Time-Valued-Technology: A Light-Emitting Diode Case Study for Determining Replacement Strategy for High Technology Infrastructure Items

Abstract

Infrastructure projects have typically involved long-term investments in relatively mature technologies characterized by stable performance and cost. However, with the ever-increasing rate of technological innovation, an increasing number of potential infrastructure investments involve a decision to replace a traditional technology with a rapidly evolving technology. In such circumstances, it is possible to reap significant performance or cost advantages through near-term replacement. However, this rapid adoption strategy has the potential to incur an opportunity cost due to increased performance or cost advantages the technology would provide if replacement was delayed. This research develops a cost analysis method, referred to as time-valued-technology, which may be useful in developing a strategic approach to the replacement of infrastructure with a rapidly emerging technology. The utility of this method is illustrated through an evaluation of replacement of the 250-watt streetlight fixtures on 64 United States Air Force installations with light-emitting diode based technology. Potential financial savings in implementing time valued technology over existent methods ranged from 1.10 to 14.15 percent per installation, averaging 6.77 percent.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Mar 22, 2012
Accession Number
ADA558288

Entities

People

  • Kevin Ochs

Organizations

  • Air Force Institute of Technology

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Advanced Electronics
  • Energy and Power Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force
  • Air Force Facilities
  • Business Administration
  • Case Studies
  • Cost Analysis
  • Costs
  • Design Criteria
  • Emerging Technology
  • Energy Management
  • Investments
  • Life Cycle Costs
  • Light Emitting Diodes
  • Light Sources
  • North America
  • Semiconductors
  • United States
  • Visible Spectra

Readers

  • Economics
  • Facility/Structural Engineering.
  • Optical Physics and Photonics.