Analysis of life cycle cost methods for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems in hospitals

CIVINS (Civilian Institutions) Thesis documentThe purpose of this research was to evaluate the current body of knowledge relating to life cycle costing of heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems (HVAC) systems in hospitals. Life cycle cost (LCC) is the total cost of procuring, designing, owning, operating, maintaining, and disposing of a building over its useful life (including its fuel and water, energy, labor, and replacement components), determined on the basis of a systematic evaluation and comparison. Both government and private hospitals were studied. Hospitals have several characteristics that made them useful to consider. They are: typically owned by either goverments or large corporations, regulated as a class, not solely driven by profitability or return on investment, financed over the long-term by bonding or taxes, expected to have long service lives, not likely to change building use and functions over time, often procured through processes open to public scrutiny, and operated by decision makers who are not facilities specialists. Evaluation of life cycle costs is important because the true costs of ownership of a facility are much larger than the initial construction cost investment. Initial cost is typically the subject of intense scrutiny during design and planning and HVAC systems represent significant portions of the initial cost of a facility and consequently involve significant design choices and trade-offs.http://archive.org/details/analysisoflifecy1094537781Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited