April 28, 2003—The largest “green” building complex in the United States officially opened its doors for business on April 22 as part of Earth Day celebrations at the headquarters of Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A., Inc.
The project received a Gold Level Certification from the US Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building rating system. The complex, the largest ever to receive a LEED Gold rating, has 624,000 square feet of office space and will initially house about two thousand Toyota associates.
Some of the keys to Toyota earning “Gold” certification included:
- The widespread use of materials with recycled content. The project achieved a 95 percent recycled content based on LEED calculations.
- One of the largest commercial solar electric systems in North America. The system, developed by PowerLight Corp., generates enough electricity during the day to power more than five hundred homes.
- The installation of a special pipeline by the West Basin Municipal Water District to supply recycled water to the complex for cooling, landscaping, and restroom flushing. Combined with other efforts to reduce potable water consumption, the complex is expected to conserve more than 11 million gallons of drinking water a year.
- Energy-efficiency features such as direct-indirect lighting, high-efficiency insulation, and thermally insulated glass help the complex exceed California energy efficiency targets by more than 20 percent.
The complex also features a hydrogen fueling and service station to support Toyota’s fuel cell vehicle development program.
