January 29, 2007—In a first-of-its-kind partnership, the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) announced at the recent Washington Auto Show that it is joining the US Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Energy Star Challenge. NADA is challenging its 20,000 member dealerships to reduce energy use at more than 43,000 facilities nationwide by 10 percent or more.
Automobile dealerships are energy-intensive operations that require high-quality lighting, both indoors and outdoors, and first-rate climate control, notes EPA. The agency estimates if auto dealers cut their energy use by 10 percent they would save nearly $193 million and prevent more than 1 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions.
NADA members will assess and track the energy performance of their facilities using EPA’s rating tool, Portfolio Manager. According to EPA, the energy information entered into Portfolio Manager by NADA members will allow not only individual dealerships but the industry as a whole to monitor the significant reductions that will result from operational improvements. Other resources available to NADA members include the publication “Putting Energy into Profits: An Auto Dealer Guide” as well as Web cast training, expert support, and more.
For more information, visit EPA’s Energy Star for Auto Dealers Web page.
