18 SDG 7 Affordable and Clean Energy – Guelph Solar

Group Reflection

Guelph Solar, founded by Steve Dyck, envisions powering homes and businesses with sustainable solar energy to create a low-carbon economy. We could see the evolution of the business, as it started as Guelph Solar hot water, focusing on solar water heating. However, with advancements in solar technology and the decreasing cost of solar panels, they transitioned to solar electric systems. Guelph Solar prioritizes community impact, emphasizing climate solutions, reducing emissions, and fostering energy independence, this is something that caught our attention as a group and showed us that the company we chose actually cares about the wellness of their people.

The interview with Steve delves into Guelph Solar’s corporate social responsibility and development. Steve emphasized the company’s commitment to sustainability, local engagement, and gender equity within its workforce, which surprised us with the information that 2 high positions in the company were led by women. It’s already stated in the interview the Guelph Solar’s role in supporting the local economy, providing affordable and clean energy, and contributing to sustainable cities and communities. The company’s success lies in its durability, adaptability to regulatory changes, and a focus on smaller, community-driven projects.

Guelph Solar actively engages with local communities and partners with nonprofits, contributing to solar projects in arenas, collaborating with First Nations groups, and supporting initiatives like the Hunger Project, which allowed us to understand better their mission not only as a profit company but also as a caring entity within the environment and its community. Their impact metrics include energy generation, safety measures, and economic contributions. As part of a SWOT analysis, Guelph Solar’s strengths include longevity, innovation, and competitive pricing, while weaknesses lie in vulnerability to regulatory changes.

Opportunities for Guelph Solar include expanding to new locations and continuing to innovate. The company’s commitment to local initiatives, such as making homes energy self-sufficient for Habitat for Humanity, reflects its dedication to community welfare. Guelph Solar’s vision aligns with UN sustainability goals, particularly in affordable and clean energy, decent work, sustainable cities, and communities; allowing us to understand better the future of the company and making clear that they are not going to stop with the innovation and their environmental mission, which is actually pretty impressive and gave us hope to believe that nowadays exists companies like this, companies with moral and values and actually thoughtful about the environmental consequences of their actions, and made us to believe that we could be part of it in the future.
Guelph´s Solar gender equality policies help us further understand an easily misinterpretable concept such as gender equality. Commonly viewed as a mindless intent of making women and men the same , this is not the case for Guelphs Solar’s commitment to gender awareness ; consisting in the company’s devotion to variety and faith in the power of different viewpoints consequent from the beneficial variance in perception between men and women.

In recent years, we’ve increasingly witnessed the perils of relying on fossil fuels for energy. Geopolitical tensions have notably impacted both the final cost of energy for consumers and, more crucially, its accessibility. This underscores the significance of SDG 7 (Ensuring access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for everyone). While to our knowledge should governmental institutions primarily carry the responsibility for transforming the energy infrastructure, Guelph’s Energy’s innovative solar solutions have underscored how businesses wield considerable influence in significantly reducing dependence on non-renewable energy sources within local communities. Their contributions play a pivotal role in gradually steering the local economy toward decarbonization.

At first, it seemed improbable that a company prioritizing community and SDG 8 (Promoting sustained, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth, along with full and productive employment) could align with economic expansion and a strong market presence in the face of competition. However, as the company’s narrative unfolded through analysis and development, this initial notion has been debunked by tangible outcomes. For instance, the company’s expansion into areas like Burlington and its consideration of places like Waterloo for future growth, alongside its consistent revenue growth targeting a 25% year-on-year increase, reflect the growing adoption of solar energy and the company’s firm footing in the market. Moreover, their notable profit-sharing approach and establishment of a workplace valuing employee well-being and financial involvement not only reject the traditional, unsustainable models of minimum wage with high turnover and rigid hierarchies but also yield superior results in terms of heightened employee satisfaction and loyalty. This has led to reduced turnover and the nurturing of a skilled workforce deeply committed to the company’s mission.

