When it comes to sustainability in car dealerships, terms such as photovoltaics and waste separation often come to mind first. This is absolutely correct and important, but sustainability can do so much more! Sometimes it all starts with something that might not cross your mind at first.

Take outdoor lighting, for example. While reducing electricity costs, it also has an impact on water consumption, personnel costs and customer satisfaction.

Challenge: Recognising the long chains of effects

Many car dealerships illuminate their facades and outdoor facilities with modern LED technology. This saves energy and has a positive impact on profitability. But the chain of effects is much longer:

Light with a high blue component (cold white light with a high colour temperature) is particularly attractive to many insects. The light disrupts their navigation, exhausts them and makes them easy prey. This contributes to the decline in insect populations, with consequences for pollination, biodiversity and entire food chains.

And this is where it also becomes interesting from a business perspective:

• More prey = more birds
• More birds = more bird droppings on vehicles on display
• More bird droppings = more car washes, more effort, more costs

It's that simple. And so unnecessary.

Solution: Choose lighting strategically

We recommend outdoor lighting that scores highly not only in terms of energy efficiency, but also in terms of sustainability and process efficiency: warm white (i.e. below 3,000 Kelvin), reduced UV content, targeted illumination, intelligent dimming outside business hours.

Result: Fewer insects, fewer feathered friends – and significantly less dirt on sales and delivery vehicles

This means less washing. Each vehicle wash consumes an average of around 150 litres of water. Added to this are energy, cleaning agents and labour costs. Quite expensive.

Two other very important factors are: annoyed customers (bird droppings are not a decorative feature on a car!) and irritated employees. After all, cleaning bird poo off vehicles falls into the category of "sh** jobs" and is certainly not one of the most popular tasks in the company.

Result: Less effort, lower costs, greater sustainability

A well-thought-out lighting strategy benefits car dealerships in several ways: lower energy and water consumption, lower costs, more employee capacity, a positive message both internally and externally, and happier customers and employees.

Sustainability is not just an image issue. It is also an economic factor. Those who understand ecological relationships can make processes more efficient and their business more profitable – and take responsibility at the same time.

You love bird poo and high costs?

Then you don't need to call us. Otherwise, please feel free to contact us on +49 (0)89 716 77 97 00 or by email: [email protected]

We have been advising vehicle manufacturers and car dealerships since 2007, using our expertise and practical experience to ensure that sustainability pays off. In your business too.