The site is on top of Alliant Energy coal-ash landfill at the Rock River generating station. Credit: Michael Sears

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The largest solar project built to date in Wisconsin is generating power, Alliant Energy Corp. said Friday.

The project, installed atop a coal-ash landfill in the Town of Beloit, was built by Hanwha Q Cells for about $5 million.

Alliant will buy electricity from the project for 10 years and has an option to purchase the solar system after that.

Until this week, the state's largest solar project has been located at Epic Systems' global headquarters in Verona. That project generates 2.2 megawatts of power.

The Alliant/Hanwha project includes more than 7,700 solar panels and will generate 2.3 megawatts of electricity. That's enough to power 500 homes, according to Alliant.

Alliant agreed to do the project as part of its settlement of litigation with the Environmental Protection Agency concerning pollution from its coal-fired power plants.

To see recent photos from when the project was under construction, check out this photo gallery from Journal Sentinel photographer Michael Sears.

After this project and Epic, other leading projects generating solar power in Wisconsin include:

Half Moon Ventures solar project in Jefferson, 1 megawatt.

Forest County Potawatomi solar systems in Crandon and Milwaukee, 922 kilowatts.

Eau Claire Energy Cooperative, Eau Claire, 858 kilowatts.

Central Storage & Warehouse, Madison, 741 kilowatts.

Convergence Energy, Delavan, 660 kilowatts.