In essence, innovation, a distinct selling proposition setting the company apart in the market, and a sustainable employment model stand as the cornerstones of Guelph Solar’s success. Examining Guelph Solar has reinforced our belief in the significant role a business can play in its community. This case shows that ethical businesses can be profitable and impactful. Guelph Solar’s consistent growth, at 25% annually, illustrates the success of combining ethical practices with strong growth strategies. This experience has shaped our understanding of the balance needed between ethical commitments and business expansion. It’s an insight I’ll carry into our future business endeavors, aiming for both ethical integrity and commercial success.

As the guidelines of the AIM2Flourish assessment states that we had to find a business that is for profit and it is helping to achieve one or more of the 17 UN Global Goals, we found Guelph Solar. Guelph solars products and services contribute to sustainable development by harnessing the power of the sun to generate clean, renewable energy. Guelph Solar is a business that it’s social responsibilities therefore we analysed the SDGs that it is currently addressing. The idea behind Guelph Solar is to save energy and to combat climate change, and the mission is to make solar energy accessible and affordable for everyone. These first two are SDGs number 7 and 13.

Furthermore Guelph Solar’s business model and operational strategies are designed to promote SDG 8 (decent work and economic growth) and SDG 11 (sustainable cities and communities). We understood that the business is committed to providing a sustainable solution to climate and energy, it compels with the legislation of the government related to employees and keeping the environment clean and friendly.

In completing the AIM2Flourish assignment, our team learned valuable lessons that complemented what we were taught in our Enactus and Corporate Social Responsibility courses the students from Canada and Spain contributed forth, what they learned in which gave us an easy approach to the assignment. At the same time, collaborating with what we have learned in our Enactus course, the AIM2Flourish assignment provided us with a practical opportunity to apply the concepts and principles we learned in these courses to real-world situations. The assignment reinforced the importance of stakeholder engagement and understanding their needs and perspectives. In both Enactus and CSR courses, we learn about the significance of considering the interests of various stakeholders, such as employees, customers, communities, and the environment. Through the AIM2Flourish assignment, we had to identify and interview Guelph solar Business Owner, who operates a business that supports the United Nations Sustainable development goals. This process helped us gain a deeper understanding of the challenges and opportunities faced by the Business owners in general.

In Enactus and CSR courses, we learn about the triple bottom line approach, which emphasizes the importance of considering social, environmental, and economic factors in business decision-making (Miller, 2020). The AIM2Flourish assignment required us to identify and analyse a business or organization that demonstrated a commitment to sustainability and social impact. This allowed us to see firsthand how businesses can create value not only for their shareholders but also for society and the planet. Both Enactus and CSR courses complement one another about the importance of effectively communicating the social and environmental impact of businesses. We wrote what we think is a compelling story about the Guelph Solar organization, highlighting its positive impact on society. Overall, the AIM2Flourish collaborative assignment provided us with a practical application of the concepts and principles we learned in our Enactus and CSR courses which in the process the team intellectually benefited from one another.

The way our group conducted our work for our Aim2Flourish assignment was to meet every week on Tuesday at 3pm, Eastern standard time. During this meeting we would go through our tasks for the week at hand, and make sure that all of the group members knew what the instructions were asking of them. We then would take time to split the work as evenly as possible, by assigning certain portions of the assignment to each group member. We set a deadline each week for the day that we wanted to have the tasks completed, which helped our group stay on schedule. Doing all of these things really did work for our group. Although the methods we used were quite basic. Sometimes simple is the best way to go about completing tasks. The only struggle that our group came across was setting up a meeting time for the first meet. Remembering time changes was a struggle at the beginning, but it turned into a second nature in the following meets.

Individual Reflection

Kevin: This project was a valuable experience, thanks to the diverse perspectives from different educational backgrounds. The mix of Spanish analytical strategies and South African community focus enriched our approach. The contrast between the Canadian focus on project execution and the South African emphasis on interpersonal relationships was enlightening. I appreciated the team’s flexibility in meeting times, especially their commitment to convene at night, post-dinner, to accommodate different time zones. This adaptability and dedication enhanced our collaboration and will influence how I approach future global team projects.

