Motorcars is named Green Energy business of the year

Green Energy of Ohio has recognized Motorcars Honda’s sustainability efforts by selecting it for the 2015 Business of the Year Award at its annual meeting in May.

This year, Motorcars installed a state-of-the-art 335 kilowatt solar canopy system, the largest single-structure solar array in the state of Ohio, at its facility at 2953 Mayfield Road. Trevor Gile, general manager of Motorcars Honda, said that the goal is energy independence: “Our solar panels will reduce our carbon footprint by the equivalent of 10 years’ worth of new car sales.”

Gile added that the solar panels will produce more than three megawatt hours of electricity per day and reduce the dealership’s grid-based energy needs by 50 to 75 percent.

The solar canopy is part of a $6 million renovation of the dealership, which also includes the installation of a digital assembly line for automobile services. Customers will drive their cars onto the line and then be able to watch technicians perform services, such as oil changes and tire rotations, from the comfort of a new customer lounge as their cars move down the line.

Green Energy liked the fact that the solar canopies were designed by an Ohio resident and that the project employed more than 700 people during its fabrication and installation.

The Motorcars solar canopy will provide shelter for its inventory and will use LED lighting to reduce energy usage. Dovetail Solar, an Athens, Ohio-based solar contractor, installed the canopy. The solar panels were made by Solar World, an American company, with components assembled in the U.S. The support structure for the panels is made from 80 percent materials from recycled cars.

Motorcars employs more than 200 people and is the largest employer in Cleveland Heights.