Solar Research Paper
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FinalProjectonFirstSolarResearchPaper.docxSenior Capstone Final Project on First Solar
Purpose:
To apply what you have learned in the program to a real life company and analyze the industry, company strategy, operations, financials, and marketing. You will then identify business opportunities for improvement and explain ways to accomplish the improvements.
Background: The economy runs on energy and renewable energy is a growing sector of the energy business. Traditional sources of energy like coal, oil and gas have been economical but they are finite. They also produce emissions which cause pollution and add Carbon Dioxide to the atmosphere. Scientific research has shown that carbon dioxide is warming the planet which will affect humanity in unpredictable ways. Interest is growing in renewable or clean energy sources that don’t have any emissions but can still provide energy needed to allow the economies of the world to grow. First Solar is an innovative company that produces solar energy products and is one of the first companies to figure out how to lower the cost of manufacturing photovoltaic cells while improving power generation of each cell. They now have revenues in the $ 3 billion range and are a publicly traded corporation. Their trading symbol is FSLR. You work for a consulting firm and your manager has asked you to research the solar industry and First Solar and provide and analysis report making recommendations for business opportunities that First Solar is not currently pursuing. Your job is to find out as much as you can about the solar industry and First Solar and make recommendations, with supporting arguments, to your manager based on your research.
Assignment instructions
1. Conduct research on the solar industry and be sure you have an in depth understanding of the following:
a. the solar industry and history
b. the manufacturing and costs involved in the solar market
c. organization of the global and US solar market
d. the leading manufacturers and retail supply companies
e. the inputs and outputs of the industry – steps in the supply chain
f. industry trends both nationally and internationally
g. effects government has on this industry both in the US and Internationally
h. the macroeconomic factors affecting this industry
i. Global demand for Photovoltaic Cells
j. the three broad solar market segments
2. Conduct research on First Solar and be sure you have an in depth understanding of the following:
a. First Solar’s history and present position in the industry
b. the organization of the company, organizational structure, marketing strategy, and financial strategy, manufacturing strategy
c. corporate objectives and strategies and how they fit with what First Solar is accomplishing
d. the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats for First Solar
e. financial statements for the last 3 years and analysis of the company financials
f. Important elements of First Solar’s corporate culture identifying strengths and weaknesses g. Review of First Solar’s stock price, and earning per share for the last 3 years
3. Write an analysis paper with recommendations Based on the research you have done on the solar powered industry and First Solar, provide an analysis of the company. Your paper should address the topics discussed in sections 1 and 2 and provide analysis and conclusions. Include any other topics if they are relevant to your analysis. You should identify at least 2 opportunities and recommend strategies that could be used to take advantage of these opportunities. Provide support for your recommendations. Be sure to explain why you recommend these strategies. The paper should have a title page, be at least 15 pages double spaced not including title and Work Cited pages and any information from other sources should be properly cited within the paper. Include a Work Cited page at the end of the paper using APA style. Your paper should also include at least one graph or chart of relevant information used appropriately in the paper to support your analysis. The project will substitute for the two projects you failed in the Senior Capstone. If you pass this project, a grade of 70% will be posted for both of the failed lessons in the Senior Capstone replacement subject.
Grading Criteria
Content 80%: Paper provides an in-depth analysis of First Solar and the industry in which it operates. All topics indicated in the assignment instructions are covered in the paper. At least two opportunities are discussed for First Solar along with persuasive arguments to support them. Strategies for developing the identified business opportunities are well developed.
Written Communication 20%: The material proceeds logically, topic sentences are well placed, and paragraph breaks are appropriate. The student uses complete and grammatically correct sentences with no spelling errors. Descriptions, explanations, and assertions are clearly worded. Proper citation is provided in APA format along with a properly formatted Work Cited page. The paper is a minimum of 15 pages double spaced using 12 font size.
