Technical & Financial Feasibility Studies That Settle the Go or No-Go
Site-specific studies that decide whether a real energy or decarbonisation project, electrification, solar or heat recovery, is worth pursuing, technically, financially and operationally, before any design or capital is committed.
- Answers one question: does this project actually make sense on your site
- Built on your facility's real data, systems and constraints, not vendor assumptions
- Quantifies energy and cost savings, CO2, CAPEX, payback and IRR per option
- A decision-ready business case, including a clear no-go where that is the right call
- Part of SHV Energy
- ISO 50001
What This Service Is
A Technical and Financial Feasibility Study is the stage where EM3 determines whether a specific energy or decarbonisation project should be pursued at all, before any design, procurement or capital commitment happens. At this stage EM3 is not designing the final solution. The work evaluates a clearly defined opportunity on a real industrial site and answers one question: does this project make sense here, technically, financially and operationally?
The scope is always site-specific. We work directly with your facility data, systems and constraints to assess real options rather than theoretical ones, reviewing existing systems such as heating, cooling, electrical infrastructure and utilities, and identifying where changes or upgrades could deliver measurable improvements. The output is used by site teams, engineering leads and leadership to decide whether to move forward into concept design or stop the project entirely. It is the step that confirms technical viability, costs, savings and payback before any capital decision is made.
The Challenge It Solves
The client is not coming with a blank page. In most cases there is already a direction or a pressure pushing the decision. They have been told to electrify heat, reduce gas usage or install solar, but they do not know if it will actually work on their site, because the assumptions driving those decisions are often based on corporate targets or vendor proposals rather than real site conditions. They are being presented with equipment solutions, but cannot verify whether those solutions are sized correctly, compatible with existing infrastructure, or financially justifiable. They may suspect opportunities exist, but cannot quantify the savings, cost or impact well enough to build a business case that will stand up to internal scrutiny.
In many cases the real issue is that decisions are about to be made on incomplete or incorrect assumptions, and getting that wrong would lock in multi-million CAPEX with poor performance outcomes. The feasibility study exists to stop that from happening.
- Told to electrify, cut gas or install solar, but unsure it works on this site
- Vendor solutions that cannot be verified for sizing, compatibility or return
- Real opportunities that cannot yet be quantified into a credible business case
- A multi-million CAPEX decision about to be made on the wrong assumptions
How EM3 Delivers It
Data request
We gather historical consumption data, system drawings and operational information, including billing data, metering data, equipment layouts and one-line diagrams, to build an accurate starting picture of the site.
Site visit
Our engineers walk the plant to understand how the systems actually operate, identifying the significant energy users, reviewing system condition and performance, and locating the integration points for any new equipment.
Baseline energy models
We build baseline energy models of the existing systems to understand current performance and to simulate how the system would behave if the proposed changes were implemented.
Engineering analysis
We define potential solutions, validate their technical feasibility and quantify the expected impact, putting numbers on energy savings, cost savings, CO2 reduction, required capital investment and expected payback for each option.
Early-stage technical outputs
Where projects are viable, we develop concept schematics, layout drawings and equipment sizing to prove the solution can physically work on your site, not just on paper.
Review and report
The study concludes with a structured review and a final, decision-ready report that gives leadership a clear basis to proceed into concept design or to stop.
What You Receive
A full feasibility report
A decision-ready engineering document that clearly describes the recommended approach, the technical considerations and the viability of each option.
Baseline and projected energy models
Energy models showing baseline and projected performance, so you can see the before-and-after impact of each option.
Quantified outputs per project
Energy savings, cost savings, carbon impact, CAPEX requirements and financial return metrics such as payback and IRR, for every option assessed.
Concept schematics and layouts
Concept schematics, system layouts and integration drawings that confirm the solution can be implemented in your real facility.
A structured business case
A business case analysis you can use internally to support investment approval.
A clear go or no-go
A defensible recommendation either way, including, where it is the right answer, a clear decision not to proceed that avoids an incorrect investment.
Proven Outcome
In a solar feasibility study for a medical-devices manufacturer in Dublin, EM3 assessed multiple installation options across the facility. The study identified three roof-based PV arrays as the most viable solution, due to minimal enabling works and stronger economics, and quantified that the selected configuration would supply 5.4 percent of the site's annual electricity demand. The financial evaluation, based on actual energy pricing, showed an attractive return with a payback of 9.8 years under conservative assumptions.
Just as importantly, the study identified constraints, such as the limited generation potential from the available roof space, and recommended additional actions such as reroofing to increase capacity. Sometimes the most valuable outcome of a feasibility study is a clear decision not to proceed, avoiding an incorrect investment before any capital is committed.
Why EM3
Independent of vendors
We operate independently of equipment vendors, so recommendations are not influenced by product sales or supply relationships. We assess multiple technology options and evaluate them on total cost of ownership and lifecycle performance, rather than pushing a predefined solution.
Engineering-led, tied to delivery
The work is engineering-led and tied directly to real implementation. We do not stop at feasibility: the same team and methodology continue into design and delivery, which forces the decisions made at this stage to be practical and buildable.
Conservative and realistic
The combination of independence and delivery accountability changes how conservative and realistic the outputs are. The numbers are built to survive contact with the real project.
An honest no-go
Where a project does not stack up, we say so. A clear decision not to proceed is often the most valuable outcome, because it avoids locking capital into a project that would underperform.
How We Engage
Frequently Asked Questions
When should we do a feasibility study?
Before any design, procurement or capital commitment. When you have a defined opportunity, such as electrification, solar or heat recovery, and need to know whether it will actually work on your site, technically and financially, before you invest.
Will you design the solution at this stage?
Not yet. The feasibility study evaluates whether the project makes sense. Where it is viable, we produce early concept schematics and equipment sizing to prove it can physically work, but the detailed design follows as a separate stage.
What if the answer is no?
Then we say so. Sometimes the most valuable outcome is a clear, evidence-based decision not to proceed, which avoids locking in capital on a project that would not perform.
What financial detail do we get?
Energy and cost savings, carbon impact, CAPEX requirements and return metrics such as payback and IRR for each option, plus a structured business case you can take to internal investment approval.
Is it based on our real site data?
Yes. We work from your facility's actual consumption data, drawings and metering, plus a site visit, so the options assessed are real and specific to your plant, not theoretical.
How long does it take?
Around six to eight weeks, covering data collection, site work, analysis and reporting. More complex scopes can extend slightly but stay within a short-cycle delivery model.
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