Eli Lilly, a global leader in pharmaceutical innovation, has been transforming lives for nearly 150 years ago.  Founded with the principle of continuous improvement- “Take what you find here and make it better and better”– the company remains dedicated to advancing healthcare worldwide.

With operations in over 125 countries, Eli Lilly continues to develop life-saving medicines.  For more than 40 years, its Irish facilities have played a cricitalcritical role in supporting global innovation. 

Sustainability is central to Eli Lilly’s mission. To reduce its carbon footprint, the Irish unit partnered with Greenvolt Next Ireland (formally Enerpower) to design and execute a groundbreaking solar energy project, financing it via a 20-year Power Purchase Agreement (PPA). This collaboration not only resulted in a zero upfront investment for Lilly but also accelerated progress towards meeting its ambitious environmental targets, including a 26% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2023.  

Eli Lilly has ambitious environmental goals, and the Irish unit chose Greenvolt Next Ireland, former Enerpower powered by Greenvolt, as a partner to develop, finance and execute the renewable energy project.

THE CHALLENGE

Overcoming Covid
restrictions and
land limitations

The first phase of the project was developed during the COVID pandemic, which presented significant challenges due to associated restrictions and disruptions. Nevertheless, the project was remarkably completed in just over a year, including permitting and construction. In addition to Covid related restrictions, the project faced a lack of suitable land for expansion. To address this, Eli Lilly adopted a creative solution: leasing a neighbor farmer’s property to add another 4 hectares of behind-the-meter solar capacity. The project also encountered some technical challenges, such as integrating two different types of inverters in phases one and two, which forced the team to install a bespoke communication system to overcome it.