Honda Dealer Is First in U.S. to Achieve “Electric Grid Neutral” Status
Rossi Honda of Vineland, New Jersey has become the nation’s first and only car dealer to achieve “Electric Grid Neutral” status, producing as much as or more energy from renewable energy sources than it consumes from its local electric utility over a one-year period.
Rossi’s achievement earned it a top-level “Platinum” Honda Environmental Leadership Award, reserved for dealers who verifiably reduce their net grid electricity use to zero (Electric Grid Neutral) or achieve LEED[2] certification.
Through a combination of energy efficiency measures and on-site solar energy, the dealership reduced its annual grid electricity consumption by approximately 321,000 kWh and annual CO2 output by approximately 341,000 lbs.
Here’s how Rossi Honda did it. In 2012, Rossi installed a 223kW solar PV system that generated 90 percent of its total electricity consumption from solar energy. In March 2013 Rossi replaced the metal halide lamps on its parking lot light poles with LED lamps, reducing its energy consumption by 22 percent.
After the lighting upgrade, the solar PV system now generates over 100% of the dealership’s annual electricity use, achieving Rossi’s goal of Electric Grid Neutral.
The local electric utility invoices Rossi Honda the difference between its electricity consumed and electricity generated by the dealer’s photovoltaic solar system.
Ron Rossi, the dealership’s owner, saw a steep decrease in the electricity he consumed from the utility, and a corresponding steep decrease on his utility bills.
Category: General Update, Green
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