NJ Honda Dealer Uses Zero Net Electricity

Rossi Honda of New Jersey has been doing its part to green up the planet by offering low-emission, high MPG cars like Honda’s Insight and the new, 50 MPG Honda Accord Hybrid- but the Honda dealer is going above above and beyond these days. In fact, Rossi is the first US car dealership (Honda dealer or otherwise) to operate “energy neutral”, meaning it’s operating without pulling electrical power from its local utility grid.

To unplug itself from the grid, Rossi Honda first installed solar panels. That was in 2012, and they’ve been generating as much as 90% of the dealership’s power needs while, at the same time, providing shade and weather protection to cars parked outside. Rossi then replaced its lot lights with more-efficient LED systems, dramatically reducing their power needs enough to achieve their goal of grid neutrality. According to Rossi’s calculations, their energy savings equate to over 300,000-kilowatt-hours annually, as well as 341,000 pounds of carbon-dioxide emissions based on their local grid’s power plants.

For their efforts, Rossi Honda has earned Rossi a “Platinum” Honda Environmental Leadership Award, which the Japanese automaker gives dealerships that achieve grid neutrality or receive LEED certification from the US Green Building Council, as well as a ton of feel-good, warm and fuzzy type press from people like us.

Good on Rossi Honda, then. Congrats on the award, gang- and may the effort you put into greening your store pay off in a massive sales spike … of hybrids and plugins, of course.

Source | Photos: Honda