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Mother Nature



Why do you think that Mother Nature is angry with the auto industry?

Building and driving cars takes a heavy toll on the earth. It is estimated, for example, that transportation alone is responsible for 25% of the world's carbon emissions.  But buildings account for 43%.  So we started where we could make the biggest impact:  our facility. 

Is Planet the world's only Subaru showroom powered entirely by the sun? 

Yes!  We installed a 78,540-watt solar power plant on the roof our building.  The Planet Power Plant (Photovoltaic) comprises 374 solar panels.  The PPP(P) occupies about a quarter acre of our roof and powers our entire showroom:  lights, computers, monitors, phones, fax machines, photocopiers, refrigerators, coffee makers...everything currently powered by burning fossil fuels.  Are we crazy?  Probably.  But as Seal sang, "we're never gonna survive unless we get a little crazy."



What have you done with your land that is different than the typical dealership?

The only green you'll find at most dealerships is a weed poking through the asphalt. Planet Subaru, one of the largest Subaru dealerships on the planet, is situated on almost 11 acres. But we set aside over half this acreage of prime real estate as a nature preserve for landscaping and undisturbed forest. When we moved in, we planted scores of trees in addition to the thousands of mature trees that were already here. From Route 53, Planet Subaru looks more like a country club than a car dealership. We even planted hardy grass and wildflowers that never require any watering, fertilizer, pesticides, or herbicides. Rather than secure the perimeter of our property with an ugly fence, we promote the growth of black raspberry and other thorned bushes in a buffer zone between the cars and the forest around us.


What awards have you won?

Planet Subaru won the United States Environmental Protection Agency's Energy Star Small Business Award, one of only eight given annually to all small businesses nationwide.  Planet Subaru was a finalist for the National Auto Dealers Association/USA Today Dealer Innovation Award.  Planet was a "Top Contender" in the US EPA's 2011 National Battle of the Buildings.   The US Department of Energy's Pacific National Laboratory used Planet Subaru as a case study in how to perform a successful deep retrofit on a retail building.   Governor Deval Patrick and Lt. Gov. Tim Murray recognized Planet Subaru for our efforts to reduce energy usage.  Planet Subaru also appeared on the cover of the Automotive News, the auto industry's flagship publication. 


What have you done with your building to achieve 30% energy savings?

We engineered the building to minimize impact. For example, we use no heat or air conditioning a good part of the year by relying on operable windows, passive solar heat, block wall construction, and river rock on our roof to reduce thermal loads. We upgraded all our outdoor lighting with high intensity discharge systems (like those purple headlights on luxury cars) and replaced much of our indoor lighting with T8 high-efficiency systems.


What kind of savings are we talking about?

When the US Environmental Protection Agency awarded us with their  Energy Star Small Business Award, they calculated our savings: Planet Subaru is saving more than $22,000 annually by saving 125,000 kWh of electricity, more than 1,300 therms of natural gas, and preventing about 220,000 pounds of CO2 emissions from being released into the atmosphere (that's 110 tons!).


How about the "eco-nomics"--does your commitment to the environment mean your prices are higher?

No. In total, our efforts are expense neutral. We use savings in some areas to offset extra cost in others. It's true that some things we do just cost more---recycling our car wash water, for example, is more expensive. However, our xeriscape (hardy hardy grass and wildflowers)  saves us a fortune in sprinkler systems, water, fertilizer, herbicides, pesticides, and grass cutting. One of the unfair raps on the environmental movement is that respecting Mother Nature is bad for business. Every day we are proving that environmental responsibility can be good for business. Over the long term, there will be no economy if we don't take sensible action now.


How about other kinds of pollution?

We try to look at everything through an environmental filter. We use "full cutoff" light shields on our lot lights to minimize light pollution, the bane of stargazers everywhere. We use no external paging in order to reduce noise pollution.  We use steel wheel weights (instead of cheaper lead) when we balance tires so there is no toxic waste to dispose of later. 


How does your recycling commitment exceed that of the typical dealership?

First of all, we recycled the entire building.  When we bought the property, we worked with the existing structure rather than tearing it down and starting over.  Oil filters are another good example. An oil filter retains half an ounce of oil even after draining it because the filter matrix is absorbent.  Many places throw them in the trash, along with the residual oil. 312 business days per year, times 30 oil changes per day, times half an ounce is over 350 gallons of oil we keep out of landfills (and ultimately, groundwater) every year.  Other examples:  we shred/recycle all our paper, we have separate dumpsters for cardboard and metal, and we recycle our car wash water.


What do you do with trade-ins that are the end of their lives?

We donate cars to the Special Olympics, and facilitate the donations by customers of hundreds more. Their recycler drains all the fluids, disassembles the vehicles, sells useful parts, and recycles the rest. (Plus, our customers get a tax deduction and the Special Olympics uses the proceeds to fund their good work.)

How does Planet use biomimicry?

Biomimicry is an innovation method that seeks sustainability by emulating nature's own time-tested strategies for perpetual renewal.  For example, plants rely on the sun--not fossil fuels--for sustenance.  So we installed solar panels to power our showroom.  Wherever possible, we structure our operations with nature as our guide.


What do you do for your vehicles to avoid vehicle cruelty?

All of our vehicles use fuel that is free of antibiotics and hormones.  Also, they are all cage free. 



To take a facility tour by video, click here. 




Planet Subaru.  your undealership



                    Sorry guys...
         no shoes,
         no shirt,
         no service!