At VPS, we treat every project as unique and leverage our vast experience and attention to detail to create something that meets client needs. Our project for Christopher’s Dodge epitomizes this philosophy, allowing the client to maximize their space, save money, and achieve their sustainability goals.
As an industry leader in covered parking and asset protection, VPS was perfectly positioned to meet the client’s requirements. We brought our expertise and resources to their project from the outset. Our in-house experts collaborated with the Christopher’s Dodge team to create a massive solar panel parking lot at their Golden, Colorado, location.
Read the full article or jump to a specific section:
- An Overview of the Project
- Benefits of the Shade Structure Installation
- The VPS Process
- Contact Our Team to Work With VPS Today
An Overview of the Project
Christopher’s Dodge has been selling, leasing, and servicing Dodge and Ram vehicles since 1990. Their Golden, Colorado, dealership sits on 17 acres of land, giving them plenty of space to store, service, and sell new or used vehicles. In line with building performance standards, Christopher’s Dodge wanted to change their outdoor shade structures and hail protection systems.
The General Assembly of Colorado approved the Energy Performance for Buildings Act in 2021 to tackle greenhouse gas emissions from specified buildings. To meet these goals, the Air Pollution Control Division developed the Building Performance Standards Rule, which was approved in August 2023.
This rule requires buildings 50,000 square feet or larger to benchmark their energy use and set annual building performance targets. The program helps building owners track their energy usage and assess performance compared to similar properties. While these compliance standards require some large-scale changes for many building owners across Colorado, they presented a unique opportunity for Christopher’s Dodge.
VPS worked with Christopher’s Dodge to meet two principal objectives — protecting the vehicles from damage from the elements and using the vast available space to create and utilize clean energy from solar power. With electricity generation responsible for one-third of energy emissions in the United States, Christopher’s Dodge chose to harness the sun’s power and simultaneously protect their new and used vehicles.
They chose solar-enabled hail protection solutions from VPS to offset their energy costs and investment in hail protection. With the available land, VPS created many protection structures, integrating them with the existing structural designs for a functional and aesthetically pleasing result.
Benefits of the Shade Structure Installation
VPS embraced this project as an opportunity to bring maximum value to Christopher’s Dodge. The shade structure installation provides them with the following benefits.
Elevating the Site’s Aesthetic
Solar panel parking lot covers can increase branding efforts and enhance exterior aesthetics. VPS has several available fabric colors, from vibrant yellow to traditional greens and blues. Christopher’s Dodge chose desert sand, which blended in with the surroundings and created a clean and rustic feel.
Promoting Sustainability and Energy Efficiency
Almost 90% of consumers believe that organizations should do more to reduce their carbon impact. Integrating solar energy gave Christopher’s Dodge a visible and functional way to embrace clean energy and move toward its sustainability goals.
Solar parking covers also help mitigate the effects of urban heat islands (UHIs). These occur when natural land is replaced with open pavement areas or other infrastructure that retains heat, driving up temperatures in a region. When UHIs arise, they can make heatwaves more frequent and increase the energy costs required to cool buildings in the immediate area. In partnering with VPS, Christopher’s Dodge tackled these issues and became part of the sustainability solution.
Protecting Vehicles and Other Assets
For Christopher’s Dodge, high-quality vehicles are their bread and butter. They must be protected from the elements at all costs. Leveraging the innovative designs from VPS allowed them to merge the benefits of solar power with hail protection, achieving the same durable and reliable protection, helping to prevent costly damage, and reducing the risk of liability.
Providing Christopher’s Dodge Customers With Added Benefits
VPS solar hail protection structures provide additional benefits to businesses and customers. Dealerships can incorporate lighting, electric vehicle charging stations, and facilities to keep the area cool and comfortable for customers. Christopher’s Dodge is known for its attentive customer service, and installing VPS protection structures allowed them to satisfy customers even more, creating a comfortable atmosphere from the moment they enter the premises.
Reducing Operating Costs
