BMW is asking its UK dealers to imrpove environmental standards in showrooms as part of its sustainability programme.

A team of specialists assessed the level of development each dealer requires to make the grade by looking at four main areas: heat, electricity, operational conditions and air systems within a building.

Areas included increasing insulation and changing light bulbs to the most energy efficient ones right through to photovoltaic solar panels on the roof, groundwater heat pumps, wind turbines and heat recovery technology.

All of the measures being deployed were in line with BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) requirements for a building with a view to enhancing its environmental credentials and reduce running costs.

The first BMW UK site to go live with the new environmental initiative was Williams Bolton in Lancashire. Through the use of low energy lighting, storm water drainage, an air source heat pump and recycled wash water the dealership has saved £85,000 a year in energy costs, while the storm drainage saves £65,000 a year in water rates. Its comparative BREEAM score is ‘excellent’.

Williams BMW and MINI in Rochdale, was the second dealership in the network to adopt the intiative. It also scored highly with a comparative BREEAM rating of ‘excellent’ courtesy of the regeneration of a brownfield site coupled with air source heat pumps and low energy lighting.

Following the recent opening of Wayside in Milton Keynes, BMW’s latest green dealership is Elms Cambridge which will launch this month.

This new build will feature a wind turbine, LED lighting and see nearly two thirds of all vehicle wash water recycled with 12 per cent of energy from renewable sources including photovoltaic cells. Electricity usage is expected to be cut by up to £15,000 resulting in a natural reduction in emissions as a result.

Tim Abbott, managing director of BMW UK, said: “A return on investment for this technology can take time but the dealers are in this with us together and we plan to remain at the forefront of green building and stay as the class-leading premium car manufacturer when it comes to CO2 emissions.”