Groundbreaking, Solar-Powered
Facility in Milford, NH

Front view of Contemporary Automotive’s new eco-friendly designed dealership in Milford, NH makes use of energy efficient LED lighting throughout the facility. Courtesy photo

By Chris Gillespie

For the team at Contemporary Automotive in Milford, NH, relocating provided a chance to improve the dealership’s visibility and accessibility as well as an opportunity to create a state-of-the-art, eco-friendly facility.

“Environmental stewardship is a responsibility shared by all of us here,” said David Hammer of Contemporary Automotive. “From the start, an economically viable, environmentally conscious design was important to our planning.”

Contemporary Automotive closed their original, thirty-three year-old Elm Street location on a Friday and opened their new 25,000 square-foot facility on Hammond Road (near the intersection of Routes 101 and 13) on the following Monday. Hammer says the move went well as a result of “advance planning, cooperation and the positivity of our entire dealership team.”

Contemporary Automotive’s new home on Hammond Road is an excellent example of how sustainability-minded design and green technology can come together to produce an operational workplace that delivers more by consuming less.

A key part of Contemporary Automotive’s sustainability is the photovoltaic solar array situated on the building’s rooftop. Installed by ReVision Energy, the system is a 135kW commercial solar electric system consisting of 450 Q Cells 300 Watt PV Modules. According to a press release from ReVision Energy, the solar array will generate approximately 149,700 kilowatt hours of clean energy each year and will offset the majority of the dealership’s electric load. As a result of this, Contemporary Automotive is expected to save upwards of $400,000 on energy costs over the course of the solar array’s life.

By switching to solar, Contemporary Automotive is offsetting 157,634 pounds of carbon pollution per year, which is equivalent to the emissions of 8,046 gallons of gas or 175,249 miles driven by passenger vehicles like the ones that are sold and serviced at the dealership. Carbon emissions are also reduced through the use of LED lighting, which is installed throughout the interior and exterior of the facility.

Contemporary Automotive’s new facility has a 135kW rooftop solar PV array consisting of 450 panels. The array will generate approximately 149,700 kilowatt hours of clean energy each year and will offset the majority of the dealership’s electric load while offsetting 157,634 pounds of carbon pollution per year.

Contemporary Automotive’s rooftop is not the only part of the building that has been optimized for energy capture—just as the solar arrays take care of electric needs, Contemporary Automative’s repair shop plays a role in providing heat for the entire facility.

Using two Reznor waste oil boilers, Contemporary Automotive will collect and store the used motor oil that is generated during day-to-day activities in the repair shop and then use the oil to generate heat, which is then dispersed as radiant heat throughout the facility. Together, the two Reznor boilers have a capacity of 1 million BTUH (British Thermal Units per Hour) and will cover roughly 70% of the facility’s heating needs.

Once produced by the Reznor boilers, the heat is evenly distributed through Contemporary Automotive’s showroom, service drive-thru and repair shop with the help of an optimized HVAC system and large de-stratification fans, which facilitate the circulation and blending of the warm air near the ceilings with the cool air near the floor.

The heat Contemporary Automotive produces will stay in the building thanks to the facility’s energy-efficient building envelope. R38 roof insulation, 2” under-slab hard foam insulation, 3” insulated metal panels and light reflective exterior windows all work to conserve the facility’s warmth.

Outside of the building, Contemporary Automotive’s landscape is populated with drought-tolerant plants, trees and grasses that are native to New Hampshire, as to significantly reduce water consumption. Contemporary Automotive is also home to four large bio-retention gardens that help manage storm water runoff by allowing more water to be absorbed into the ground before flowing to detention ponds.

The Contemporary Automotive team is excited about the new facility and proud to have a workplace that reflects and expresses their commitment to the environment.

“All-in-all, we’re very pleased with the transition,” said Hammer. “We’re settling into the new facility more and more each day.”

Contemporary Automotive’s new location was designed in conjunction with Sandford Surveying & Engineering of Bedford and Warrenstreet Architects of Concord. Site work and construction were managed by Turnstone Corporation of Milford.

For more information on Contemporary Automotive, visit www.contemporarychryslerdodgejeepram.com or call (877) 824-0621.

Chris Gillespie is a contributing writer for Green Energy Times. He can be reached at chris@greenenergytimes.org.