Wells Fargo
At a Glance
Industry
Financial Services and Insurance
Project Type
Commercial Energy Efficiency
Year
2010
Location
San Francisco, CA
Net Present Value:
$2,800,000
Annual CO2 Reductions:
17,145 metric tons
Summary
Shinu Thomas measured the potential impact of using non-essential office equipment more efficiently and worked on a behavior change campaign.
Goals
Shinu Thomas, an MBA candidate at Thunderbird School of Global Management, spent her summer at Wells Fargo, a nationwide, diversified, community-based financial services company. There, she was asked to support the company's greenhouse gas emissions task force.
Solutions
Wells Fargo's more than 10,000 locations collectively represented a vast opportunity for energy efficiency and related cost savings. Thomas was challenged with measuring the potential financial, energy and greenhouse gas savings from more efficient use of non-essential office equipment - everything from coffee makers to vending machines.
Working closely with the Environmental Affairs department and multiple internal stakeholders, Thomas developed multiple tools to help the company measure and forecast its kilowatt hour and dollar savings as well as related reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. This helped with internal tracking as well as reporting initiatives.
In addition, a marketing campaign was subsequently developed leveraging the highly successful Wells Fargo Green Teams to encourage behavioral change throughout the company.
Potential Impact
Overall, Thomas identified over $2.8 million in potential savings and 17,145 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions.