Gentilini Motors, a Woodbine, N.J.-based group of dealerships, has taken steps to reduce its energy and water consumption as part of a company-wide "green" initiative that encompasses service, sales and the company's physical facilities.
The company has installed a large solar array at its Ford dealership, and built a new Chevrolet store across the highway that was designed with environmentally friendly features from the ground up.
"The solar array was a tremendous project and cut our energy usage pretty much in half," says Paul Gentilini, dealer-in-principal at Gentilini Family Ford. "We can operate off that solar power, which reduces strain on the electricity coming from the township."
The 25,000-square-foot Chevrolet story, which opened in May, includes a specialized LED lighting system that is more energy efficient, and a control system that turns the lights on and off automatically. The bathrooms feature waterless urinals as well, which cuts water consumption. The new dealership also includes a larger waiting area, indoor delivery garage, heated drive-up service reception, and provides free four-point inspections.
"We know how much a large business like ours affects the environment," Gentilini says. "We have more than 100 employees, we're open late, and using traditional methods of energy and water management would put a strain on resources."
Gentilini is one of the number of dealerships across the country that are taking advantage of lower costs and incentive programs to make their buildings more energy efficient. These projects range from solar panels to LED lights that can cut energy consumption by 50 percent or more.
Bella Automotive Group, for example, built a "green" Honda dealership near Clermont, Fla., that features a "living roof" partly covered in vegetation, solar panels, water-efficient landscaping, and intelligent lighting. Water harvesting has reduced the dealership's demand for municipal water by 30 percent, and the company uses recycled water for car washes.
Sonic Automotive recently opened EchoPark Automotive, the first of an expected-six-location chain of pre-owned dealerships, with a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification. Wellesley Toyota was the first LEED-certified dealership in New England, and boasts features such as reflective roof materials, high-efficiency low-flush toilets and faucets (which reduced water consumption by 30 percent), low-water landscaping features, waste oil recycling, a smart energy management system to control the HVAC system, and LED lighting. In addition, 55 percent of the previous dealership building's walls, floors, and roof were re-used for the new facility.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, just cutting energy consumption by 10 percent across the dealer population could save $193 million in energy costs and prevent more than one million tons of CO2 emissions annually. That's because dealerships consumer more energy than almost any other type of commercial building. Dealers need lights on 24/7, and bay doors in the service center are opened and closed frequently.
Service departments support environmental efforts
Gentilini’s Ford location has 17 service bays. The Chevrolet dealership currently operates 10 bays, and has space for 20 total bays. The service departments in both locations are also adapting to the company's green initiative.
Both the Ford and Chevy locations have sold hybrid and some electric vehicles, including the Fusion, Escape, Cruise diesel, Malibu hybrid, and even some Volts. The Chevy dealership has charging stations, and the dealership has purchased tools to work on the new cars. However, Gentilini says that very few hybrids come in for major service.
"We don't keep a lot of those parts on hand because you don't see them come in for anything," he says. "I think we've had one Fusion hybrid come in, and that was for a loose wire."
Because the dealerships serve a more rural area, there hasn't been much demand. "The speed limits out here are mostly 50 to 55mph, and there's not much congestion," Gentilini says. "The hybrids typically cut to gas power above 35 mph, but that doesn’t' necessarily benefit the consumer out here because they are very rarely going that slow."
Gentilini has also introduced some more environmentally friendly practices in the service department. Bay doors open and close using automatic sensors, so the dealership wastes less heat in the winter. Shop fans are also automated. The solar company provided training to the parts and service director at the Ford dealership as well.
Energy savings of 60 percent
The Gentilini Ford dealership now has a 238 kW solar array that combines a ground-mounted system with a rooftop array. The dealership worked with Bright Idea Energy to create a system that now provides around 60 percent of the building's total energy consumption. There are 1,021 solar panels across the facility using a grid-tied system that can be directly metered on the side of the building. The total installation took 90 days.
According to Gentilini the project was completed in conjunction with Ford via the OEM's environmental program. "In the case of the solar array, the tax credits went to Ford," Gentilini says. "Both Ford and GM have green initiatives. The large manufacturers are taking responsibility and influencing the dealer groups in this direction."
The Ford store is also due for a remodel, and Gentilini says that the building will eventually include some of the same lighting and water-saving features as the Chevy store.
"Ford and GM have made accommodations for these types of initiatives in their image plans, and GM gave us some options to choose from when we were building the Chevy store," Gentilini says. "When we furnished the Chevy store, we got furnishing that was made with recycled materials, for example. They also provide some financial incentives."
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