Eco-Friendly Dealership Drives into Area

The North Shore is about to become home to the first LEED certified Volvo dealership in the country.

Right now in Northfield, a 27,500-square-foot facility is under construction by Fields Automotive Group. Once completed, the dealership will run 40 percent more efficiently when it comes to energy costs thanks to a number of green features.

“For most buildings, silver is the sweet spot,” explained Robert Orfino with Alpine Green Solutions during a tour of the complex. The Alpine team is working with Fields to obtain the LEED silver certification, issued under a rating system created by the U.S. Green Building Council.

The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certificate is a national program recognizing the design, construction and operation of high-performance green buildings. Silver is in the middle of the spectrum when it comes to requirements. 

If approved, that environmentally friendly stamp would place the Northfield facility in a unique category since there are only a handful of LEED certified dealerships nationwide.

“It’s the first LEED building for the community as well as Volvo cars in America,” Orfino said.

Wind turbines, rainwater harvesting, solar panels and an eco-friendly garden are among the items the dealership will feature.

“This is a healthy building,” Orfino said. “Probably healthier than your kitchen.”

The additional items are costing Fields an extra $200,000, which Orfino said makes the project 5-7 percent more expensive than a normally structured building of equal size.  But that’s a figure the company will easily make back in energy savings down the road.