AE 441Engineering Lifecycle Economic Analysis for Buildings

1 credit · Architectural Engineering · Penn State

This course will focus on understanding the economics of the building lifecycle and the analytical approaches to evaluate higher cost building systems that may reduce overall lifecycle costs. Buildings are typically prototype combinations of systems that have varying costs in terms of utility rates and maintenance costs, system replacement, and challenging to quantify 'value' of the building operations. This course includes concepts from engineering economics to understanding and applying traditional engineering economics concepts to the lifespan of buildings and their systems. The majority of the course content will focus on understanding and applying methods and techniques for analyzing the initial and lifecycle costs associated with alternative building system decisions. In the final stages of the course, quantification of unique benefits will be considered along with how to consider these benefits in system decisions.