James: Working with people from all around the world has been an amazing trip full of memorable experiences and fresh perspectives. What was especially interesting to observe were the various cultural perspectives on organizing projects and teamwork. In group projects in Canada, particularly Guelph, we usually place an emphasis on efficiency, giving priority to quick starts and fast completions. This approach is very different from what I experienced with South African teammates who valued relationships and took the time to get to know each team member. Developing personal links among the team was not a common practice in my past group experiences at Guelph, so this approach—which emphasizes interpersonal relationships—was unexpected to me. Communication breakdowns and the difficulties of adjusting to many time zones made scheduling meetings difficult. These issues came to our attention during our first meeting when two members were unable to attend. But we immediately learnt from this and started having weekly meetings at the exact same time, which really improved our productivity and coordination. Overall, this project was fascinating and entertaining, rather than just a work to be finished. Working with a group as diverse as this one opened my eyes to new ideas and ways to collaborate. Seeing how our approach to the Guelph Solar project was affected by our cultural backgrounds was quite fascinating. My awareness of international cooperation has increased as a result of this experience, which has also highlighted how crucial cultural awareness and adaptation are in cooperative settings. I am excited to use the valuable knowledge and abilities I have gained from it in my next group projects.

Hloniphile: The past five weeks have been quite a nice journey full of dynamics. Having a chance to collaborate and work with students from Canada and Spain was both educational and fun. At first the adjustment of time zones and having to work around everybody’s schedule was a bit challenging but we got that fixed quickly. What amazed me is the approach that the students from other countries had when it came to completing the assignment. Everytime when we get onto a meeting my teammates would go straight into the contents of the assignment which was a bit strange and uncomfortable. As South Africans we have what we call UBUNTU which means that we value greetings, compassion, sharing and humanness-so creating relationships is important to us. Overall I appreciate our diversity, different perspectives, and cultures. Having an open mind to this situation was helpful and I wish we had more time together since I got to learn a lot from my teammates. I loved that all my mates had positive energy and great team spirit.
Doing this assignment has shown me the importance of discipline, consistency and efficiency, which I look forward to utilizing in my upcoming group projects.

Ignacio: Throughout the five weeks that we have been developing this project , we have all experienced the hardships and struggles that commonly occur in a cross-cultural workplace including cultural differences , variances in the dynamics when approaching an issue or even just simple cultural shocks such as timezones & coordination. But surprisingly enough , these differences are what have essentially contributed to the development of a more open-minded, therefore rich, mindset when tackling each submission.
I would have never has the opportunity to understand the South African ‘Ubuntu’ if it wasn’t for Hloniphile and Tsumbedzo participants in this Aim2Flourish activity ,ubuntu consisting on the importance of human touch and care for other ,that is sometimes lacking in group activities and corporate offices. Furthermore Juan Carlos and I were shocked by the efficiency of the goal-oriented ‘modus operandi’ of both Kevin and James from Canada, their ability to clarify and transmit objectives was indeed a key aspect of the activity.
Overall I have learned that the diversity in perspective and approach is a powerful tool that should not be undervalued when working together.

Juan: While doing this project I have reached a level of cross-cultural workplace awareness that I didn’t have before, during the development of it I learned how to manage the different time zones to do the meetings at the time that everyone could make it, obviously it wasn’t at first try. At the meetings we noticed the different ways of having the work done by the different countries, James was the first one to say that himself and Kevin as Canadians were more efficient and straightforward to do the work itself, but the South African teammates Tsumbedzo and Hloniphile gave importance to connect all as a group and bond. In my experience this kind of project is more susceptible to a very inactive scenario for a group member, this was not the case, everyone stepped up and put on the work which taught me a lot about cross-cultural experiences. A keypoint in the development of this project was that we added value to each other. For example, I remember being with the group doing a brainstorm for the interview questions and it was amazing how the 3 countries gave very different ideas and complemented well with the others. The way we organize ourselves in all the different tasks and the meetings is truly a knowledge I will use in my future as a professional.