In honor of Earth Day, NADA’s collaboration with the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) ENERGY STAR program celebrates the nation’s franchised dealerships’ commitment to environmental protection and energy efficiency. Dealers are making continuous improvements to increase the energy efficiency of their facilities, including increased use of solar power and targeted reductions of electricity used for lighting, heating/cooling, and machinery. Additionally, the importance of energy efficiency at dealerships is becoming more salient as dealerships make investments to facilitate the sale and service of EVs.

As part of NADA’s joint effort with EPA, dealerships can earn the coveted ENERGY STAR certification that recognizes businesses for outstanding cost-saving, energy-efficient initiatives. Over 250 dealerships nationwide are already eligible to earn the certification and more than 5,000 dealers are tracking and benchmarking their energy use through the EPA’s Portfolio Manager tool. 

Benchmarking is the first step dealerships can take to save energy in their facilities and earn ENERGY STAR certification. Dealerships can measure and compare a building’s energy to past consumption and similar buildings by monitoring their utility bills and other metrics.

Whether a dealership is new to energy efficiency or an industry leader, NADA’s collaboration with the EPA has resources to help dealers along the way.

For dealers new to energy efficiency: On Tuesday, May 14, NADA and the EPA will host the Tracking your Dealership’s Energy and Water Use for Increased Savings webinar at 1pm ET for dealers to learn more about how to get started benchmarking and tracking energy and water usage. Register for the webinar here. 

For dealers who want to show their leadership and make continuous efficiency improvements: On Tuesday, June 4, NADA and the EPA will host The Value of ENERGY STAR Certification for Your Vehicle Dealership webinar at 3pm ET. Hear from the ENERGY STAR team and dealers who have earned ENERGY STAR certification about the immense benefits and what it takes to achieve ENERGY STAR certification for your dealership. Register for the webinar here.

For all dealers interested in energy efficiency: NADA offers the Energy Star: Putting Energy into Profits guide and other resources on the NADA Green Dealerships page.

The EPA offers an Energy and Water Efficiency Checklist for Vehicle Dealerships along with a catalog of training to help no matter where dealers are in their energy efficiency journey.