The Business

Benedetti Tire Service is an automotive tire repair and service shop based in Sebastopol. They operate Monday through Saturday and offer services related to tire and general automotive repair.

The Challange

The downturn in the economy is affecting businesses across the country, especially in California where the state economy is struggling. During this time, small businesses are taking a big hit and struggling to keep their doors open. Benedetti Tire Service is open six days a week and needs to maintain effective lighting throughout the shop to ensure repairs run smoothly. Benedetti Tire Service was not only receiving a high priced energy bill every month, but the bill was steadily increasing. When deciding how to lower operating costs and run a profitable shop, they decided to look into energy efficiency practices.

The Solution

Benedetti Tire Service is not just replacing tires. After working closely with the Small Business Energy Alliance (SBEA), they decided the best way to cut back on their energy bill is to replace all their existing lighting with energy-efficient lighting. SBEA made 99 retrofits, replacing lighting throughout the shop, corporate offices, entrance, exterior, kitchen, and storage rooms with a selection of CFLs and T-8s.

The Savings

After implementing energy efficiency retrofits into the shop, Benedetti Tire Service is realizing significant savings. By simply retrofitting 99 lights, they are saving over $550 per month! In one year, this amounts to approximately $6,550 in savings. The project cost was about $11,300, of which SBEA provided an incentive of $5,410 — Benedetti Tire Service paid $5,890. In nine months, the project will pay for itself! "The payback period was only nine months, so the project was worth it for us," said Mark Reece, owner of Benedetti Tire Service. "We're saving a lot of money now every month, which is critical for us during the tough economy. I'd recommend the Small Business Energy Alliance to any small business looking to lower operating costs, while doing its part to help conserve energy. Our employees and customers have all notices the better quality lighting and appearance our facility has taken on with the energy efficiency upgrades."

With energy efficient practices, Benedetti Tire Service is releasing pressure from today's economic times, puncturing their operating costs and ratcheting up their savings.