That s what every school district strives to do when making a major purchasing decision. When Manuel Pereira, A.I.A., joined the district seven years ago as director of planning and construction, he began applying the tool to other systems and components for new and renovated buildings, including roofing, flooring and siding. A life-cycle cost analysis requires mathematical calculation of the total cost of a system over its life. In Tacoma, all major building systems and components are considered fair game, except those that are mandated by building codes. The analysis includes initial cost, energy cost, operational cost and maintenance cost.
Data come from several sources.
Operational costs reflect the expense of using the system day in and day out, such as vacuuming a floor vs. mopping it. The district s operations department supplies these figures. Maintenance costs include periodic upkeep, repair and replacement. Pereira says the initial cost of a new building, including financing, represents less than 30 percent of the lifetime cost of operation. All of your payback is gone.