A General Motors (News - Alert) dealership in Ontario, Canada, has been recognized for its smart grid leadership. 

True North Chevrolet, located in the City of North Bay, was recently commended by regional electricity distributor North Bay Hydro at a local Chamber of Commerce event for two leading edge community improvements—the installation of the area’s first electric charging stations, as well as a next-generation lighting retrofit—both of which the utility said, “set the standard for all businesses in the community.” 

True North already has deployed two charging stations for the Chevrolet Volt, with another on the way. The stations will enable drivers of the plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) to recharge their on-board batteries.

The Volt also is backed by a gas generator that switches on and simultaneously powers the electric motor and charges the on-board batteries.

True North also is participating in North Bay Hydro’s conservation program by completing a large energy efficiency upgrade project, which has helped the dealership to reduce its operating costs. The lighting retrofit project has an overall payback period of 2.2 years and a 12.5-percent annual rate of return. The project will eliminate 32.4 metric tons of CO2 emissions from the environment.

“The new retrofit enabled us to take control of our electricity bill by incorporating new technology to reduce consumption. It also aligned with our commitment to conservation,” stated Peter Schoen, owner True North Chevrolet. “True North Chevrolet now offers customers the energy-efficient Volt and the first charging station in North Bay.”

Chevrolet’s All-Electric Volt. Image via Shutterstock

“True North has set a great example for all businesses in North Bay. I encourage all local businesses to assess their facilities to see if there is an opportunity for energy conservation,” said Todd Wilcox, COO at North Bay Hydro, commending Schoen. “We are also excited to see the rollout of electric cars in Northern Ontario and will work with our community to meet their growing electricity needs.”

The incentive check presented by North Bay Hydro Distribution to True North Chevrolet was for $5355.00 with approximate annual electricity cost savings of $5,000 lasting a period of 25,000 hours (roughly six years). The lighting retrofit program provides financial incentives for replacing existing equipment with high efficiency equipment and for installing new control systems that will help businesses to reduce their operating costs.  

The North Bay Hydro Retrofit Program also provides incentives for other types of improvements, relating to motors, heating, ventilation, air conditioning and enhancements to the building envelope—which, according to the utility, are the “areas where today’s organizations stand to benefit the most.”

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Edited by Braden Becker