Feasibility Study Execution

The #1 mistake I see new landowners make? They skip the feasibility phase… and jump straight into design. Here’s what that looks like: You spend $40K on an architect before you know if the zoning even allows what you want. You sign a construction loan… only to find out the soil can’t support your foundation plan. You assume a unit mix based on “vibes,” not real market comps and end up with rentals no one wants. These aren’t rookie errors. They’re expensive ones. $100K to $1M+ expensive. We’ve had deals where the feasibility study saved the project by killing it early. At GIS, we use a 7-step process to pressure test every site: Back-of-napkin → is this worth our time? Site study → what's buildable under code? Market check → will people pay for this? Financial model → does the pro forma pencil? Expert review → did we miss anything? Risk map → what could blow this up? Go/No-Go → do we really want to do this? It’s slow. Methodical. Not sexy. But it’s how you avoid becoming a LinkedIn cautionary tale about “the deal that could’ve worked.” If you’re sitting on land and wondering what it could be let’s talk. We’ll run it through the process together. Because sometimes the smartest move… is to not build at all.

Feasibility of a utility-scale BESS project: 1. Site Selection Location Suitability: Evaluate the site for physical space, accessibility, and proximity to the grid connection point. Consider factors like land ownership, zoning regulations, potential for expansion. 2. Grid Connection and Integration Interconnection Requirements: Analyze the technical requirements for connecting the BESS to the grid, including voltage levels, power capacity, and grid stability. Grid Compatibility: Ensure the BESS can handle grid dynamics, such as fluctuations in voltage and frequency, and assess the system’s ability to provide ancillary services like frequency regulation or reactive power support. 3. Battery Technology Selection Technology Suitability: Compare different battery technologies (e.g., lithium-ion, flow batteries, solid-state) based on energy density, cycle life, efficiency, and response time to ensure the project’s needs. Thermal Management: Consider the thermal management requirements of the selected battery technology, including cooling systems and potential for thermal runaway. 4. System Sizing & Scalability Energy & Power Requirements: Determine the optimal size of the BESS based on the project's storage and power output. This includes peak load demands, duration of energy discharge, and frequency of cycling. Scalability: Assess the potential for future expansion and whether the system design can be scaled up to accommodate increased demand or additional storage capacity. 5. Performance and Reliability Cycle Life & Degradation: Evaluate the expected cycle life of the batteries and their degradation rate over time, considering the impact on performance and maintenance costs. System Reliability: Analyze the reliability of the entire system, including power conversion systems, inverters, and control systems. Ensure redundancy and fail-safes are in place to maintain continuous operation. 6. Control & Communication Systems EMS: Evaluate the control systems responsible for managing the charge/discharge cycles, ensuring optimal performance, and integrating with the broader energy management strategy. Communication Protocols: Ensure compatibility with existing grid communication protocols and consider the need for secure, real-time data exchange between the BESS and grid operators. 7. Energy Efficiency & Losses Round-Trip Efficiency: Calculate the round-trip efficiency of the BESS, considering losses during charging, discharging, and energy conversion. This impacts the overall economic feasibility of the project. Self-Discharge Rate: Evaluate the self-discharge rate of the batteries and how it affects long-term storage efficiency, especially for applications requiring extended storage. 8. Integration with Renewables Renewable Energy Compatibility: If the BESS is intended to integrate with renewable energy sources (e.g., solar, wind), assess the compatibility of the system in terms of variability in generation and storage. #BESS #Powersystem #renewable

