PLANO, Texas, Sept. 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Everything is
bigger in Texas. Everything, that
is, except Toyota's environmental footprint.
Toyota Motor North America's (TMNA) headquarters campus in
Plano, Texas has officially
achieved LEED Platinum from the U.S. Green Building Council
(USGBC). Jonathan Kraatz, executive
director, USGBC Texas Chapter, presented the prized Platinum
plaque to Jim Lentz, TMNA president and chief executive officer, today at the new
campus. LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is
the most widely used green building rating system in the world.
"At Toyota, we have a longstanding commitment to sustainability
and preserving our natural resources," said Lentz. "With the
installation of greenspaces, thousands of solar panels, a massive
rain water capture system, and natural light wells, we have
designed our new headquarters to reflect the local habitat and
enhance its biodiversity. Recognition as a LEED Platinum facility
is a testament of our efforts to become a model for energy
efficiency and sustainability, and speaks to our challenge to
ourselves to create a net positive impact on the planet by
2050."
"USGBC is proud to award LEED Platinum to Toyota, for their
thoughtfulness in their campus energy planning and space design as
well as the overall net positive impact on the community and
environment," said Kraatz. "Our mission at USGBC has challenged
organizations to move faster and reach further than ever before,
and Toyota's new Texas campus is a
great example of what can be accomplished with the right
leadership."
The state-of-the-art, 100-acre campus boasts a Platinum-sized
list of sustainability aspects, from renewable energy to drought
resistant landscaping:
Renewable Energy
- Largest onsite corporate solar installation among non-utility
companies in Texas
- 8.79-Megawatt solar power system, designed and installed by
SunPower Corp.
- Produces up to 33 percent of daily electric needs for
headquarters campus
- Reduces annual carbon dioxide emissions by 7,198 metric
tons
- Creates enough energy to power 1,200 average US homes for a
year
- Installation of high efficiency lighting and building envelopes
to reduce energy usage on campus
- Specialized rooftop design teeming with plant life to manage
rainwater, reduce heat and further insulate the buildings
- Flexible energy contract to preserve and resell excess power
generation back to the grid
- Grid energy offset by Texas
wind farm renewable energy credits
Repurposed Rainwater
- State-of-the-art rainwater capture system will provide up to
three months of water supply for irrigation use
- Cistern water storage with a capacity to hold 400,000 gallons
of harvested rain water
- Estimated to save more than 11 million gallons of potable
(drinking) water annually
- Excess drain water will be collected and repurposed for
sanitary facility use
Recycling
- More than 99 percent of the construction waste was
recycled
- Construction waste was sorted offsite at North Texas' first Construction and Demolition
waste processing facility
Sustainable Landscaping
- Exterior landscaping features drought-tolerant, North Texas indigenous plants like savannah,
oaklands and wildflower meadows
- Campus landscape will provide a natural habitat for endangered
pollinators and monarch butterflies
- Approximately 1,300 trees planted onsite by Toyota
- More than 80 mature trees saved or relocated onsite, including
a 100-year-old oak tree
- Landscaping will be managed without expensive mowing,
fertilizers, chemicals or artificial irrigation
- Historic wetlands on the northeast corner of the campus were
preserved to protect its natural state
Professionals who led this project include a host of
Dallas-based firms: KDC Real
Estate Development & Investments to develop and build the
campus, architect Corgan Associates to design the campus, and
Austin Commercial to manage the construction.
In late 2015, Toyota Motor Corporation announced the 2050 Toyota
Environmental Challenge, a set of ambitious environmental goals to
reach beyond net zero, and create a net positive impact on the
planet. To learn more, please visit
http://www.toyota-global.com/sustainability/environment/challenge2050/.
About Toyota
Toyota (NYSE: TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in the
U.S. and North America for 60
years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation
mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands. During that
time, Toyota has created a tremendous value chain as our teams have
contributed to world-class design, engineering, and assembly of
more than 33 million cars and trucks in North America, where we operate 14
manufacturing plants (10 in the U.S.) and directly employ more than
46,000 people (more than 36,000 in the U.S.). Our 1,800 North
American dealerships (nearly 1,500 in the U.S.) sold almost 2.7
million cars and trucks (2.45 million in the U.S.) in 2016 – and
about 85 percent of all Toyota vehicles sold over the past 15 years
are still on the road today.
Toyota partners with community, civic, academic, and
governmental organizations to address our society's most pressing
mobility challenges. We share company resources and extensive
know-how to support non-profits to help expand their ability to
assist more people move more places. For more information about
Toyota, visit www.toyotanewsroom.com.
Media
Contacts:
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Amanda
Roark
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469 292
2636
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Jana
Hartline
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469 292
1077
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Media
Website:
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http://www.toyotanewsroom.com
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Public
Websites:
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http://www.toyota.com
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http://www.lexus.com
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SOURCE Toyota Motor North America