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March 19, 1997.
To: SUNY - Albany
Attn: Keith Kirtley
From: Gordon Clements

Re: Life Cycle Cost Comparison - Mini Blinds, Draperies, Verticals & EcoSmart Insulating Shades

Summary Assumption:

• 500 windows - 97” wide x 48” long
• Heat Savings reflects fuel costs only - savings in capital costs or extended life of HVAC equipment would be additional - see appendix for calculation
• All Dollar Values in Thousands of dollars

		Capital Cost ($K)	Clean -ing Costs 10 yrs	Repair & Replace 10 yrs	Admin Costs 10 yrs	Total 10 yr Cost	Without Repair Costs	Heat Savings Per Yr	Years to Payback
Mini Blinds
	Comm’l	$38	$48	$52	$10	$150	$97	$4575	8.5
	Softline	52	48	36	6	142	106	4575	11.3
Draperies
	Comm’l	148	44	13	5	210	197	9913	14.9
	(unlined)
Vertical
	PVC	62	33	22	9	127	104	3965	15.6
	FR Fabric	77	38	13	7	137	123	3334	23.0
EcoSmart Insulating
	WVA-FR	108	10	80	4	131	123	15516	7.0

In Addition to this consider:

• What the product will look like after 10 years? Minis, verticals and perhaps draperies will be ready for replacement while EcoSmart Insulating will look great and may not even reached half its life cycle. Consider the cost of this replacement cycle in administrative time and disruption, plus the look of the building as you reach the end of the product life cycle.
   
• EcoSmart Insulating offers excellent savings in energy costs (see above) as well as comfort. It is estimated that they will pay for themselves in 7 years from fuel savings alone. We have not calculated anything for savings in air conditioning costs. If these buildings were air conditioned, the payback would be more like 3 years!!  Middlebury College is using EcoSmart Insulating shades because they are environmentally friendly and because they make their non-air conditioned buildings more livable in the summer.

COST COMPARISON ASSUMPTIONS:

Drawing on many years of experience of the custodial staffs at several universities, and in particular UVM where we have been specifically focusing on these issues, I have used the following assumptions in preparing this life cycle cost comparison.

The Capital Cost for all products is the installed price for 500 blinds 97”x48”. 

1. Mini Blinds

 a. The commercial blind chosen is Hunter Douglas’ Celebrity - the most rugged available for the price. Softline is a premium miniblind that several of our larger clients have decided is worth the extra money.

 b. Miniblinds should be dusted every few weeks to retain a smooth slat finish, which is then easy to keep clean. If not dusted routinely, a glaze of dust and naturally occurring oils in the air builds up on the slats . This becomes much more difficult to clean. Practically speaking, however,  rather than routine dusting,   the blinds get a somewhat more thorough cleaning,  in place, each summer.  I have estimated that it takes about 200 man-hours to do this annual cleaning @ $12.50 per hour for an annual cost of $2,500.00, or a 10 year cost of $30,016.00(assuming a 4% annual escalation).

 c. Dusting will not keep the blinds clean for the complete 10 years. I have assumed that the blinds will be cleaned Ultrasonically every 4 years.  This would cost $10/blind plus $4 to take down and re-install for a 10 year cost of $17,500.

 d. I have assumed that on average 20 (4%) of the Celebrity mini blinds will have to be replaced each year over the 10 years. (This may be conservative as the windows are wide - a difficult environment for minis.) The cost of this would be $27,518.over the 10 years. I have assumed you only need to replace 12  (2.4%) of the Softline’s per year because of their stronger construction, for a 10 year cost of$16,280.

 e. I have assumed that 400 slats will be damaged on Celebrity blinds each year that will  need replacement @ $4.00 each including labor and materials. This represents a cost of $19,029over the 10 years. With Softline I have assumed 300 broken slats for a cost of$14,407.

 f. I have assumed that you would have 10 blinds per year requiring re-cording, and 10 where the wands will have to be replaced. This represents a cost of  $3,601 over 10 years.

 g. The above maintenance would necessitate 8 repairman trips @$25 ea for Celebrity for a 10 year cost of $2,401. Softline at 5 trips for$1,501.

 h. It has been estimated that the hidden internal cost of a repair is $75 - investigating the complaint,  processing the repair quote, approving the repair and invoice, and doing all the bookkeeping in paying the bill.  Furthermore there will be a total building analysis required each year that would cost more like $400 for Celebrity and $300 for Softline. I have assumed 6 unplanned repairs for Celebrity and 5 for Softline for 10 year costs of $10,205or $6,303.

The above totals $149,850 for the total 10 year cost of Celebrity mini blinds, or $142,096 for Softline blinds - at which time the cycle would have to be repeated.

2. EcoSmart Insulating Shades.

 a. I have estimated that the capital cost of EcoSmart Insulating shades in heavy duty Window Valet hardware and standard fabric would cost $88,000. The same hardware but Flame Retarded fabric would cost $108,000.

 b. EcoSmart Insulating do not require dusting as they have an anti-static finish so dust is repelled. (We have had EcoSmart Insulating shades in our home and offices for at least 4 years and they have yet to be cleaned or dusted and they still look and feel fine. I have assumed 16 hours are expended each year for spot cleaning, soap and water, for a 10 year cost of $2,401.

 c. Even the dirtiest EcoSmart Insulating shades clean up beautifully using Ultrasonic cleaning. I have assumed this is done 1 1/2 times over the 10 years for a 10 year cost of $8,400.

 d. We have many thousands of EcoSmart Insulating shades in operation at UVM, Middlebury, Johnson, IBM etc. We are experiencing  minimal repair problems - however, I will assume that 2 need to be replaced each year for some reason for a 10 year cost of$5,955($4,418 std fabric).

 e. I assumed 6 shades/yr. will need restringing @ $12 each for a 10 year cost of $864.

 f. The above will require 4 repair trips  @ $25 ea for a 10 year total of$1,200.   

 g. Assume that the above represents 4 workorders @ $75 each plus $200 for the annual inspection for an administrative cost of $3,601 per year.

This represents a total 10 year cost of $131,060for FR EcoSmart Insulating or $109,523 for standard fabric.

3. Draperies

 a. Unlined draperies in a rubberized FR fabric will cost approximately$147,500.

 b. Drapes will need to be vacuumed every year (10 minutes each) and they will have to be taken down and professionally cleaned every 4 years for a 10 year cleaning cost of $44,010.

 c. I have assumed 5 pair of drapes (1%) will have to be replaced each year. Total 10 year cost of $13,206.

 d. The administrative costs of this maintenance is $5,102.

This is a total 10 year cost of $209,818. for draperies.

4. Vertical Blinds

 a. The cost of quality  vertical blinds in PVC would approximate $61,500 or $77,000 in an FR fabric.

 b. The vertical vanes should be cleaned every 4 years for a cost of $33,333for PVC, or$38,250 for fabric.

 c. I have assumed that you will need to replace 500 (3%) PVC vanes per year (200 (1.3%) if fabric) and you will need to repair 20 tracks (4%) each year (10 (2%) if fabric) for a 10 year cost of $22,210if PVC or $13,806if fabric.

 d. Administrative costs for the above would be $9,503if PVC or $7,500if fabric.

This results in a 10 year cost of $126,546 if PVCor $136,559 if fabric.

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