Q&A | How Texas Instruments helps create a sustainable future

Why is environmental sustainability important to Texas Instruments?

What is Texas Instruments' focus on reducing its impact on the environment?

Heidi: Texas Instruments' ideals guide how we operate the company and are the cornerstone of ensuring that we operate with an environmentally friendly mindset and a continuous improvement mentality.

Texas Instruments has been pursuing a more sustainable future for decades. Therefore, we continue to take measures to reduce our impact on the environment, including reducing greenhouse gas emissions . These gases trap heat in the environment, causing the planet to warm. Last year, Texas Instruments launched hundreds of projects across the company to reduce energy consumption, material and water consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. At the same time, we continue to invest in new technology development and innovation to reduce the impact of production on the environment. For example, between 2018 and 2022, our energy efficiency projects are estimated to save 320 gigawatt hours of energy use per year, which is roughly equivalent to the electricity usage of 30,000 average U.S. ^homes1 .

Looking to the future, while continuing to expand production capacity, we will continue on the path of sustainable development over the years and continue to reduce energy consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, water consumption and waste landfills.

Where do Texas Instruments' greenhouse gas emissions come from? What steps are we taking to reduce Scope 1 and 2 emissions?

Heidi: To answer this question, you must understand that Texas Instruments' strategy is to invest in its own production capacity - wafer fabrication plants and packaging and test plants, rather than relying solely on external suppliers. As our production capacity and output increase, in-house manufacturing allows us to better control environmental sustainability indicators, especially in terms of Category 1 and Category 2 emissions.

During the manufacturing process, one of the key indicators of concern is Category 1 emissions from gases and chemicals used in semiconductor manufacturing. Over the years, we have emphasized the use of alternative gases and chemicals with lower global warming potential, introduced advanced machine equipment and technology, and installed hot point-of-use emission reduction equipment on department machines to handle emissions generated in semiconductor manufacturing. exhaust gases, thereby reducing such emissions.

Another source of greenhouse gas emissions is the electricity we use to run our factories and other sites, which are Scope 2 emissions. We will continue to use electricity generated from renewable sources and take steps to optimize our manufacturing, transportation and product distribution operations.

As TI continues to increase manufacturing capacity, how does TI make new factories more sustainable?

Heidi: In the design and equipment of the new factory and office, we strive to ensure efficiency and sustainability, and strive to obtain the US Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification, which is a green building rating system widely recognized around the world.

For example, RFAB in Richardson, Texas, is the world's first green semiconductor manufacturing facility to receive LEED Gold certification. Nearly a decade later, RFAB2 has become Texas Instruments’ fourth and latest manufacturing facility to receive LEED certification. It is also the first wafer manufacturing plant in the United States and the fourth in the world to obtain LEED Gold Certification Version 4.0. The certification is the U.S. Green Building Council’s more stringent certification for the sustainable design, construction and operation of high-performance green buildings. RFAB2 is expected to save 750 million gallons of drinking water and nearly 80,000 megawatt hours of energy annually. In addition, the plant’s construction materials were responsibly sourced and designed and built with a healthy working environment in mind.

In 2022, Texas Instruments will use more renewable electricity than ever before. What plans does Texas Instruments have for using renewable energy in the future?

Heidi: Over the past few years, we have gradually increased our use of renewable electricity and are committed to increasing our use in the future to reduce greenhouse gas emissions . For example, in 2022, Texas Instruments commissioned 47 MW of solar power in operations in North Texas, and in 2023, we added 18 MW of wind power. In addition, we have implemented a rooftop solar system at our office in Bangalore, India, to meet some of our power needs. When considering opportunities to use renewable electricity, we consider factors such as location, investment need, scale and timing.

In addition to measures to improve sustainability , how do the semiconductor devices designed and manufactured by Texas Instruments play a role in improving the environment?

Heidi: In nearly every application, from air conditioners, washers and dryers to data centers, Texas Instruments products have the opportunity to significantly reduce energy consumption . Semiconductors are driving the future of energy in new ways, and our customers are improving sustainability through continued innovation. For example, our products enable unprecedented driving range for next-generation electric vehicles and enable solar and energy storage systems to intelligently manage energy supply from the grid to consumers.

We also help companies leverage TI technology to create more sustainable energy ecosystems that capture, convert and distribute energy more efficiently and energy-efficiently, accelerating the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy.

What’s exciting is that our semiconductor products play a critical role in a variety of different ways and will play an increasingly important role in reducing environmental impact .