1. Students select a hypothetical energy management initiative in Canada or abroad for her/his individual project. The selection includes submission of a 1-page summary (Calibri 11, double-spaced, 1” margins) to the instructor, including the following information:
- Type of project (energy efficiency program, power plant, transmission line, pipeline, building design, building renewal plan, transportation fleet, district energy utility).
- Location and size (population served and/or scale of energy production/savings).
- Target audience for the business case; 2 or 3 of the following stakeholders: investor, owner, regulatory, financial support, and/or customer base.
2. •For your selected energy management initiative, what are the decisions of your target audience and what information in a business case will support those decisions?
3. Students prepare a 2-page annotated outline for a decision and/or evaluation case study, depending on the applicability to the selected project and based on feedback from the instructor re: the project selection. The outline should be structured in a manner that is similar to the textbook templates; and could also consider the questions commonly raised by energy regulators as per the group project in the first half of the course. The outline is submitted to instructor for feedback.
Students will also conduct analysis to prepare at least five arguments in favour of various decisions of key influencers such as the owner considering a new line of business, an investor, a regulator, and/or subsidy provider. The synthesis of arguments should be in alignment with the outline and the theory provided in the readings. The analysis needs to be supported by evidence from refereed journal articles, government materials, and other sources. The learning is reinforced with related class discussions in each Unit. The analysis should be included in the annotated outline.Preparing the business case involves an assessment of:
•Business problem or opportunity •Benefits •Risk •Costs including investment appraisal •Technical solutions •Timescale •Impact on operations •Organizational capability to deliver the project outcomes
Refer to the elements of a decision scenario case and those of an evaluation scenario case in chapters 4 & 5 in the Case Study Handbook.
Below are additional references including templates and step-by-step instructions on how to develop a business case.
