Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) announced this week that their Lone Star location in Austin, Texas has been given a gold certification by the U.S. Green Building Council under their Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System.
This rating makes AMD's facility the largest gold-certified commercial building in the state.
The 58-acre location is 100% powered using clean, renewable energy, and has the capacity to collect 1.2 million gallons of rainwater, which is used for irrigation and supplies cooling towers. In addition, 20% of the building materials were recycled and more than 20% came from local sources.
During the construction process, AMD worked with the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center to work around native plants or relocate them after construction was complete.
This isn't the first time AMD has been honored for their environmental efforts. They were also named as one of the 100 Most Sustainable Companies in the World in 2008 by Innovest Strategic Advisors. Their recent Global Climate Protection Plan surpassed past green goals, and in April, AMD released two energy-efficient Athlon chips.