Auto repair gone green
There are greener ways of doing business even in the auto repair field. If you don’t believe that’s possible just ask the folks at Chapel Hill Tire Car Care Centers. They decided to improve their carbon footprint to the extent that the company has been able to add more repair bays and personnel.
Chapel Hill Tire decided to explore what options there were for improving the environmental footprint of the business. As a first step, the company decided to learn more about what going green would mean by enrolling in the Institute for Sustainable Development’s Green Plus program.
As a member of a participating Chamber of Commerce, businesses are able to enroll in the program for a reduced rate. The program is covers three areas, Performance, Planet and People. There is an online diagnostic tool that will lead business owners through a series of exercises that helps evaluate all parts of your business.
Earlier this month Chapel Hill Tire Car Care Centers was awarded the GreenPlus North American Sustainable Enterprise Award. The company was awarded the prize for the environmental changes made at it’s Carboro location. The store was recently renovated and reopened with an 82 panel solar array on the roof. The solar array provides 21,000 kilowatt hours per year which equals the amount of energy used annually by two homes.
The Chapel Hill News reports that the business has saved over $400 per month because of the solar array and is expected to reach its return on investment within five years. There is also tax rebates of 65 percent for which the company should qualify. The savings have allowed the location to open three more “state-of-the-art” bays and hire five more people.
Along with the solar panels, the renovations also allowed the installation of a water efficient garden and used construction waste to be used for other improvements.
Landscape designer Ginny Gregory, of Beyond the Pail, used construction debris to build a pebble patio with paving "stones." Drought-tolerant plants on the hillside filter runoff. For flower pots, Chatham metalsmith John Amero welded together used tire rims, painted bright blue, and Gregory turned concrete pipes on their end. Rain barrels will go in later, Pons said.
Along with the renovations, Chapel Hill Tire also offers green products like using Nitro-fill tire inflation system with tires which inflates tires with nitrogen making giving them a longer life and offering the option of recycled oil similar to the Eco-Power brand of recycled oils.
Getting your car serviced at a store like Chapel Hill Tire means that your old fluids and parts will be recycled an your car will run more efficiently. The more efficient your car runs the lower your carbon footprint.
This is the model green business for a new green economy. The renewable power source added helped the company provide more employment an opportunities to serve its customers. Better for performance, for people and for the planet.
Related posts:
