STEM help / Data dialogs

Cost Index / Details

One or more Cost Indices can be used optionally to model the evolution of the Capital Cost of a Resource, and to break down its cost structure into a number of constituent cost trends via separate Cost Index elements. For example, hardware, software, buildings, etc. can each be Cost Indices making up the cost structure of a Resource. The Unit Capital Cost of a Resource is specified in the Calibration Period, together with its Cost Structure, the proportions of one or more Cost Indices which make up its total cost. Each Cost Index represents the relative price of a certain cost component over time. Alternatively, Capital Costs may be specified more simply using per-Resource or global cost trends, like other Resource costs.

Cost Trend

A time series representing the relative development of a cost throughout the model run. A cost is specified for a Service or Resource Calibration Period; its value for other years is then calculated by multiplying the calibration cost by the normalised Cost Trend, i.e., the Cost Trend divided by its calibration-year value.

As an alternative to using Cost Trends, it is possible to define Resource costs as time series in their own right for individual Resources.

The Cost Trends for Capital, Maintenance, Churn, Decommissioning, Connection, Rental, Usage and Operations Cost may be defined both globally and for each individual Resource. The effective trend for each Resource is the product of these two trends, and these costs are further modified by individual Resource Age Factors for each cost.

Capital Costs may be modelled in more detail with reference to various Cost Index Cost Trends (as well as Economies of Scale).

Default: Constant {1.0}.

Label

The text used to identify an element in the Results program when selecting elements to draw on a graph and for labelling the subsequent graphs. If the Label is blank, the element name is used instead.

You can group a number of sensitivity parameters by giving them all the same Label. They will then be treated as a single group in the Results program.

There is also a global Label field which is just used within the Editor as an overall description for the model.

Default: none.

 

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