Incremental System Cost Research Articles

Optimized design and operation of heat-pipe photovoltaic thermal system with phase change material for thermal storage

This work aims to optimize the design and operation of a heat pipe photovoltaic-thermal (HP-PV/T) panel integrated with a phase change material (PCM) thermal storage water tank to produce electricity and hot water for an office building. A transient mathematical model for the integrated HP-PV/T-PCM system was used to predict its performance for known environmental and solar conditions and PCM melting point. The validated model was applied on a typical office space in the city of Beirut to obtain an optimal design using a derivative free genetic algorithm. The incremental system cost associated with a heat pipe and PCM tank was used in the optimization to obtain a design resulting in minimum annual auxiliary heating cost to meet the hot water demand while providing the electricity needs at a lower number of PV panels due to improved efficiency. An optimal system of 4 kW (20 PV panels each at 1.6 m2) was found to meet the electric power needs all year round. The optimal PCM storage tank size per panel was 37 l at PCM total mass of 22.42 kg with melting temperature of 33 °C.

Simulating the cost-effectiveness of lung cancer screening by low-dose CT scan in Canada.

6550 Background: The National Lung Screening Trial (NLST) demonstrated that low-dose CT screening diminishes the risk of death among smokers. A cost-effectiveness analysis was undertaken in the context of the Canadian publically funded healthcare system. Methods: Microsimulation of CT screening was undertaken using the Cancer Risk Management Model, which incorporates demographic data, cancer risk factors, cancer registry data, diagnostic and treatment algorithms and health utilities. Simulations were performed at the individual level for a cohort incepted during the period 2012-2032. The criteria for the screen-eligible population, CT scan test characteristics, and screened cohort outcomes were derived from NLST and Canadian data. The baseline screening scenario was annual CT screening for ≥30 pack-year smokers, age 55 to 74. Simulation assumed 60% of the eligible population participates by 10 years, 70% adhere to the screening regimen, and smoking cessation rates are unchanged. One-way sensitivity analyses were performed. Costs and life-years lived were discounted at 3% annually. Results: Compared to no screening, annual screening results in incremental system costs of $2.97 billion (Cdn), 149,000 life-years saved (LYS) or 55,000 quality-adjusted life-years saved (QALYS), an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) of $19,900/LYS, and $53,700/QALYS. With participation rates from 40% to 80%, ICER /QALYS remained within the range of $53,700 to $58,200. Increases in screening adherence from 50% through 90% increased the ICER /QALY from $50,400 to $58,800. Higher rates of smoking cessation led to improvements in ICER /QALY (150% of background cessation rate of 3.2-5.3%, $47,000; 200%, $41,500; 300%, $32,900). A system of biennial screening had a net cost of $1.81 billion, resulting in an ICER of $19,600 /LYS, and $54,800 /QALYS. Conclusions: Screening for lung cancer with low-dose CT scans could be cost-effective, but requires substantial system costs. The smoking cessation rate greatly impacts the ICER and a cessation program should be considered if screening is implemented. Compared to annual screening, biennial screening costs less and produces a similar ICER. Further analyses will be detailed.

A case study using the United Republic of Tanzania: costing nationwide HPV vaccine delivery using the WHO Cervical Cancer Prevention and Control Costing Tool.