Here's a step-by-step guide with examples on how to conduct a requirement feasibility analysis: Step 1: Gather Requirements Example: Let's assume you are working on a software development project to build a new mobile application. Some of the requirements might include features like user registration, real-time chat functionality, location-based services, and compatibility with iOS and Android devices. Step 2: Identify Feasibility Criteria Determine the feasibility criteria that will be used to evaluate each requirement. Example: For the mobile application project, the feasibility criteria might include: Technical Feasibility: Can the required features be implemented with the available technology and resources? Economic Feasibility: Is the project financially viable within the allocated budget? Legal and Regulatory Compliance: Does the app comply with privacy laws and other relevant regulations? Operational Feasibility: Will the app be usable and manageable by the target users and administrators? Scheduling Feasibility: Can the project be completed within the desired timeframe? Step 3: Evaluate Feasibility for Each Requirement Assess each requirement against the identified feasibility criteria. You can use a scale (e.g., high, medium, low) or a numeric value (e.g., 1 to 5) to indicate the feasibility level. Example: Requirement: Real-time chat functionality Technical Feasibility: High (The technology for real-time communication is readily available). Economic Feasibility: Medium (Additional server infrastructure may be required for scalability). Legal and Regulatory Compliance: Medium (Ensure data privacy regulations are followed). Operational Feasibility: High (The chat feature is familiar and intuitive for users). Scheduling Feasibility: Medium (The chat functionality may require extra development time). Step 4: Analyze Feasibility Results Review the feasibility assessments for each requirement. Identify potential risks and constraints that might impact the project's success. Example: From the analysis, it becomes evident that most requirements have a high feasibility rating, but the economic feasibility for additional server infrastructure could be a concern. Additionally, the scheduling feasibility for implementing the chat functionality may require adjustments to the project timeline. Step 5: Make Recommendations Based on the feasibility analysis, make informed recommendations to the project stakeholders. Example: Recommendations: 1. Proceed with the development of the mobile application as most requirements are highly feasible. 2. Conduct a detailed cost-benefit analysis to evaluate the economic impact of the additional server infrastructure required for real-time chat. 3. Work closely with legal experts to ensure compliance with data privacy regulations for the chat feature. BA Helpline #businessanalysis #businessanalyst #businessanalysts #requirements #feasibility #ba

Sample Size Guidance - How do you calculate a sample size for a pilot or a feasibility study? First, some definitions: - Pilot Study: A version of a main (Pivotal) study run in miniature to test whether the components of the study can all work together. - Feasibility Study: Research done before a main study to answer the question "Can this study be done". The difficulty of calculating a sample size for a pilot or feasibility study is that there is (typically) no hypothesis test. Without a hypothesis to test, there is no type 1 or type 2 error, and without the type 2 error, there is no sample size calculation. Recall that we calculate sample sizes to estimate the statistical power we can achieve and recall that statistical power is our ability to avoid a type 2 error - be able to reject the null hypothesis when it is warranted to do so. So what to do? What should we use to inform our sample size in our pilot or feasibility study? Let's start by answering the question - who is the study for? These early studies are 100% FOR THE SPONSOR. They are meant to provide the sponsor with the information they need to make a go/no-go decision on later studies or to help inform them with evaluating the current performance/development status of their product. With this in mind, the sample size should be driven by what the sponsor needs to achieve their goal (product development/improvement, go/no-go decisions, etc). So should there be no math involved? Not necessarily - you, as the statistician can still provide the sponsor with direction and insight by doing the following: - You can calculate a sample size as if there was a hypothesis to test so the sponsor gets an idea of what will be needed in the pivotal study - You can produce example confidence intervals based on the sample size the sponsor is thinking and a standard alpha value of 0.05 (so create a 95% CI) - You can help identify reference studies that have been completed previously to give a good semblance of what is used to achieve similar objectives In general, I typically see pilot and feasibility studies at or around 50 patients per arm but this is not a general rule - this is just my observations over the years. I wish you all the best with your pilot and feasibility studies and if you need any assistance with them, please don't hesitate to reach out. Happy Monday

🏗️ Before design begins, a site feasibility study lays the groundwork for a successful project. A well-executed feasibility study helps developers and engineers make informed decisions, avoiding costly surprises during construction. Here’s what goes into it: ✅ Topography & Grading – Identifying slopes, elevation changes, and grading requirements to balance cut-and-fill efficiently. ✅ Utility Availability – Assessing existing water, sewer, power, and stormwater infrastructure to determine feasibility and potential upgrades. ✅ Environmental & Regulatory Constraints – Reviewing wetlands, floodplains, protected areas, and zoning regulations to ensure compliance. ✅ Access & Traffic Flow – Evaluating road connectivity, ingress/egress points, and potential off-site improvements needed for smooth traffic operations. ✅ Stormwater Management – Determining drainage requirements and sustainable solutions to mitigate runoff and erosion. By addressing these factors upfront, site feasibility studies help optimize land use, reduce unforeseen costs, and streamline the development process. Smart planning leads to smarter projects. #FeasibilityStudies #SiteDevelopment #CivilEngineering #WeAreOlsson