Project Lightyear Receives Dual Honors

Project Lightyear, located in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, is a cutting-edge, current Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP) logistics facility designed to achieve net-zero energy consumption. The facility not only expands United Therapeutics' warehousing and supply chain capabilities but also sets a new standard for environmental sustainability and operational resilience in the biotech industry.

"We are thrilled to receive these honors from ISPE and I2SL," said Chris Small, Principal at Hanbury. "They are a testament to United Therapeutics' visionary leadership, which challenged our team to create a one-of-a-kind facility that pushes the boundaries of sustainable design and sets a new standard for resilience and environmental responsibility in these critical facilities."

The ISPE FOYA program recognizes state-of-the-art pharmaceutical and biotechnology facilities that utilize innovative technologies to enhance product quality, reduce production costs, and advance project delivery. Traditionally focused on manufacturing and research lab facilities, the FOYA judging team made a special exception to honor Project Lightyear for its groundbreaking focus on environmental sustainability and achievement as a net-zero facility.

Project Lightyear incorporates several technological innovations contributing to its net-zero and zero-carbon goals:

Geothermal HVAC System: Utilizes the earth's stable temperatures to reduce energy consumption for heating and cooling.

Rooftop Photovoltaic (PV) Array: Covers nearly the entire roof, generating over 750 MWh of electricity per year.

Microgrid and Battery Backup System: Includes two Tesla Megapacks that provide up to 48 hours of backup power, allowing the facility to operate independently during power outages.

These features enable the facility to use renewable energy efficiently, push excess energy back to the grid, and maintain a stable environment for the storage of life-saving medicines like Tyvaso, used to treat pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and pulmonary hypertension with interstitial lung disease (PH-ILD).

The I2SL award recognizes Project Lightyear's excellence in integrating resilience and renewable energy into its design. By reusing 70% of the existing structural and envelope elements of an underutilized field house, the project significantly reduced embodied carbon.

Key highlights include:

Operational Resilience: The microgrid control system and backup battery ensure the facility remains operational during extended power outages, potentially for weeks or even months.

Energy Efficiency: Energy-efficient design strategies reduced the building's Energy Use Intensity (EUI) by 31% compared to conventional cold storage warehouses.

Sustainability Certifications: The project is expected to receive LEED Gold, LEED Zero Energy, LEED Zero Carbon, and Energy Star certifications.

United Therapeutics Corporation is a biotechnology company focused on the development and commercialization of innovative products to address the unmet medical needs of patients with chronic and life-threatening conditions.

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