The Evolution of the Dealership Toward Smart Buildings
Looking back, way back, the most seasoned professionals will remember when new cars arrived at dealerships completely covered in a thick layer of paraffin applied at the factory to protect the bodywork during transport, and which had to be carefully removed before the vehicles could be displayed.
If we look back, way back, the most seasoned veterans will remember when new cars arrived at dealerships completely covered by a thick layer of paraffin applied as they left the factories, to protect the bodies from damage during transport, and which had to be removed before moving the cars to the showrooms.
Today, now that we have information, knowledge, education, and environmental awareness, we would be shocked just thinking about the millions of liters of water and cleaning chemicals needed each year to strip off those thick, sticky layers of wax, and the tons of pollutants that would be discharged into the sewer system.
Furthermore, setting aside the bill for ecosystem damage, if we were still waxing and dewaxing cars today, the cost of this operation, just for registrations in Spain, would be around 100 million euros. An unaffordable expense that would add no value to anyone: not to manufacturers, not to dealerships, not to the State, and certainly not to buyers.
The car distribution and repair business involves high energy consumption. It is not that it is a polluting activity – which it is not, since other better-regarded sectors would love to achieve its level of recycling and decontamination – but rather the very activity and characteristics of the facilities entail high spending on climate control, lighting, and operation of equipment – especially bodywork and paint equipment.
On top of all that, with the incorporation of electric ranges, dealerships must install vehicle charging points which, depending on the type of charging and the time, can add significant consumption peaks.
The need to fine-tune costs leads us to the need to convert dealership facilities into Smart Buildings. Out of commitment to the environment, to society, and for profitability.
The concept of a smart building is not exclusive to newly built “High Tech” office buildings, but can be transferred to active facilities. Converting a dealership into a smart building is possible. At dealerBest we achieve it by following a series of steps:
- Energy audit. A process in which everything is analyzed, from the types of supply contracts, to how much, when, how, where, and why energy is consumed.
- Choice of suppliers that provide energy from renewable sources.
- Adjustments in contracted power, adapting it to real needs.
- Implementation of Monitoring and Control systems, which enable intelligent management of resources, such as adjusting lighting intensity based on exterior light, or managing climate control power based on workshop consumption.
- Implementation of energy efficiency measures that can range from replacing lighting sources to changes in various equipment, measuring the return on investment.
- Photovoltaic self-consumption installations, which supply interesting percentages of total energy needs, or provide 100% of the electricity required for electric vehicle charging.
- Management of subsidies.
At dealerBest we have extensive experience in implementing energy efficiency programs in dealerships, from our engineering division Concesionario Verde. Converting a traditional dealership into a green dealership is not science fiction. We work to make being sustainable profitable.
