New Hampshire-based Grappone Mazda partnered with ReVision Energy to install 295 solar panels at the auto dealership’s recently opened location in Concord. The rooftop array generates 162,989 kWh of clean energy, offsetting more than 60% of Grappone Mazda’s electrical usage.
Grappone Mazda is part of the Grappone Automotive Group, a fourth-generation family-owned New Hampshire dealership representing Ford, Honda, Hyundai, Mazda, and Toyota, as well as one of northern New England’s largest wholesale parts operations. As the company turns 100 years old this year, Grappone Automotive Group owner Amanda Grappone Osmer said the decision to go solar is an investment not only in the company’s financial future, but one in the family’s and future generation’s health and well-being.
“In 1924, my Italian immigrant great-grandparents opened a gas station that went on to become Grappone Automotive. Over the last century our family has committed to innovating and making sound decisions in line with the health of the company as well as the family,” said Osmer. “I’m proud to be leading Grappone into the next chapter of sustainability by investing in solar powered energy.”
The newly energized solar array is just one of Grappone’s recent sustainability initiatives. In 2012, Grappone finished construction on its Toyota showroom, which became the first LEED certified Toyota building in New England. During the construction process, the dealership reused and recycled 60% of its original structure – diverting more than 250 tons of construction waste from landfills.
The Grappone Toyota building located in Bow, New Hampshire, features 32,400-foot-deep geothermal wells that help heat and cool the building. The facility also has two solar-powered electric vehicle (EV) charging stations.
ReVision Energy VP of business development Dan Weeks said the decision for automotive dealerships to invest in solar and renewable energy is an especially timely one, considering the consumer demand for electric vehicles and government incentives to reduce carbon emissions.
“Grappone Automotive Group has long been a leader in the industry for its innovation and commitment to sustainability,” said Weeks. “We’re proud to be partnering with such a forward-thinking business and are excited about their solar journey.”
— Solar Builder magazine
[source: https://solarbuildermag.com/projects/grappone-mazda-zooms-on-solar-energy-from-revision/]
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