MEDFORD, Ore. — The headquarters of Lithia Motors Inc. was awarded Silver Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Certification by the U.S. Green Building Council. LEED is the USGBC's rating system for the design and construction of energy-efficient buildings.

Construction for the building, located in the Commons in downtown Medford, was completed in August of 2012. The new building contains environmentally-sustainable building products, furniture and furnishings, many of which contain a significant amount of recycled materials.

During construction, 83% (1,594 tons) of existing building materials and site concrete waste were recycled. The new building incorporates roof-mounted solar panels to offset energy usage. 

“We are committed to being environmentally responsible in our daily processes and our future business efforts,” said Mark DeBoer, Lithia’s vice president of real estate operations. “We’ve put a lot of effort into highlighting this through our corporate sustainability efforts.”

Certified, Silver, Gold and Platinum levels of LEED certification are awarded based on the total number of points earned within six categories: sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, indoor environmental quality, and innovation and design. Certification can be applied to all building types, including new construction, commercial interiors, core and shell developments, existing buildings, homes, neighborhood developments, schools and retail facilities.