COMMERCIAL
Eli Lilly
Summary
Client: Eli Lilly
Site: Cork
Sector: Commercial
The Challenge
Eli Lilly was seeking to reduce their energy consumption and carbon footprint at their pharmaceutical manufacturing facility in Dunderrow County Cork. Following an energy audit, they decided to install a Solar PV farm to generate electricity for the site which had significantly high energy demands. The project was carried out in two phases. The challenge involved the installation and expansion of a large ground sourced 10.4MW solar PV system across two consecutive years (2020 and 2021).
Due to the scale of the project, the solar PV array would be installed across a number of fields. The infrastructure required wiring and cabling to be installed across the fields which involved working with ESB Networks for the electrical infrastructure connections.
The Solution
In 2020, a 5,000kWp solar PV system was installed consisting of 12,000 x 450kW and 26 x 175kW inverters. It was further expanded in 2021 to include an additional 5,400kW system, incorporating 11,236 x 445kW panels and 22 x 175kW inverters. The cumulative impact of both installations aimed to generate a total of 8,494,720 kWh of solar energy annually.
SE Systems supported Enerpower, the Solar PV contractor, and Eli Lilly to apply for the Community Energy Grant (CEG) to secure funding for the large-scale Solar PV project. This system was the largest solar PV system in Ireland at the time of construction in 2021. This significant project, spanning multiple years, aimed to establish a robust renewable energy source for the facility.
SEAI provided invaluable support with their inspectors and executive team coming to site during the works to provide feedback on optimising the project as well as providing funding for the works via the Community Energy Grant (CEG) Scheme.
The Impact
The implemented solar PV system contributed significantly to the facility’s energy needs, generating a total of 8,494,720 kWh per year, contributing to its sustainability targets, and reducing reliance on fossil fuel energy sources. The projected financial savings annually were estimated to be close to €1 million. This project also demonstrated the possibilities for self-generation of electricity for large scale industrial facilities.
This solar farm, the largest in Ireland, developed in partnership with Enerpower, sees them lead by example in reducing their electricity use from carbon to more sustainable sources.
Micheál Martin
The Partners
Grant Coordination
Community Energy Grant
Client
Solar PV Contractor
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