Introduction

Feasibility considerations regarding viable building systems, assemblies, or equipment for your project often may be automatic considerations that you take into account nearly without realizing it. For instance, if you have secured a grant to upgrade space-conditioning equipment in your multifamily building and have no other source of funding, it may not be feasible for you to think about a more substantial retrofit of the building envelope. Likewise, a gut rehab may not be viable if tenants are to remain in their apartments during construction. So, in many ways, the feasibility of certain improvements or technologies may be “givens” that are largely unconscious decisions.So, why do we raise feasibility to a higher, intentional level of consideration in this course? Although we discuss these reasons in more detail in a subsequent section, several reasons come to mind right away.

• A technology that ranks high in the performance and cost areas is not likely to be a good choice if it falls down with respect to one or more of the feasibility considerations. If a technology is simply impractical, it is not worth spending a lot of time researching pros and cons. You might think of economics, performance, and feasibility as the three legs of a stool. Without three solid legs, the stool will not stand.
• A second (and somewhat opposite) reason is so you do not overlook opportunities that might add value to your project. For instance, although you may not be able to open up walls in individual apartments as part of an energy retrofit, you might be able to blow insulation into wall cavities from the exterior. Or, perhaps, add insulation in the attic. Within the context of replacing heating and cooling equipment, it may be advantageous to consider a different type of equipment altogether rather than simply replace in kind. For example, a dual-fuel heat pump may make sense from a performance and economic standpoint rather than a stand-alone furnace and air-conditioner. As you can see, similar to performance and economic considerations, feasibility considerations are also closely linked with the other sections.