Company Story of the Week - Industry-leading Auto West BMW in British Columbia / USA

Industry-leading Auto West BMW in British Columbia has worked with Cleanfield Alternative Energy Inc. to install the first commercial, vertical axis wind turbine on Canada's West Coast - set to be unveiled July 27th.

Designed to cut energy costs for the business, but also to bring attention to the feasibility of alternative energy, the wind turbine is a welcome addition for an auto dealership already standing as one of the greenest businesses in the province. In recent years Auto West BMW has already added solar panels, geothermal heating/cooling, and rooftop gardens.

The reason for the wind turbine was not ultimately financial. The dealership wanted to find something "new" to set itself apart, but in an environmentally friendly manner.

According to Hadi Dowlatabadi, Canada Research Chair in Global Change at the Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability at the University of British Columbia, "Auto West BMW is at the forefront of environmentally-aware businesses in our region. Their new premises are a showcase for efficiency and environmental sustainability in commercial buildings."

Developed by Cleanfield (CDNX:AIR.V), the vertical axis wind turbine (VAWT) is industry leading in its capacity for building-integrated green solutions. The company has already had success in Ontario with both school districts and urban sustainability, and now can add the automotive industry as another market for its products.

Cleanfield CEO, Tony Verrelli, comments, "The Cleanfield turbine will reduce Auto West's reliance on utility grid electricity. This purchase demonstrates Auto West's industry leadership in environmental responsibility.

"As a very visible business in the public eye, this BMW dealership will help increase public awareness around environmental issues through its direct reduction of CO2 emissions and other harmful side effects associated with the use of fossil fuels. Significantly, with this first sale into the automobile retail sector we believe we have opened up a very promising sales channel for Cleanfield."

And the decision to use a small wind turbine is significant. According to Emily Moorhouse, wind policy manager for the Canadian Wind Energy Association (CWEA), small wind energy is still relatively rare in the country that has developed much of the technology for it.

The potential is there, however, as the public becomes more aware of the technology available to them. What is needed, according to Moorhouse, is government policy that encourages people to use it.

Harry Tournemille has been covering renewable energy and cleantech sectors for Energy Boom for almost two years. With a focus on solar, wave, and biofuel energies, Harry looks to find real-life applications for the host of information being put out on a daily basis.He resides in St. Catharines, Ontario with his wife and daughter. You can follow him on Twitter @HTournemille.

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