Toyota Leads the Way in Green Buildings

Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc’s. (TMS) recently completed Kansas City Regional Technical Training Center in Kansas City, Mo. has achieved Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification. The technical training center is located at the region sales office and provides offices, classrooms and training bays for Toyota dealer technicians. A total of 11 Toyota/Lexus U.S. facilities and 18 Toyota/Lexus dealerships have achieved LEED certification, leading the automotive industry in green building efforts.

“At Toyota, we are committed to reducing environmental impacts throughout our operations,” said Doug Beebe, TMS corporate manager of administrative services. “LEED provides a framework for us to demonstrate that doing what is environmentally responsible can also be financially responsible.”

The Kansas City technical training center integrated the following LEED elements into construction to achieve Gold certification:

**99 percent of construction waste (more than 953 tons) was diverted from landfill through salvage or recycling
   
**Extensive native vegetation rain gardens and swales treat 100 percent of parking lot and roof storm water runoff, removing 95 percent of pollutants
   
**Automatic lighting controls and use of natural light reduce electrical demand by 24.5 percent (12kw)
   
**High efficiency HVAC system consumes 50 percent less energy in cooling mode
   
**100 percent of installed wood products carry Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification, ensuring sustainable harvest practices
   
**Dual flush toilets, waterless urinals and efficient fixtures reduce water consumption by 66 percent, saving 49,800 gallons of water annually
   
**100 percent of annual energy use (176 kwh/yr) is offset by investment in certified renewable energy development

In addition to the Kansas City Regional Technical Training Center, 10 Toyota/Lexus U.S. facilities have achieved various levels of LEED certification since 2003. Ranging from office space to vehicle distribution centers, these facilities represent Toyota’s continued efforts to improve the design and efficiency of all operations while reducing the overall environmental footprint. A complete listing of LEED certified facilities is found below.

Toyota sparked an industry trend in 2006, with construction of the first LEED certified automotive dealership in the country. Patt Lobb Toyota of McKinney, Texas, achieved Silver LEED certification and paved the way for additional dealers to follow. To date, 18 Toyota/Lexus dealerships have achieved LEED certification, including the nation's only Platinum LEED certified dealership, Kendall Toyota in Eugene, Ore. An additional nine dealerships are complete and awaiting final certification (see complete listing below).

“Toyota and Lexus dealers have truly seized the opportunity to ‘green’ their businesses,” said Ernest Bastien, TMS vice president of retail market development, “and by doing so are demonstrating environmental leadership in their communities. Dealers are also quickly re-couping their initial investments and realizing the long term financial benefits of building more efficient dealerships.”

LEED dealership construction was spurred by Toyota’s ECO Image U.S.A. II initiative which assists dealers with construction of facilities that emphasize efficiency and reduce overall environmental impacts. LEED certified dealers are seeing a 26 percent reduction in energy costs per square foot per year. In addition, quick return on investment for sustainable building materials, efficient lighting and other LEED elements are confirming the economic benefits of building green.

The LEED Green Building Rating System™ is a third-party green building certification program designed by the U.S. Green Building Council. The U.S. Green Building Council is a non-profit organization dedicated to the expansion of green building practices and the LEED program. LEED projects accumulate points/credits in various environmental categories. Point totals determine the level of certification, ranging from ‘Certified’ to ‘Platinum.’

Courtesy of Toyota Newsroom