Automotive News Canada - September 2021 - 8

8
* SEPTEMBER 2021
Passive House,
aggressively green
Such dealership
designs cost more
to build, but there are
monthly savings and
hidden benefits
By KELLY TAYLOR
WINNIPEG CORRESPONDENT
AUTO DEALERS BUILDING NEW
stores with environmentally friendly
features are finding that going green
shaves operating costs and also boosts
branding.
Garrett Scott, dealer principal of
Scott Subaru in Red Deer, Alta., built
a Passive House dealership two years
ago and said the benefits
go far beyond the projected
heating costs of just $200
a year.
" Quite frankly, that
number is about bang-on.
It is paying back a significant
amount. "
cent was spent
in three ways.
One-third is
the energy savings;
one-third
is the marketable
advantage;
and onethird
you're
paying for the
luxury, the livability. "
Subaru's
branding
as an environmentally
aware automaker
drives that marketable advantage,
said Scott, whose website promotes
his store as " the world's most
efficient dealership. "
BEST PRACTICES
The total monthly energy
bill for the 14,000-square-foot
(1,300-square-metre) Subaru store is
$2,000, while the bill for Scott's GMC
store, which is almost twice the size,
is $10,000, he said.
" The biggest chunk of [the Subaru
dealership's] bill is personal consumption
- computers, lighting, doors
opening and closing. "
Passive House refers to a set of voluntary
building standards aimed at
providing the lowest possible environmental
impact from a structure,
whether it's a house, an office or a
dealership.
Scott Subaru is listed as the world's
only Passive House dealership by the
Passive House Database, which offers
an overview of such projects around
the world.
EXTRA COST PAYS OFF
The Passive House features added
about 20 per cent to the cost of constructing
the store, Scott said, but it
was worth it.
" I have to look at it as that 20 per
SPOTLIGHT
" We get interest [from potential
customers] from Calgary
and Edmonton and other
cities, " he said. " People
are impressed with what
we're doing. " Given
Subaru's market positioning
as a greener carmaker
catering to outdoor
enthusiasts, " it was a brand I felt
we could capitalize on that advantage,
more than other brands. "
The high level of insulation and
walls that are nearly two feet (60 centimetres)
thick also means the dealership
is quiet.
" It's like living in a big cooler or
Thermos. You close the door and
close out distractions from outside
the shop. "
While Scott's estimate of an extra
20 per cent in construction costs
is accurate, the knowledge gained
from his store means a similar one
could now be built for only a 10-percent
premium, said Andrew Peel,
a Passive House expert based in
Toronto.
Peel, who consulted on Scott's
dealership, said Passive House construction
is a growing trend for commercial
buildings such as dealerships,
with the number of projects in
Canada " in the hundreds. " Peel has
had requests for information from
architects who specialize in designing
dealerships, but he is unaware of any
moving forward yet.
" Nothing concrete has materialized,
but certainly [Scott Subaru] had
generated some interest. "
GREEN ROOF THE BEE'S KNEES
Early adopters of green design
are Richmond, B.C.-based Auto West
BMW and Mini Richmond, which
were named " The
Most Sustainable
BMW Dealership in
the World " by the
automaker in 2013.
Dealer principal
Joachim Neumann
said the award and
the construction practices
generated quite
the buzz, not the least
of which originates
from the honeybee
apiaries on the roof.
The building uses
geothermal heat -
Richmond's landscaping regulations.
" People were amazed that we were
recycling water here in B.C., where
it's raining all the time, " Neumann
said. " But there's a fair amount of
landscaping the city requires. It's a
fair amount of water. "
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BEST PRACTICES
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a well-based system Neumann said
added $1 million in cost compared
with a conventional heating system.
The store has a green roof, a water
reclamation system, solar panels and
a vertical wind turbine.
The roof of Joachim Neumann's BMW dealership in Richmond, B.C., has a
water reclamation system, solar panels and a wind turbine. It used to have a
vegetable garden, but now there are blueberries. SUPPLIED PHOTO
For a number of years, the dealership
grew vegetables on the roof,
which were donated to food banks.
Today, the roof features sedum, a
flowering plant known for its hardiness,
as well as blueberries.
Neumann said the building collects
rainwater and grey water in an underground
cistern, which then supplies
water not only to the plants on the
roof but also to the extensive greenery
and plants required by the city of
Neumann said he has little basis to
compare the costs of his current building
with those of his
old store. The dealership
moved to its current
location from a
much smaller, landlocked
location in an
auto mall. He estimated
the turbine and
solar panels generate
enough electricity to
power all the store's
computers.
As is the case
with Scott, Neumann
said the benefits go
beyond costs.
" If you don't have AC and heating,
you don't have those chill zones. It's a
very comfortable environment. "
He also thinks the sustainability of
the dealership gives him an edge over
his competitors.
" It's a hidden reason why people
buy cars from us, " Neumann said.
" We didn't question if it was going
to sell a car. We felt it was the right
thing to do. "
If he had it to do over, Scott said he
would build his Subaru store the same
way.
" Yes, and we're actively considering
a new store right now and thinking
we'll do it to Passive House standards,
too. " - ANC
Joachim
Neumann's
B.C. store -
right down to
the honeybee
apiaries on the
roof - was
named " The Most
Sustainable BMW
Dealership in the
World " in 2013.
SUPPLIED PHOTOS
Automotive News Canada - September 2021

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