Avista Corp., of Spokane, recently awarded $20,000 in rebates to Taylor & Sons Chevrolet for energy efficiency measures employed in constructing its new dealership facilities in Ponderay, Idaho.

The measures incorporated in construction of Taylor & Sons' 23,500-square-foot auto showroom and service facility include high-efficiency heating, cooling, and air-conditioning systems; premium roof and concrete insulation; and high-performance windows, says Jessie Wuerst, an Avista spokeswoman.

The dealership earlier this year moved two miles north to a 3-acre lot along U.S. 95 in the city of Ponderay from its facilities on Cedar Street in downtown Sandpoint, where it had operated as Taylor-Parker Motor Co. since 1988.

Brett Taylor, general manager at the dealership, says the sustainable design modifications and improvements go well beyond Avista's rebate qualifications. He also asserts the Chevy dealership is among the first two dozen auto dealerships in the country to seek Leadership Engineering & Environmental Design certification.

LEED certification is a third-party rating system that recognizes environmental awareness and resource conservation in the design and construction industries. Taylor says the project is being evaluated for LEED silver status, which is one level above its standard certification rating.

"To get silver is a big deal for a facility of that size with its large open areas and big showroom windows," Taylor says.

The main heat source will be high-efficiency burners fueled by waste oil collected by the service department that will generate heat through radiant and forced-air systems. That will greatly reduce the dealership's reliance on natural gas for heat. Taylor says Avista estimates the dealership will pay less than $350 a year for natural gas.

Kris Contor, principal architect with Architecture 311.5, of Sandpoint, designed the new dealership facilities. Polin & Young Construction Inc., of Coeur d'Alene, was the contractor on the project. Taylor declines to disclose the total project cost.

The green modifications are expected to pay for themselves through energy savings within eight years, he says.

Avista's Wuerst adds that by incorporating energy-efficient materials and systems within the new facility, the dealership is expected to save more than 100,000 kilowatt hours annually—the equivalent of the amount of energy used by eight typical homes—which would equate to annual energy savings of $5,000.

Wuerst says Avista has provided commercial rebates totaling $5.6 million so far this year for 1,500 qualifying energy-efficiency measures taken by customers in Washington, Idaho, and Oregon.

The rebates are part of energy conservation programs that are funded by tariffs, or small charges, on Avista customers' energy bills, she says.

Avista says it's more economical to help customers reduce their energy usage through efficiency and conservation programs than it is to acquire additional resources to meet their needs.