FIX AUTO GOING OFF GRID

Fix Auto Wollongong is taking lead within the Fix network in making the shift towards being entirely powered by renewable energy.

What started out as a simple cost management exercise has become a green initiative that not only reduces the long term costs of powering the business, but has set the Wollongong collision repairer on a pathway to revolutionise his business practises to support environmental sustainability.

Explaining his recent actions, Fix Auto Wollongong owner Rodney Tanous said “ To run a successful business in this industry, business owners need to be looking into all sorts of avenues to reduce overheads to become more profitable. My first objective was to lower the power bills, along with securing some predictability on costs into the future. With the help of QSX international, I was able to achieve both outcomes with solar. Essentially with the system now installed, the power used daily is all being is generated from the sun, completely free. The system will generate 134.4 kWh as a daily average and with Fix Auto Wollongong currently consuming 145 kWh as a daily average the site is roughly 92% renewable. Fix Auto Wollongong expects to see a minimum saving of over $11k per annum which gives an ROI in three years and access to free renewable energy to drive his business going forward.

"Of course the aim was to completely offset 100% of the electricity costs, however the site was limited with usable roof space so I am now switching to LED lighting throughout the facility to increase the savings beyond the 92%. Whilst cost was the primary objective, I also wanted to be mindful of my carbon footprint. As the father of three kids, I am mindful of the responsibility my generation has in trying to leave the planet better than we found it, this ultimately had a big impact on my decision to try and take the shop to 100% renewable energy .” Tanous said.

Stuart Faid, Regional Vice President Asia, Australia & New Zealand welcomed the initiative by Tanous, "We are excited to see our franchisees leading the way with ideas like this, we are reviewing the outcomes for Wollongong and will then look to source a scalable solution for all our franchise partners in Australia. As an industry we must take ownership of our impact on the environment, whether that is through the way we power our facilities, the products we use, or how we dispose of our waste. There has never been a more important time to focus on these issues," he said.