Toyota dealers drive energy-saving efforts

Since 2008, Toyota dealers around New Zealand have been taking part in a nationwide drive to improve resource efficiency and save on business costs. Their various environmental projects have enabled them to meet Enviro-Mark Gold certification, saving more than $125,000 in the process.

The network has seen a combined nationwide saving of 11.7%, with consumption dropping by 795,000 kWh. If the dealer network was still consuming power at 2008 levels, it would be costing $127,266 more than what was paid last year, based on an average commercial electricity cost of 16 c/kWh.

Amongst the many changes, Auckland City Toyota upgraded to more efficient fluorescent tubes and low-wattage LEDs for exterior lighting. The dealer has made power reductions of up to 44%, with 2008 consumption figures totalling 537,878 kWh compared to the 2014 figure of 301,606 kWh.

Cooke Howlison Toyota in Dunedin has introduced automatic sensors to turn off lights once employees leave certain areas of the dealership. The dealer saw power use drop from 309,600 kWh to 205,000 kWh — a 37% reduction — over the same period.

Other dealers have installed additional skylights in workshops and showrooms to let in more natural light. In Whangarei, lux meters measure the amount of natural light available and dim or turn off lights when they are not necessary.

There has also been a focus on waste and water efficiency, which provide further savings. Many dealers have halved their waste disposal costs by increasing staff awareness and introducing recycling bins close to workstations.

Northland Toyota is meanwhile saving more than $1500 a year in water charges by collecting rainwater, which is used for car washing, yard cleaning and in the workshop, before being recycled through filters and used again. The 60,000 m³ of water saved on average each month is effectively available to the rest of the community and allows the supply authority to stretch its supply further.

Toyota is now the only car company in New Zealand where all of its dealers meet the Enviro-Mark standard. According to Enviro-Mark Solutions Solutions CEO Dr Ann Smith, this is “a profound achievement” for the dealers.

“Every one of them has achieved Enviro-Mark Gold certification or above, which requires an annual audit of their in-house control over compliance and environmental impacts, as well as monitoring continual improvement,” said Dr Smith.

“They are a great example of what owner-operator businesses can achieve through a collective approach.”