Focus on Energy

Phased approach to green gets into gear at dealership

From the start, Jeff Morrill wanted more from his dealership's facilities than just a place to park cars.

Morrill, president and owner of Planet Subaru in Hanover, wanted an earth-friendly building, too, and he has spent the past decade making that a reality.

"We believe in this. We believe that the way the modern capitalistic economy is organized is unsustainable. And we're a part of it. We're not ashamed to be a part of it, but we want to do our part to align it with the personal values we have. That's where it starts," said Morrill, whose building is a contestant in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Energy Star Battle of the Buildings contest.

Morrill and his brother, John Morrill, both veteran automotive industry workers, bought a bankrupt Norwood Subaru dealership in 1998. They kept the dealership in a leased building until 2002, when they moved it to a building in Hanover that once housed an auto parts store.

Morrill said even the decision to buy and renovate the 22,500-square-foot building was influenced by their green agenda.

"We had to decide whether to knock it down and build what we really wanted to build or take what was here and develop it into what we wanted. We just couldn't bear the thought of tearing down a perfectly good building," he said, noting that the decision to renovate the building, built in 1993, was also more fiscally responsible.

So the brothers set out on what Morrill calls a "phasing" approach to green design, adding various components to the building as they could afford to do so.

They started by installing operable windows, enabling workers to open them for several months every year to have nature provide the right temperature inside and thus eliminating the need for cooling or heating the facilities during that time.

They upgraded to a more efficient heating, ventilation and air-conditioning system and installed programmable thermostats.

They also replaced the lighting fixtures with more energy efficient ones in 2005, and they're now upgrading again, installing even more energy-efficient ballasts and bulbs into the existing fixtures.

Morrill said he and his brother took on not just complex projects but found simple solutions, too. For example, they painted the shop floor white, so it reflects natural light and thereby lessens demand for artificial lights and the electricity that powers them.

"Some of this is just thinking about it. Sometimes it's just old-fashioned common sense, things you can do at a low cost to improve efficiency," Morrill said, noting that the white floor makes it easier for mechanics to see the underside of cars, too.

One of the biggest energy projects taken on by Subaru Planet was the addition of rooftop solar panels. The Morrill brothers installed a 78,540-watt solar power plant on the roof, with 374 solar panels on about a quarter acre powering everything, from computers to lights, used in the showroom.

Morrill said the project cost the dealership $400,000, but it will provide 40 percent of the dealership's total annual energy needs and pay back the investment in about 10 years.

"If you're looking for a good investment, you'd probably be better off buying Exxon stock. But it shows you that you do these things because sometimes it makes make economic sense and sometimes because it's just the right thing to do," Morrill said.

Morrill said the improvements during the past nine years have yielded an estimated $22,000 annual savings in energy costs. They've also attracted a lot of attention, including extensive media coverage, environmental and industry awards and recognition, and additional customers.

"We promote (our efforts) because we believe there are people, and it's not everybody, to be sure, who share those values and want to do business with a company that shares those values," Morrill said.

To see article in its original format, click here.

Read more news stories about Planet Subaru.