Toyota's engine plant in Huntsville was among North American manufacturing facilities recently honored for environmental sustainability by the EPA.

The automotive company has won its 11th consecutive Energy Star Partner of the Year award, the most by any automaker. Toyota said it has saved nearly $600 million, reduced 14 billion kilowatt hours of energy and cut CO2 emissions by 40 percent per vehicle since benchmarking began in 2002.

"While there's always room for improvement, achieving energy efficiency demonstrates that good ideas have helped us become environmentally responsible while making a significant impact to our bottom line," said Robin Haugen, general manager of Toyota's plant and environmental group.

Toyota Motor Manufacturing on Cottonvalley Drive was recognized for its efforts to protect the environment through "superior energy efficiency."

Recent activities in Huntsville include:

• Saved 300,000 gallons of water a year – enough to fill half of an Olympic-size swimming pool – by reusing compressor condensate water in the cooling tower. The tower accountsfor nearly 50 percent of the facility's water use.

• Switched to higher-efficiency motors and used compressed air more efficiently.

• Installed LED lighting, solar lights and daylighting to reduce purchased electricity.

• All environmental projects – part of a $1 million investment to make the plant more sustainable – result in annual saving of more than 3.3 million kilowatts hours, equal to 125 average U.S. homes and reducing more than 2,000 metric tons of CO2.

The Energy Star award is the highest level of EPA recognition.

Toyota operates 14 manufacturing plants (10 in the U.S.) and employs more than 40,000 workers. The company has made more than 25 million cars and trucks in North American over the past five decades.

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