Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
is to be imported, import duties should be taken into account. In addition, local
manufacturing of some equipment, such as towers, may be a cost-effective option.
The estimated total cost, including equipment and labor, to purchase and install
a single 50- or 60-m monitoring station and operate it for 2 years is roughly US
$50,000-70,000, not including administrative expenses. For an 80-m lattice tower,
the cost range is approximately $100,000-200,000. The actual cost will depend on
the specific tower type and selected equipment, site access, proximity to operation
and maintenance staff, and the number of site visits required.
The monitoring cost can be divided into three main categories.
•
Labor.
Table 5-1 lists the main tasks to be accounted for when budgeting for
labor. Some tasks require just one person, others, especially those that deal with
equipment installation and maintenance, require two or more.
•
Equipment.
Equipment costs can be obtained from vendors once the measurement
specifications are determined. Other items to consider in the budget are shipping
charges, taxes, import duties, insurance, spare parts, and the tools needed to
install and service the tower. The estimated total equipment cost for a single
site that uses a 60-m tilt-up tubular guyed tower equipped with three levels of
sensors is typically $15,000-20,000.
Table 5-1.
Labor tasks to account for when
budgeting
Administration
Program oversight
Measurement plan development
Quality assurance plan development
Site selection
In-house remote screening
Field survey and landowner contacts
Obtain land use agreement and permit
Equipment
Specify and procure
Test and prepare for field
Installation (typically four people)
Operation and maintenance
Routine site visits (one person)
Unscheduled site visits (two people)
Preventative maintenance activities
Calibration at end of period
Site decommissioning (four people)
Data handling and reporting
Validation, processing, and report generation
Data and quality assurance reporting
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