Concept Level Engineering That Turns an Idea Into a Defined Project
Basis of Design, Stage A: the point where an identified project stops being a promising idea and becomes a defined engineering route, with the scope, system architecture, cost, risk and performance worked out to roughly plus or minus 30 percent, enough for a serious decision.
- Formalises a concept into a robust, investment-grade Basis of Design
- System architecture, integration, risk and a concept-accuracy cost view, in one place
- A structured, multi-session process run with your site team, not a one-off report
- Defined with delivery in mind, by a team that also builds and commissions
- Part of SHV Energy
- ISO 50001
What This Service Is
Concept Level Engineering, or Basis of Design Stage A, is the point where EM3 takes a project that has already been identified and starts turning it into a defined concept design. It is still an early engineering stage, but it is no longer just about identifying opportunities. At BoD-A, we prepare a Basis of Design document that sets out the design intent, the system approach, the early technical definition, and the first serious view of cost, risk and implementation requirements, formalising the selected concept into a robust, investment-grade Basis of Design with clarity on scope, performance and integration.
This is the stage where a project stops being just a promising idea and becomes a defined engineering route that can be reviewed, challenged, funded and then developed further. BoD-A sits ahead of BoD-B, BoD-C, detailed design, construction and commissioning, and is tied to a design accuracy band of roughly plus or minus 30 percent. That tells you exactly what this stage is for: enough definition for a serious decision, without pretending the final design has already been completed.
Governing standardBasis of Design (BoD-A)
The Challenge It Solves
Right before BoD-A, the client has usually already completed an audit, assessment or feasibility step and identified a project worth progressing, but the project is still too vague to move forward with confidence. They might know they want to install a heat pump, a compressed-air upgrade, a solar installation or another utility improvement, but they do not have a defined system architecture, an agreed scope, an implementation logic, or a sufficiently worked-through cost position.
The issue at this point is not we need more ideas. It is we need to define what we are actually building. Without that, the client cannot properly compare options, cannot allocate budget with confidence, cannot explain the design basis internally, and cannot prepare the project for the next levels of engineering or vendor engagement. The real problem is moving from a high-level opportunity into structured design and analysis.
- A project identified, but still too vague to commit to
- No defined system architecture, agreed scope or implementation logic
- No cost position solid enough to allocate budget against
- Nothing concrete enough to take to vendors or the next design stage
How EM3 Delivers It
Handover and chartering
The stage begins with project handover, project chartering and the collection of existing site information: as-built drawings, metering and utility data, the safety file, and hazard information such as ATEX, asbestos or Seveso-related inputs where relevant.
Site engagement and validation
We then engage on site: walkdowns, validation of assumptions, discussion of constraints and confirmation of the real installation conditions, supported by RFIs and drawing review, so the concept is grounded in how the site actually is.
Develop the concept design
We develop the concept itself: design criteria, system architecture, integration strategy, engineering assumptions, technical risks and concept statements across the architectural, civil, structural, mechanical, electrical, controls and procurement disciplines, plus early implementation planning.
Model and quantify
Alongside the concept we run the energy modelling and financial analysis: energy verification, recalculated savings, concept schematics and a capital cost estimate to roughly plus or minus 30 percent, supported by a concise business case with payback and IRR.
Build the Basis of Design
It comes together as a Basis of Design package covering permitting and EHS impacts, concept requirements by discipline, the budget estimate, construction and commissioning strategy, the programme, and preliminary drawings such as redlined P&IDs, layouts and schematics.
Review and present
The work runs through a series of formal review sessions with your team and concludes with a final BoD-A presentation, report and implementation roadmap: a clear decision point before the project moves into procurement-focused and detailed engineering stages.
What You Receive
A Basis of Design document
The Basis of Design itself: design intent, system approach and the early technical definition in one place.
System architecture and integration
System architecture diagrams, the integration strategy with your existing systems and defined performance criteria.
A concept-accuracy cost view
A CapEx estimate with a stated accuracy band, typically around plus or minus 30 percent, and a concise business case covering savings, payback, IRR and the CO2, water and energy impact.
A risk register
The key technical risks identified and recorded, so they are visible going into the decision rather than discovered later.
Constructability and phasing
A constructability and phasing note, construction and commissioning strategy, the programme, and preliminary schematics, layouts and routing references.
A clear decision point
A defined concept that explains what the project is, how it integrates, what it is expected to deliver, what it is likely to cost at concept stage and what still needs developing.
Proven Outcome
On one heat-pump project, the BoD-A objectives ran from project kick-off through concept design, energy-model generation, cost and payback analysis and refrigerant selection, to the final BoD-A presentation. The package defined a proposed 500 kW heat pump and modelled exactly how it would interact with the site's existing chilled-water and low-pressure hot-water loops, with explicit system assumptions and modelling outputs.
That is what a BoD-A outcome looks like in practice: a project that has moved from a general idea into a defined proposed system, with technical assumptions, performance modelling and the decision-support content a funding decision actually needs.
Why EM3
Defined with delivery in mind
BoD-A sits inside our end-to-end project pathway, from concept through to contract, implementation and operation, not as an isolated consultancy activity. The concept is defined with future delivery in mind, not just for presentation value.
Genuinely independent
We act as an independent energy partner with no direct ties to equipment or service vendors. That agnostic approach gives unbiased recommendations and a proper evaluation of total cost of ownership, which matters most at exactly the stage a project can get distorted by a preferred technology or supplier.
A managed design process
This is not a loose concept exercise. It is a managed process with formal review sessions, deliverables, agendas and checkpoints, which is what keeps a concept rigorous and reviewable.
Investment-grade definition
The output is a robust, investment-grade Basis of Design: enough definition to review, challenge, fund and develop further, with a clear view of what still needs to be done.
How We Engage
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Basis of Design (BoD-A)?
It is the concept-engineering stage where an identified project becomes a defined concept design: a Basis of Design document setting out the design intent, system architecture, performance, cost, risk and implementation requirements, to roughly plus or minus 30 percent accuracy. Enough to make a serious decision, without pretending the final design is done.
Where does BoD-A sit in the project?
After the audit, assessment or feasibility that identified the project, and ahead of the later design stages, BoD-B, BoD-C, detailed design, construction and commissioning. It is the point where a promising idea becomes a defined engineering route that can be funded and developed.
How accurate is the cost estimate at this stage?
It is a concept-stage estimate, typically around plus or minus 30 percent, supported by a concise business case with savings, payback and IRR. Enough to allocate budget with confidence, and refined further in the later design stages.
Is it a single report or a process?
A structured, staged process run with your site team, built around a series of formal review sessions with deliverables and checkpoints, not a one-off workshop or report.
What do we get at the end?
A concept design package: the Basis of Design document, system architecture diagrams, performance criteria, a concept-accuracy CapEx estimate, a constructability and phasing note, a risk register, schematics and a business case.
Are your recommendations independent?
Yes. We act as an independent energy partner with no ties to equipment or service vendors, so the concept is evaluated on total cost of ownership and lifecycle cost, not on a preferred supplier. BoD-A is exactly where that independence matters most.
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