Energy Modelling & Business Case Development That Gets the Project Approved
We take a technically viable opportunity and turn it into a funded one: detailed engineering models of how energy flows through your site today and after the project, built into a business case that survives finance, leadership and board-level scrutiny.
- Connects engineering decisions directly to financial outcomes
- Models real operating conditions, not high-level estimates
- Compares project options side by side so the right one is chosen
- A case built to stand up to both technical and financial challenge
- Part of SHV Energy
- ISO 50001
What This Service Is
Energy Modelling and Business Case Development is the stage where EM3 takes a technically viable opportunity and turns it into something a business can approve and fund. The question is no longer does this idea work, that has already been tested in feasibility. The focus now is what will actually happen to the site, financially and operationally, if we implement this.
We build detailed models of how energy flows through the facility today and how those flows will change after the proposed project is implemented. This is not high-level estimation. It analyses consumption patterns, system behaviour and equipment performance in a way that reflects real operating conditions. That work is used to construct a defensible business case, backed by engineering data, that can support internal approval processes, capital allocation and board-level scrutiny. The output directly connects engineering decisions to financial outcomes.
The Challenge It Solves
The client has usually already identified opportunities or shortlisted projects, but they cannot get them approved. The typical situation is that they have numbers, but those numbers are either not trusted or not detailed enough to justify the investment.
Finance teams question the assumptions, leadership challenges the ROI, and the engineering team cannot clearly explain how the savings were calculated. Where several project options exist, there is often no clear comparison of which is better, what the trade-offs are, or what happens under different operating scenarios. And when energy savings are treated in isolation, without linking them to load profiles, system interactions and operational constraints, the result is overly optimistic projections or an incomplete financial case. The core problem is not a lack of ideas. It is the lack of credible, site-specific, quantified evidence that lets a decision be made with confidence.
- Projects identified, but stuck without approval
- Numbers that finance and leadership do not trust
- Several options, with no like-for-like comparison between them
- Savings projected in isolation from how the systems actually run
How EM3 Delivers It
Build the baseline model
We analyse energy flows across the facility to understand where energy is being used and what drives consumption, mapping the flows between systems and identifying the key drivers using analytical methods such as regression modelling, energy-flow mapping and capacity analysis.
Model the future state
We develop projected models that simulate how the site will perform after each proposed project is implemented, capturing the changes in energy demand, system loading and operating behaviour.
Quantify each measure
For each identified project or energy conservation measure, we quantify the impact: energy savings, carbon reduction and the operational changes that come with it.
Build the financial case
We translate the modelling into a structured financial case, calculating capital costs, expected savings and metrics such as ROI and payback, and accounting for incentives, grants and operational constraints so the case reflects real commercial conditions.
Structure the business case
We bring it together into a structured business case that clearly defines the recommended path forward and the rationale behind it, with the options laid out for comparison.
Present and align
We present and review the outputs with your team to make sure there is understanding and alignment before anything moves into the design stages.
What You Receive
A decision-ready business case
A complete business case supported by engineering-backed modelling, structured for your approval process.
Quantified project outputs
For each project: energy savings, carbon reduction, water savings where applicable and total cost savings.
Capital cost estimates
Early-stage capital cost estimates, typically to around plus or minus 30 percent accuracy, sufficient to support an investment decision.
Energy-flow visualisations
Energy-flow diagrams that show how energy moves through the site before and after the project.
Comparable financial metrics
Payback and internal rate of return for each option, so you can compare them directly.
A reviewed, aligned plan
The outputs presented and reviewed with your team, so everyone is aligned before design begins.
Proven Outcome
On a global manufacturer's feasibility study, EM3 built detailed energy models to understand how energy moved through the facility and to identify improvement opportunities. The modelling mapped the energy flows and analysed consumption patterns to surface the energy conservation measures worth pursuing.
For each one, EM3 quantified the energy savings, the carbon and water reductions, the cost savings and the capital investment required, alongside the expected payback. That took the client from a list of potential ideas to a structured set of prioritised projects, each with a clear financial outcome and a defensible reason to proceed.
Why EM3
Built from models, not assumptions
We build business cases from engineering models. The same team that analyses the systems develops the financial case, so the numbers are grounded in actual system behaviour rather than generic benchmarks or vendor estimates.
Options compared in parallel
We evaluate multiple project options in parallel and structure them into a comparable format, so you make an informed decision instead of defaulting to a single solution.
Modelled for implementation
Because we stay involved through design and delivery, the modelling is done with implementation in mind. That avoids the common trap where approved projects later fail to meet expectations because they were based on unrealistic assumptions.
Built to survive challenge
The whole approach is designed to stand up to challenge from both technical and financial stakeholders, which is exactly what it takes to get a project funded.
How We Engage
Frequently Asked Questions
How is this different from feasibility?
Feasibility answers does this idea work. This stage answers what will actually happen to the site, financially and operationally, if we implement it. It turns a viable opportunity into a funded, approvable business case built on detailed models rather than high-level estimates.
Why will not our own numbers get approved?
Usually the numbers are not trusted or not detailed enough: finance questions the assumptions, leadership challenges the ROI, and engineering cannot clearly show how the savings were calculated. We build the case from site-specific engineering models so it stands up to that scrutiny.
Can you compare several project options?
Yes. We model multiple options in parallel and structure them into a comparable format with consistent financial metrics, so you can choose on evidence rather than defaulting to one solution.
How accurate are the cost estimates?
Capital costs are typically developed to an early-stage accuracy, for example around plus or minus 30 percent, which is sufficient to support an investment decision. They are refined further as the project moves into design.
What do we actually receive?
A decision-ready business case: quantified savings, carbon and cost per project, capital estimates, energy-flow diagrams showing before and after, and payback and IRR for each option, presented and reviewed with your team.
How long does it take?
It usually runs in parallel with the feasibility or concept work and is delivered within that window, typically a few weeks depending on data availability and scope.
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