Running head: CORPORATIONS USE OF SOLAR ENERGY TO TACKLE GLOBAL

Corporations use of Solar Energy to tackle global sustainability issues

Prat Patel
Arizona State University - Global Institute of Sustainability

Corporations use of Solar Energy to tackle global sustainability issues

Arizona gets over 300 days of sunlight annually, why are corporations not motivated to
tap into utilization of solar energy? Take American Express for example; they have three
campuses in the valley of the sun, none of which uses solar power, let alone other forms of
renewable energy to combat global sustainability issues such as scarcity of natural resource and
climate change. In this capstone proposal we will aim to look at the costs and benefits associated
with implementation of solar panels for one of the American Express campuses in Phoenix,
Arizona. Furthermore, the scope of costs and benefits will include but not limited to; return on
investment, employee engagement, brand identity, and corporate stewardship. Examining the
investment holistically from all perspectives will help gauge whether its truly beneficial to the
company or if other alternatives are more enticing both currently and long-term. The desired
outcome for this project is to get a clear cut understanding of the benefits versus costs associated
with solar panels and harvesting solar energy to assist companies like American Express make
informed decisions as related to sustainability.
Everything we do has its benefits and disadvantages and solar power or energy is no
exception. The solar industry has been rapidly evolving over the past 20 years with
enhancements to the core technology as well as the durability and versatility of the solar panels
itself. According to the global research director for General Electric Co. (GE) Mark M. Little,
Solar power may be cheaper than electricity generated by fossil fuels and nuclear reactors
within three to five years because of innovations (Bloomberg, 2014). In addition, according to
Bloomberg New Energy Finance prices for solar photovoltaic cells have dropped by 99% since
1977, a drastic price reduction in a 36 year time period. In this capstone project we seek to better
understand the costs and benefits associated with solar energy for major corporations, more
specifically one American Express campus in Phoenix, Arizona.
This particular project and analysis will be broken down into three main pieces. First, we
will gather the data revolving costs, survey results, and scholarly research. This will enable us to
look at the core issue of solar energy from different perspectives while expanding our knowledge
base and initiating the conversation from American Express to better understand their needs and
wants. Next, once the data is gathered, we can begin to translate it and paint a meaningful picture
that can be actionable. During this process we will be able to identify strengths, weaknesses,

opportunities, and threats as they relate to American Express. In addition, this process will make
it easier for us to prioritize areas of focus and immediate attention while revealing key pain
points. The final step would be to take action to a proposed route or identify alternatives that are
more beneficial to American Express and its mission of corporate stewardship in regards to
sustainability.
This multifaceted project will have many short-term and long-term benefits to American
Express. First, it will boost its brand identity not only in Arizona but on a global scale. This
project would be a key proponent to their journey in becoming the worlds most respected
service brand (American Express, 2014). Furthermore, it will enable them to make informed
decisions that will not only boost brand reputation but also boost employee morale and employee
engagement, these components alone can have tremendous value added to the organizations
bottom line. Last but not least, installation of solar panels will reduce American Expresses
carbon footprint, which makes it more attractive to investors as they began to realize that
American Express is making long term decisions for sustainability of its business and the ecosystem surrounding it, making it a truly well-rounded organization.
As we know, corporations play a major part in todays ecological system which includes
economy, government, and the general population. The key take away from this project should
be that, corporations need to be the change agents in our eco-system in order to tackle global
sustainability issues we face today. Major corporations need to take responsibility for their
actions and incorporate sustainability practices in all aspects of their business to ensure effective
and efficient utilization of the massive inventory of resources available to them. Moreover, the
concept of triple-bottom-line needs to be instilled in the process of decision making.
From the perspective of this project, the facts and figures should be clear cut, making it
fairly simple and easy to analyze the value adds versus diminishing returns to American Express.
With that said, utilization of the survey tools available to us will help us gauge levels of interest,
engagement, and thought process change over time from all key stakeholders as well as
measurement of results. Surely this journey will not be as simple and straight forward as some of
the data points needed to make better decisions, some of the foreseeable challenges include;
navigating through organizational hierarchy in order to engage the right leaders, communicating
through different channels to each stakeholder and ensuring consistency in message delivery as
well as encouraging continuous and ongoing feedback throughout the process. Furthermore,

persuading and motivating individuals within the organization to ensure adequate and honest
cooperation while collecting required data is also critical. As mentioned previously, this
multifaceted project will require inputs and interactions from a vast array of resources. Including,
bidding from different solar companies, conversations with solar consultants, lower level
management in operations at American Express, mentorship from the professors within the
EMSL program, as well as feedback and inputs from the cohort. Eventually this will also require
senior leadership involvement at American Express, as plans or project proposals will have to get
approved and may require funding to gather additional data or services.

References
American Express. (2014). Our Company. Retrieved from
http://about.americanexpress.com/oc/whoweare/
Bloomberg. (2014). GE Sees Solar Cheaper Than Fossil Power in Five Years. Retrieved from
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-05-26/solar-may-be-cheaper-than-fossil-powerin-five-years-ge-says.html