can be stored in a battery energy storage system (BESS).

Solar Power Plants in Uzbekistan

Geographically, Uzbekistan is a double-landlocked country experiencing a continental climate with clear skies and low cloud cover. Most of Uzbekistan is located in an area with 2400-3000 sunlight hours a year. The eastern part of Uzbekistan is in an area with 3000-3600 sunlight hours. On average, there are around 2870 hours of sunlight per year. This translates into around 320 sunny days in a year. These parameters create perfect conditions for solar power plants.

Uzbekistan’s government is highly determined to accelerate its transition to renewable means of energy generation. On May 21, 2019, Uzbekistan’s senate enacted a law about the use of renewable energies, which included a strategy of building 7 GW of solar energy by 2030. This incentivized local and foreign suppliers to invest in large renewable energy projects. In fact, the first ever large-scale photovoltaic power station, Nur Navoi Solar Project, was launched on August 27, 2021. This exemplary/demonstrative project gave rise to several more large-scale PV plants. However, most of the announced solar power plants are still under construction. In the greenification of Uzbekistan’s electricity generation sources, the GULF countries are showing the highest interest. Large-scale photovoltaic plants. Masdar and ACWA Power alone are responsible for 9 of the 12 published projects.

Ecological Concerns

Solar power plants do not emit any hazardous chemical pollutants while generating electricity. However, there are other factors that make them less ecological. The first factor is heat. While solar panels can convert 15-20 percent of the solar energy they receive, the remaining 75-80 percent is released back into the atmosphere as heat. The second factor is the impact on biodiversity. Metal stands and concrete, which are usually inserted into the ground, are typically required for a solar power plant; this might damage the surrounding biodiversity. The third factor is disposal. While regular solar panels have a warranty of around 25 years, worn-out panels are not easily disposed of and recycled after this period.

Conclusion

In conclusion, although solar panel technology has evolved tremendously over the last four decades, there is still room for higher panel efficiency and disposal technologies. As of solar energy projects in Uzbekistan, while most of them are in their initial stage and very few are operational, the number of these projects is expected to grow due to governmental incentives.

Reference

1. Nur Navoi Solar Project ↗️. Retrieved 15 June 2025.
2. Jizzakh Solar Project ↗️. Retrieved 15 June 2025.
3. Sherabad Solar Project ↗️. Retrieved 15 June 2025.
4. Samarkand Solar Project ↗️. Retrieved 15 June 2025.
5. Guzar Solar Project ↗️. Retrieved 15 June 2025.
6. Nur Bukhara Solar Project ↗️. Retrieved 15 June 2025.
7. Sazagan Solar 1 Solar Project ↗️. Retrieved 15 June 2025.
8. Sazagan Solar 2 Solar Project ↗️. Retrieved 15 June 2025.
9. Tashkent Riverside Solar Project ↗️. Retrieved 15 June 2025.
10. Nishon Solar Park ↗️. Retrieved 15 June 2025.
11. Karaulbazar Solar Park ↗️. Retrieved 15 June 2025.
12. Uch-Uchak Solar Project ↗️. Retrieved 15 June 2025.
13. Global Horizontal Irradiation, Uzbekistan ↗️. Retrieved 15 June 2025.
14. Figure 1. Solar Power Plant, Unsplash, Manny Becerra
15. Figure 2. Photoelectric Effect, Shutterstock, Asset ID: 2306229927
16. Figure 3. Photovoltaic Effect, Shutterstock, Asset ID: 490980595
17. Figure 4. Solar Power Plant Layout, VectorStock, Image ID: 44595042
18. Figure 5. Global Horizontal Irradiation Uzbekistan 1999-2018, Global Solar Atlas