Great costs are associated with owning and
operating a collision repair business, so going green can significantly reduce
monthly bills associated with energy use.

That’s why the latest partnership between the Society of Collision Repair Services and
the Environmental Protection Agency is an
important step in making auto body shops greener and more environmentally
friendly.

Steven Schillinger, President of a registered
environmental assessment company GRC-Pirk which manages the SCRS-recognized
GreenSweep program, estimates that repair facilities participating in the
member benefit program can increase their energy efficiency by 10 percent in
2012 over 2011 while reducing their greenhouse gas emissions by as much as 30
percent.

“Collision
shops are large buildings filled with extensive lighting, paint and preparation
booths, computers and motors,” says Schillinger. The amount of equipment
that is necessary to run the business makes them prone to devouring energy.”
In fact, the EPA estimates that if automotive shops reduced their energy
consumption by just 10 percent, they would save about $193 million in energy
costs, and cut more than 1 million tons of greenhouse gases each year.

At Leif’s, whether it’s the environmentally
friendly paint booths, which trap and filter nearly 100 percent of the
particles released, or the car wash water filtering system that prevents dirty
water from mixing with city water, we value the importance of our environment
and its importance to the future.

Not only does it
make sense for safety, but companies can also benefit from energy efficiency
financially.

“In these
challenging economic times, our focus on energy efficiency is generating real
cost savings for our members,” added SCRS Executive Director Aaron
Schulenburg. “It is also a great advantage for us to help our members
achieve sustainable improvements which reduce our environmental impact and preserve
resources for the future. This recognition by the EPA as an Energy Star Partner
organization underscores our commitment to our members to help them help the
environment.”