Green Dealer Spotlight: Fisher Auto in Boulder, Colorado

July 30th, 2024 by

Fisher Family Auto

Fisher Auto, which houses both Honda and Acura dealerships in one Boulder, Colorado, facility, recently installed 1,129 solar panels – an investment that will pay for itself in four years.

Read a Q&A with Craig Fisher, Fisher Auto President (left), Scott Shimer, Acura’s Executive Manager (middle), and Mark Brady, Honda’s Executive Manager (right), to learn about the strategy behind the installation and why now is the time for ALL businesses to invest in sustainability measures.

Fisher Family Auto in Boulder Story of Success

Q: Congratulations on your newly installed 1,219 solar panel network! The panels span across your approximately 78,000-square-foot facility. Tell us why you decided to make this investment.

Green Auto Dealership Boulder Colorado

Fisher’s Newly installed sustainable 1,219 solar panel network! These solar panels span across a 78,000 sq ft facility in Boulder, CO.

A: We viewed this project as an opportunity for our business to be a leader in our community. Boulder instituted a sustainability program around 2016 with a heavy fine on non-compliance. The solar panel installation was not a city requirement, but we were already upgrading the facility and decided to do it.

We worked with a great solar vendor company who did the numbers and determined that – with federal and state incentives – our payback on this project will be about four years. In addition, the panels will offset utility prices, so overall it just made smart financial sense. Watch a time-lapse video of the Solar Installation Project at Fisher Honda & Fisher Acura in Boulder, Colorado.


Q: What are some of the benefits you’ve seen since the installation?

A: Our first energy bill proved that we put more energy back into the grid than we used! We may not have the ability to store energy, but this project allowed us to pursue independence from the electrical grid. And – like I said – it will pay for itself in four years.


Q: What would you suggest to other dealers who are considering solar panel installation

A: It’s important to work with a reputable vendor who will install the right product that is sustainable over time. Our vendor was extremely educated on both federal and state incentives, as well as city ordinances, which can be challenging. For example, we had a city issue with weight-load and fire-retardant materials. Our vendor handled each issue and was able to get the project cleared.

Also, it’s important to understand the rebates and logistics. We focused on US-made equipment to take advantage of federal rebates. Logistically, our solar panel system is modular and can be taken apart, which means we can access the entire roof for repairs and upgrades. So, any dealer needs to work with a vendor that can calculate incentive rebates and make sure they are obtainable.


Q: Tell us how you build in sustainability into your dealership. Meaning, what are some of your other “Green” best practices?

A: Sustainability has always been in our culture – composting, recycling oil, paint, tires – we do everything we can. In fact, we were one of the first dealers to recycle paint in 1970s. One of the first big projects we did was upgrading to LED; the light was better, especially for visibility in our service area, and our energy costs dropped drastically. We have a separate compactor for cardboard because we have a body shop and go through large boxes regularly.

We also have energy efficient HVAC rooftop units (RTUs). We’ve heard that some cities are going to require commercial buildings to install only electric RTUs when replacing or upgrading. We believe it’s a large liability to be dependent on one energy source so it’s smart to change them out now. Whenever we need to upgrade anything at our store, we do the right thing.


Q: Out of all the initiatives you’ve put into place, which has had the biggest for energy savings?

A: Originally it was converting our outdoor lighting to LED, which we did in 2017 as one of the first dealerships to do it. Although we’ve just completed the solar project, we can already see its advantages will outweigh our previous projects. We currently exceed Boulder’s sustainability requirements and won’t need to reassess for ten years.


Q: Tell us how your environmental practices influence your customer relationships.

A: We display our Green Dealer Award as a visual representative of our commitment, which helps build trust and shows our values. From a larger perspective, we strongly believe we have a responsibility to stay in business. Utility costs are skyrocketing and things like solar panel and LEDs allow us to have more control over our utility costs and that contributes to longevity.


Q: What prompted you to join the Environmental Leadership Program in 2018?

A: It just made sense, and it aligned with what we were already doing. One of the benefits of Green Dealer is that the program provides the newest related information. It’s also helpful because when it comes to vendor partners, Green Dealer will do the shopping for you.


Q: How does building an energy-efficient store set you up for success in the electrified future?

A: We are fully supportive of Honda’s 2030 Vision. We have 21 EV chargers, three of which are fast chargers. Much like the solar project, we leveraged the federal and state incentives to build an infrastructure for the future. We feel like what we put into place won’t be replaced any time soon.


Q: What advice would you give to other dealers about the Green Dealer Program?

A: Don’t drag your feet – be involved and informed of the advancements now. It’s powerful when you know what’s coming. Things are only going to get more expensive and more complicated. It will never be cheaper than today to upgrade your facilities.


Take Advantage of Acura Environmental Leadership Program Benefits

Green dealers nationwide support Global Honda’s goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2050. To participate, visit Honda Green Dealer Program and / or contact representatives at [email protected].