Toyota of Rockwall in Texas has become the first automotive dealership in the country to be given a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification. Just a little while ago, Pat Lobb Toyota in McKinney, Texas managed to get a Silver certification and was the first auto dealership to be LEED certified at all. Not too shabby. But more are on the way, as Michael Bevan, Corporate Manager, Retail Market Development at Toyota Motor Sales in the U.S. says, "We expect there will be six LEED certified Toyota dealerships by this summer. We've also been working with other auto companies on the dynamics of building a LEED dealership and they are beginning to build facilities for LEED certification." Some examples of the lengths Toyota of Rockwall went to get the Gold are water cisterns which capture rain water for use in irrigation and exterior panels made from ninety percent recycled aluminum.

In order to facilitate the greening of its dealerships, Toyota has created what it calls its "Image II program," where dealerships can order "turn-key" LEED certified buildings. For what it's worth, Toyota has a network of over 1,400 dealerships to oversee.

Blue Sun Biodiesel recently moved its company headquarters to a new building, one that is LEED Platinum Certified and one of just 26 so-certified buildings in the world and the first one in Colorado. LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmentalism Design. On average, LEED certified buildings reduce CO₂ emissions by 35 percent. According to Mike Miller, Blue Sun's president and COO, "Blue Sun Biodiesel is working to reduce their carbon output at all stages through careful management of processes. It's important to be committed to the core principles of your business in every way. Blue Sun Biodiesel recognizes that everything we do, including the office in which we work, should say something about the quality of products we offer and our industry-leading principles." He's right, of course, and considering the fact that many biodiesel users choose the biofuel over petroleum-based diesel fuel, the certification of Blue Sun's headquarters could be both a marketing coup and a real reason to choose this particular brand over another. Read the full press release after the break.

When Pat Lobb Toyota of McKinney, Texas opened its doors last week, it became the first automotive dealership in the U.S. to become LEED-certified assuring the latest in environmental sustainability.

The LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building Rating System is administered by the U.S. Green Building Council, a Washington-based nonprofit coalition, and was created to implement a standard in minimizing negative affects on the environment while improving occupant well-being.

Much of the dealership was created with recycled materials and designed with energy and resource saving systems. One such example is the use a cistern to capture and conserve water for the car wash.

The dealership was designed by the Gensler architectural firm and built by Turner Construction Company.

Related:

• Honda R&D puts the chill to workers' delight
• Honda R&D wins gold LEED award for Ohio

[Source: Pat Lobb Toyota]