Operation and Maintenance Costs

The operation and maintenance (O&M) costs of DER technologies have both fixed and variable components. Fixed O&M consists primarily of plant operating labor. It is highly dependent on the operating cycle and staffing philosophy of the plant. Variable O&M represents variable maintenance and is estimated from an algorithm incorporating a DER unit's expected capacity factor. The variable O&M includes periodic inspection, replacement, and repair of system components (i.e., filters, desulfurizer, etc.), as well as consumables (i.e., water, limestone, etc.) computed directly from the DER plant material balance. The table below lists sample maintenance intervals and costs for a variety of DER technologies.