TI's Philippines facility awarded LEED(R) Gold certification

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Jun 01, 2010, 03:00 ET

CLARK FREEPORT, Philippines, June 1 /PRNewswire/ -- Texas Instruments (TI) Incorporated today announced the U.S. Green Building Council® (USGBC) has awarded its new assembly/test facility in the Clark Zone, Philippines a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification, distinguishing the site as the first Gold-certified facility in the Philippines.

"The LEED Gold certification is a validation of TI's commitment to environmental stewardship and to the health of the communities where it operates," said Bing Viera, managing director of TI's operations in the Philippines. "The Clark facility was designed from the ground up to maximize manufacturing capabilities and minimize environmental impact."

The newly constructed 780,000 square foot facility is located on the former USA Clark airbase in the Pampanga province of the Philippines on the northern island of Luzon. TI has had a manufacturing presence in the Philippines for more than 30 years and earned a LEED-NC Silver certification on its Phase V expansion project in Baguio City last year. The Phase V project was the Philippine's first LEED certified building.

TI began using USGBC LEED rating systems to guide continuing improvements for construction and sustainability in the early 2000s when the company constructed the world's first LEED Gold certified semiconductor manufacturing facility, RFAB, in Richardson, Texas.

TI Clark site's sustainable design and construction features include:

Reducing energy use

The site uses a highly reflective roof to reduce heat gain and is the first TI site to install a section of vegetative roofing. The 11,000 square foot roof area is covered with living plants to help reduce heat gain and slow water runoff.
Natural day lighting is used where possible, and efficient lights with sensors and controls take care of the balance of the lighting needs.
To make the cooling more efficient, TI utilizes a desiccant wheel air handling unit to provide dehumidified fresh air. Traditional chilled water cooling removes some moisture and cools the air while the desiccant wheel absorbs the remaining moisture. The desiccant wheel is dried and regenerated using waste heat.

Environmentally responsible building materials

More than 20 percent of the materials in the building were made from recycled content, and 40 percent of all construction materials were locally produced.
Low-emitting materials such as paints, adhesives, sealants and carpeting were used to minimize off-gassing and provide for better indoor air quality.
More than 96 percent of the construction waste was diverted from the landfill through reuse or recycling. This includes a truck load of waste crating material that was donated to the Philippines National Apiary Project, which turned the wood into working beehives for honey production. Construction waste was also donated to neighboring organizations, including a school, church and local indigenous community group.

Water management

The project was awarded LEED credits in innovation for water efficiency and process water reuse.
Reclaimed water is used for toilet flushing.
Moisture condensed from the air is used for site irrigation during the dry season.
A site detention pond minimizes runoff and allows for better local rain absorption.
More than 70 percent of the site has been preserved or restored with native plantings to minimize runoff and reduce landscape maintenance.
Several other water streams are reclaimed for use in cooling towers and scrubber systems.

Efficient commuting

The site is served by two different bus lines. This, combined with use of local Jeepneys (multi-passenger vehicles), allows most employees to utilize mass transit to travel to/from work.
Preferred parking is available for low emission vehicles.
Bicycle parking, showers, and lockers are provided for bicyclists.

Developed by USGBC®, LEED provides building owners and operators a concise framework for identifying and implementing practical and measurable green building design, construction, operations and maintenance solutions. The TI Clark site was certified under LEED for New Construction (LEED-NC) version 2.2.

TI now operates over 2 million square feet of LEED certified manufacturing space around the world.

About Texas Instruments

Texas Instruments (NYSE: TXN) helps customers solve problems and develop new electronics that make the world smarter, healthier, safer, greener and more fun. A global semiconductor company, TI innovates through design, sales and manufacturing operations in more than 30 countries. For more information, go to www.ti.com.

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SOURCE Texas Instruments Incorporated