Volkswagen's Chattanooga, Tennessee facility has achieved the world's first LEED-Platinum green building certification for an automotive manufacturing plant. The $1 billion production facility makes the 2012 Passat.
Volkswagen's Chattanooga, Tennessee facility has achieved the world's first LEED-Platinum green building certification for an automotive manufacturing plant. The $1 billion production facility makes the 2012 Passat.
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The plant earned 52 of a possible 69 points to earn the Platinum designation, the highest in the LEED rating system.
Green Features include:
- Certification of the paint shop facility. Previous assembly plants have excluded their paint shop in the LEED certification process because of the complexity of the manufacturing process and the challenge of getting them certified. VW's sustainably designed paint shop will save more than 50 million gallons of water a year.
- The construction team salvaged or recycled nearly 78 percent (4,602 tons) of construction and demolition waste.
- 48 percent of total building materials were manufactured using recycled materials.
- Through low-flow water closets and urinals, the plant achieves a 58 percent reduction in potable water used for sewage conveyance. Rainwater harvested from the roof is used in the sanitary waste system. Together, these strategies save 1.7 million gallons of potable water a year. Low-flow showers, lavatory and kitchen faucets further decrease potable water usage, resulting in total savings of over 3 million gallons of potable water each year.
- A white, reflective roof reflects heat, lowering cooling costs and saving energy.
Article continues: http://www.matternetwork.com/2012/2/volkswagens-chattanooga-plant-gets-leed.cfm
Image credit: Billy Weeks
