At Volkswagen, we go for the gold in all that we do, but sometimes, we’re rewarded with platinum. Our energy-efficient facility in Chattanooga was recently awarded platinum certification from the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) green building certification program. The Chattanooga plant is the only automotive manufacturing plant in the world to receive the platinum certification for the highest possible level of performance.

What is LEED certification? It’s an internationally recognized green building certification system. Simply put, LEED provides building owners and operators a way to identify and implement energy-efficient, eco-conscious solutions for design, construction and operations.

Building a LEED-certified building wasn’t a stretch for us. In fact, it falls right in line with Think Blue, our commitment to achieving sustainable mobility through technology and cars that don’t compromise performance. Think Blue symbolizes our goal of not only creating eco-conscious products, but encouraging environmentally friendly behavior, every day—and it begins before our cars even hit the road. Our Chattanooga plant, where all 2012 Passat models are built (including the eco-conscious and fuel-efficient Passat TDI Clean Diesel), was designed to be as green as possible. Construction was completed with no destruction of untouched nature, and protected 100-foot-wide creeks and wetlands were established to minimize impact on natural habitats. That’s impressive, but it’s just part of a long list of reasons why we received platinum certification:

• 720,000 kilowatts are saved each year due to superior insulation provided by six inches of mineral rock wool

• Light pollution is reduced and 68% less energy is used as a result of LED lighting

• Rainwater is collected and reused to flush toilets and cool welding machines

• Our ultra-clean paint shop will save 50 million gallons of water in 10 years

• Highly reflective white roof membrane minimizes heat island effect by up to 50 degrees Fahrenheit

• Natural flowing creeks capture heavy rains and restore the local natural habitat

• Water usage is reduced by 30% thanks to low-flow water fixtures and no-touch sensors

Our plant is not the only building that received platinum certification. The Volkswagen Academy, where new employees are prepared for work at the Chattanooga facility, was also certified by U.S. Green Building Council as a LEED Platinum facility. If platinum is the new gold, then blue is the new green.

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