What is LEED?

LEED – or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design – is administered by the United States Green Building Council. It is a comprehensive system to define, measure and validate “green buildings.” Certification in the national recognition program is based on strict standards in five key areas: site planning, water management, energy, material use and indoor environmental quality.

The all-new Trenton (Mich.) South Engine Plant is one of only four auto manufacturing facilities to receive a LEED rating of any kind and the only engine manufacturing facility in the world to achieve the honor.

Trenton South was designed for both efficient manufacturing and minimal environmental impact. It was built on a brownfield site and designed to embrace the highest environmental standards to address the complete lifecycle of the facility.

How did the Trenton South Engine Plant achieve a Gold certification?

Trenton South achieved LEED Gold Certification by accomplishing the following:

• Reducing energy costs by $1.25 million per year
• Reducing CO₂ emissions by 12,000 metric tons per year
  • Equivalent to the emissions of nearly 1,000 homes
• Redeveloping a brownfield site
• Reducing water consumption by 1.5 million gallons per year
  • Equal to the amount of water found in 68 average size swimming pools
• Diverting more than 90 percent – or about 6,750 tons – of construction waste from landfills
  • Equal to the weight of about 2,700 Jeep Grand Cherokees
• Utilizing building materials that included 44 percent recycled content
• Incorporating building materials that contained 82 percent regional content
• Utilizing 57 percent of wood products harvested from Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) forests
• Continuing the Chrysler Group’s commitment to Zero-Waste-to-Landfill processes
  • More than 670 tons of waste per year diverted from landfills