BMW Dealers Improve Their Environmental Standards

As part of BMW's sustainability programme, it has tasked its dealer network with improving their environmental standards. Each dealer had a team of specialists assess the level of development required to make the grade in four main areas: heat, electricity, operational conditions and air systems within a building.

Tasks involved increasing insulation and changing light bulbs to the most energy efficient types, as well as installing photovoltaic solar panels on the roofs, groundwater heat pumps, wind turbines and heat recovery technology.

All measures have been deployed in line with the Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) requirements, aiming to improve environmental credentials, staff performance and reducing running costs.

Williams Bolton in Lancashire received a BREEAM comparative score of 'excellent' and a saving of £85,000 a year in energy costs, through employing low energy lighting, storm water drainage, an air source heat pump and recycled wash water. The storm drainage saves £65,000 a year in water rates.

The second dealership in the network to undergo the procedure was Williams BMW and MINI in Rochdale also scored a 'excellent' rating due to a regeneration of a brownfield site coupled with air source heat pumps and low energy lighting.

BMW dealership in Elms Cambridge, launching later this month is a new build, and will feature a wind turbine, LED lighting and see nearly two thirds of all vehicle wash water recycled with 12 per cent of energy from renewable sources including photovoltaic cells. Electricity usage is expected to be cut by up to £15,000 and will result in a natural reduction in emissions.

Tim Abbott, Managing Director of BMW UK, said: "There’s some very good reasons why BMW has been named the most sustainable car company in the world for the sixth year in a row and these measures are just some of them. A return on investment for this technology can take time but the dealers are in this with us together and we plan to remain at the forefront of green building and stay as the class-leading premium car manufacturer when it comes to CO2 emissions."