The headquarters for Toyota Motor North America (TMNA) in Plano, TX, has undergone major changes in the name of sustainability, and the campus now produces one third of its daily electric needs on its own with one of the largest solar installations in Texas. For the company’s efforts, its headquarters received LEED Platinum certification from USGBC, and it is now the largest commercial LEED Platinum project in Texas.
“With the installation of green spaces, 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,” says Jim Lentz, President and CEO of TMNA. "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.”
These efforts are part of the company’s 2050 Toyota Environmental Challenge, which includes measures to improve sustainability and impact of the environment. The 100-acre headquarters campus exemplifies a number of strategies to meet its goals, including solar power, greater energy efficiency, repurposed rainwater and recycling efforts.
To learn more about Toyota’s sustainable efforts, visit www.toyota-global.com/sustainability.
Renewable Energy
- Largest on-site corporate solar installation among non-utilities in Texas
- 8.79 MW solar power system
- Produces up to 33% of daily electric needs on campus
- Reduces carbon dioxide emissions by 7,198 metric tons each year
- Creates enough energy to power 1,200 average U.S. homes annually
- High-efficiency lighting and building envelopes reduce energy usage
- Rooftop design with plant life manages rainwater, reduces heat and further insulates buildings
- Flexible energy contract helps preserve and resell excess power generation back to the grid
- Grid energy offset by Texas wind farm renewable energy credits
Water Management
- Rainwater capture system provides up to three months of water supply for irrigation
- Cistern water storage to hold 400,000 gallons of harvested rain water
- Estimated to save at least 11 million gallons of drinking water each year
- Excess drain water will be collected and used for sanitary facility use
Sustainable Landscaping
- Exterior landscaping includes drought-tolerant, native plants
- Landscape provides a natural habitat for endangered pollinators
- Roughly 1,300 trees planted on-site
- More than 80 mature trees saved or relocated
- Landscaping to be done without expensive mowing, fertilizers, chemicals or artificial irrigation
- Historic wetlands preserved to protect their natural state
