United Therapeutics Jacksonville
Advanced Green Technologies Installs 1.4 MW Solar Carport at United Therapeutics New Innovative Lung Restoration Center in Jacksonville
United Therapeutics has pledged to not contribute to global warming by creating sustainable facilities like their new innovative lung restoration center in Jacksonville, FL. As part of their carbon neutrality efforts, the biotechnology company contracted Advanced Green Technologies (AGT) to design, build and install five solar carports at their new net-zero facility at the Mayo Clinic’s Southside campus, the solar arrays can produce 1,400,000-Kilowatt-hours of electricity and provide up to 50% of the total energy needed to power the center.
Scope of Work
To prepare for installation, AGT designed a photovoltaic system in accordance with United Therapeutics’ and manufacturer’s specifications. String sizing, electrical engineering, structural engineering, and layouts were provided as required for permitting. At the site, all landscaping and light poles were removed for proper foundation installation, and ground-penetrating radar locates were performed at all locations where excavation would take place.
With the site prepared, auger cast pile concrete foundations were installed. An AGT custom steel-framed carport was then furnished and installed according to United Therapeutics’ specifications. This process included painting and installing AGT’s Double Cantilever Structures with split uprights at all radius locations and installing galvanized finishing on the Super-Span structures at all remaining locations. All structural steel uprights, main I-Beam spans, and “Z” Purlin panels were finished with a hot-dipped galvanized coating on the super spans.
The carport was then installed with 2,821 Hanwha Q CELLS Q. PLUS L-G4.2 345W photovoltaic modules, for a total of 1,400,000 Watts (DC). Sixteen SMA CORE 1 50kW inverters were also furnished and installed as detailed by each site’s design. Technologies built into the design include LED lighting and data metering that monitors solar energy production and usage.
Conclusion
The completed system is backed by a 10-year guarantee on inverters from SMA, and a 25-year limited guarantee on the power output module from Hanwha-Q CELLS. The United Therapeutics carport was completed in May of 2019 on time and on budget to the client’s satisfaction and without safety issues. As a bioengineering company working to save lives, United Therapeutics’ move toward becoming a zero-energy business is simple: Advanced Roofing and Advanced Green Technologies were proud to be a part of this groundbreaking project.