Determining alternative fuel and energy source suitability for Sherwin-Williams

Sherwin-Williams is in the midst of revamping as well as creating long-term goals and strategies around alternative energy and fuel sources. However, the primary challenge that remains is determining which type of Sherwin-Williams site (retail stores, distribution center, blending station, manufacturing facility, etc.) and which regions are the best suited for alternative fuels in terms of practicality and investment potential. Given this need, Sherwin-Williams proposes a project where students help us determine the best pathways to lowering our energy impacts whether it is implementation of renewable energy at specific sites and/or regions or changing our fleet to alternative powertrain vehicles. Sherwin-Williams will provide data pertaining to the sites, fleet, etc., cost information, and other resources so that students can help determine feasibility, ROI, incentives, etc. Much of this information will come from internal databases and the goal will not only be assessing a small number of each type of facility or fleet for alternative energy pathways, but also to help design some sort of dashboard to help us assess facilities moving forward. This will be critical given that we operate almost 5000 sites in over 120 countries. Key milestones include: • Access and training regarding Sherwin-Williams’ systems • Export of existing data into a new platform, spreadsheet, or similar • Analysis of site or fleet suitability with support form Sherwin-Williams in terms of current pricing, renewable energy resources, etc. o Would be framed as a case study looking at just a few examples of facility types, fleet type, and/or region • Short summary report assessing the pilot sites to show proof of concept • Creation of a template, spreadsheet, or program where data about a site could be entered to help predict suitability for alternative energy Sherwin-Williams appreciates the consideration of this proposal and welcomes any feedback or refinements that we can make to help hone-in on a valuable project.