Club Motors Fountains, a Pretoria-based BMW dealership and part of the Barloworld Group, is the first BMW dealership to roll out energy saving technologies in its new facility.

With sustainable objectives in place, Club Motors Fountains has carefully planned and designed its new premises to ensure that every aspect of the facility is constructed in such a way to save energy and be as environmentally responsible as possible. Just some of the main energy-saving elements include the utilization of high-efficiency lighting systems with motion sensors, and properly sized energy-efficient heating and cooling systems, all in conjunction with a thermally-efficient building shell. The concept and design team even took into account the use of colours for roofing and wall finish materials as well as the minimal use of glass on east and west exposures to complete the sustainability component.

“A sustainable building is a structure that is designed, built, renovated, operated or reused in an ecological and resource-efficient manner,” explains Alheit Fischer, dealer principal at Club Motors Fountains. “With a project of this nature we made a commitment to improve a number of aspects, such as the protection of the health of our employees and visitors, and employee productivity. We also made sure that we use natural resources such as water and light more efficiently, and reduce the overall impact of our operations on the environment.”

Whilst the construction methods and technologies used cost more up front, the end result is well worth the investment with much lower operating costs over the entire life span of the building.

Some of the interesting energy saving and green recycling elements that were utilised during the construction of the dealership were as follows:

• A south-facing design that improves light infiltration and harnesses solar energy;
• The shape of the building provides the most natural light, maximizing shade in the summer, and heat as well as natural light in the winter – according to ongoing studies, this has a positive impact on productivity and employee well-being;
• Alternative energy sources such as photovoltaic and fuel cells were considered in the construction of the dealership;
• Recycled construction materials and other materials with zero or low harmful air emissions, zero or low toxicity and durable local materials were used as far possible;
• Dimensional planning reduced the amount of building materials needed as well as construction costs;
• To ensure water efficiency, designs include dual plumbing which uses recycled water for toilet flushing as well as a grey water system that recovers rainwater or other non-potable water for site irrigation;
• Waste water is minimized by using low-flush toilets, low-flow shower heads and other water conserving fixtures;
• The use of state-of-the-art irrigation controllers and self-closing nozzles on hoses contribute to water efficiency.

This 'green dealership' will, in the long run, help improve energy efficiency, lower operating costs and reduce its carbon footprint whilst making the working environment more comfortable and more inviting to potential customers.