Auto Repair Done Right

E&B Auto Repair, located in Fort Bragg, is dedicated to providing customers with quality service and fair prices at their California Certified Green Station.

After performing an energy audit, E&B Auto committed themselves to reducing energy consumption. They retrofitted all of the lights in the shop with more energy efficient bulbs and installed motion sensors, while also creating a formal employee policy to turn-off all lights at night and during lunch breaks. In addition, all computers and electronic equipment are turned off at the end of the day. They also installed a solar power system, saving E&B on average $215 a month! The system will pay for itself in 8 years.

E&B Auto also uses a solar-electric neighborhood vehicle to run errands, take customers home, pick up parts and much more. The small vehicle has a solar roof that charges any time the vehicle is in the sunlight and has the E&B logo on the side, serving both as an efficient transportation method and free advertising wherever it is driven! The smaller vehicle saves E&B Auto over $300 a year in gasoline in addition to savings on insurance. And, the neighborhood vehicle reduces E&B Auto’s carbon footprint by 1,473 lbs. CO2 every year!

E&B Auto Repair goes above and beyond industry sustainability standards to protect the environment they care about, including the purchase of a Smart Washer that cleans auto parts without using toxic chemicals. The owners worked with employees to implement easy, eco-friendly practices while saving the business money. Employees, customers and the community are proud to support E&B Auto Repair.

How does E&B Auto Repair Save Energy?

To increase energy efficiency, E&B Auto Repair installed a roof-mounted solar-power system, retrofitted energy-efficient shop lights with sensors, and obtained a solar-electric Neighborhood Electric Vehicle (NEV). The solar-power system, which cost $20,496, saves the company $215 a month and is projected to reach its return on investment (ROI) in 8 years. However, it may reach its ROI sooner due to increasing electricity grid rates. Beyond the ROI period, the company building will have zero electricity costs except for maintenance of the solar-power system. The NEV replaced a 1969 Ford, saving the company $303 a year on gasoline and reducing the cost of insurance. It is a 4-passenger, street-legal, DMV registered vehicle with a solar roof that allows it to recharge anytime there is sunlight. It is used for trips to the parts store, post office, machine shop, bank, grocery store, and also for taking customers home. Additionally, the vehicle is used for advertising and has large lettering and signage that states it is from E&B Auto Repair along the sides.

The installation of energy-efficient lights, which cost $942, saved the company $6,000 by reducing the amount of electricity needed to operate the shop, therefore allowing E&B Auto to opt for a smaller solar system while increasing lighting inside the shop by 30 percent.

How does E&B Auto Repair Reduce Waste?

To reduce chemical waste and pollution, E&B Auto Repair replaced its petroleum-based solvent parts washer with an aqueous process machine, Smart Washer. The Smart Washer, which cost $1,549, is also utilized for brake assembly cleaning, drastically reducing the use of aerosol brake cleaner. Maintenance of the Smart Washer costs approximately $16 a month for filters and fluid replenishment, saving E&B Auto $42 per month compared to the older, less efficient petroleum-based washer. In order to further reduce chemical waste and pollution, E&B Auto Repair uses oil caddy, drip pans, and spill prevention methods at fluid transfer points.

E&B Auto Repair also ceased washing cars to reduce their water use. Instead, it gives its customers coupons to the local commercial car wash, where water is recycled. Additionally, it has adopted the 4-step dry shop method of floor cleaning. Be it in energy efficiency, waste reduction, or water conservation, E&B Auto Repair has proven itself to be a true eco-friendly leader of its industry.