WATERTOWN — Davidson Auto Group marked the end of 2013 by going online with a 3,000-panel solar-power system in Watertown and already has plans to expand the solar plant’s size and reach this year. The project got its start in 2012 when Davidson built six new buildings at its auto complex on Route 11 in […]
WATERTOWN — Davidson Auto Group marked the end of 2013 by going online with a 3,000-panel solar-power system in Watertown and already has plans to expand the solar plant’s size and reach this year.
The project got its start in 2012 when Davidson built six new buildings at its auto complex on Route 11 in the town of Watertown, Dwight Davidson, co-owner and partner, says. The company wanted to look at ways of reducing its carbon footprint and becoming more environmentally friendly, he says. “Part of that discussion became solar,” he adds.
Davidson took some steps in that direction by installing solar panels on the roofs of the new buildings along with two existing buildings. “Obviously solar helps us reduce our carbon footprint, but also helps us reduce our usage of electricity,” Davidson says. “It’s a win-win, really.”
Putting solar panels on the top of the buildings was a good first step, he says, but the auto dealership and service business wanted to take things even further. That desire led to the late 2013 installation of 3,000 solar panels behind the dealership’s buildings. Davidson declined to say how much the company invested in the panels installed by High Peaks Solar of Albany.
So far, so good, Davidson says of the company’s foray into solar power. The 3,000-panel system, along with the roof panels, generates 535,000 kilowatt hours annually. That, in turn, yields an 830,000-pound reduction in greenhouse-gas emissions.
“We’re about to embark on expanding it again,” Davidson adds. As soon as weather permits, Davidson will use High Peaks Solar to install 3,000 more panels, split between Watertown and the company’s dealership location in Rome. Once complete, the system should reduce the company’s electricity usage by as much as 80 percent, Davidson says. He expects the project will pay for itself in less than 10 years.
To help pay for such projects, the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (or NYSERDA) offers incentives for the installation of solar systems, along with other “green improvements,” often covering up to half of the project cost.
In addition to the solar panels, Davidson Auto Group incorporated several green elements in its new buildings including reverse-osmosis filters that eliminate bottled-water usage, lighting controlled by motion sensors, Low-E exterior glass that increases energy efficiency, and furnaces that burn waste oil and petroleum products to provide heat for the buildings. Davidson also provides free auto-charging stations at its dealerships for hybrid and electric vehicles.
Founded in 1962 in Rome, the Davidson Auto Group (www.davidsonautogroup.com) includes Chevrolet, Cadillac, Buick, GMC, Nissan, and Ford franchises with locations in Watertown, Rome, and Evans Mills. Davidson also operates collision centers in Rome and Watertown and car washes in Watertown, Fort Drum, Rome, Utica, and Oneida.
The business says it employs 250 people and sells more than 4,000 vehicles per year across all its locations.
Dwight Davidson and his three siblings — Donald Davidson, Jr.; Douglas Davidson; and Diane Davidson — are equal partners in the business.
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