BackgroundThe purpose, methods, data sources and assumptions behind the World Health Organization (WHO) Cervical Cancer Prevention and Control Costing (C4P) tool that was developed to assist low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) with planning and costing their nationwide human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination program are presented. Tanzania is presented as a case study where the WHO C4P tool was used to cost and plan the roll-out of HPV vaccines nationwide as part of the national comprehensive cervical cancer prevention and control strategy.MethodsThe WHO C4P tool focuses on estimating the incremental costs to the health system of vaccinating adolescent girls through school-, health facility- and/or outreach-based strategies. No costs to the user (school girls, parents or caregivers) are included. Both financial (or costs to the Ministry of Health) and economic costs are estimated. The cost components for service delivery include training, vaccination (health personnel time and transport, stationery for tally sheets and vaccination cards, and so on), social mobilization/IEC (information, education and communication), supervision, and monitoring and evaluation (M&E). The costs of all the resources used for HPV vaccination are totaled and shown with and without the estimated cost of the vaccine. The total cost is also divided by the number of doses administered and number of fully immunized girls (FIGs) to estimate the cost per dose and cost per FIG.ResultsOver five years (2011 to 2015), the cost of establishing an HPV vaccine program that delivers three doses of vaccine to girls at schools via phased national introduction (three regions in year 1, ten regions in year 2 and all 26 regions in years 3 to 5) in Tanzania is estimated to be US$9.2 million (excluding vaccine costs) and US$31.5 million (with vaccine) assuming a vaccine price of US$5 (GAVI 2011, formerly the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunizations). This is equivalent to a financial cost of US$5.77 per FIG, excluding the vaccine cost. The most important costs of service delivery are social mobilization/IEC and service delivery operational costs.ConclusionsWhen countries expand their immunization schedules with new vaccines such as the HPV vaccine, they face initial costs to fund critical pre-introduction activities, as well as incremental system costs to deliver the vaccines on an ongoing basis. In anticipation, governments need to plan ahead for non-vaccine costs so they will be financed adequately. Existing human resources need to be re-allocated or new staff need to be recruited for the program to be implemented successfully in a sustainable and long-term manner.Reaching a target group not routinely served by national immunization programs previously with three doses of vaccine requires new delivery strategies, more transport of vaccines and health workers and more intensive IEC activities leading to new delivery costs for the immunization program that are greater than the costs incurred when a new infant vaccine is added to the existing infant immunization schedule. The WHO C4P tool is intended to help LMICs to plan ahead and estimate the programmatic and operational costs of HPV vaccination.

Modelling transport fuel pathways: Achieving cost-effective oil use reduction in passenger cars in Sweden

Several technology and fuel options could be used to lower the strong oil dependence of the transportation sector. To formulate policies and to cost-effectively meet oil reduction objectives, assessments and comparisons of the long-term economic performances of different technology trajectories are essential. In this work, the energy and technology costs associated with reducing oil consumption in passenger cars in Sweden are calculated for a number of possible future transport fuel pathways and for different energy prices and climate policies. An optimisation model is applied in a simulatory multiple-run approach for this purpose. The model encompasses the transportation sector, as well as the stationary energy system. In terms of results, a methanol-based pathway gives incremental system costs in the range of −0.9–3billion EUR for a complete phase-out of passenger car oil up to 2030. As compared to the methanol pathway, other biomass gasification-based fuel pathways involve additional incremental system costs in the region of 3billion EUR, whereas ethanol- and electricity-based pathways give additional incremental system costs of 4–5billion EUR. At lower oil reduction levels, the cost differences between the pathways are smaller and the electricity-based pathway is significantly more cost-competitive.

Incremental system costs of introducing combined DTwP–hepatitis B–Hib vaccine into national immunization services in Ethiopia

ObjectiveWith support from the GAVI Alliance a fully liquid combined DTwP–HepB–Hib (pentavalent) vaccine in a single dose vial was introduced into Ethiopia's routine immunization services in March 2007. This vaccine was substituted with DTwP in a 10-dose vial. We aimed to estimate the incremental system costs of pentavalent vaccine delivery. MethodsData on cold storage expansion and increased vaccine transport frequency were collected in four regions of Ethiopia over a 2-week period, as part of a Post-Introduction Evaluation of the new vaccine. Interviews were conducted with individuals at all levels of the health system. Information on the costs of training and communication to facilitate the introduction was collected from the Ministry of Health, UNICEF and WHO in Addis Ababa. ResultsThe switch from a 10-dose DTwP to a single dose pentavalent vaccine increased refrigeration storage volume per fully vaccinated child by 106% at national and regional levels and by 71% at the three lower levels of vaccine distribution. Cold storage equipments were purchased at all levels and the frequency of vaccine collection more than doubled in many places. Incremental capital costs of cold storage equipment, training and communication amounted to US$ 4.8 million, or US$ 1.53 per child in the 2007 birth cohort. After annualizing capital costs and adding recurrent costs, system costs came to US$ 0.80 per child in the 2007 birth cohort. With a vaccination coverage rate of 78% this is equivalent to US$ 1.13 per fully vaccinated child. The most important system cost item is cold storage, amounting to US$ 0.62 per child in the birth cohort and US$ 0.03 per additional cm3 of cold storage. ConclusionIn Ethiopia introduction of pentavalent vaccine necessitated considerable investments in additional cold storage equipment as well as an increase in vaccine transport frequency. A GAVI Alliance introduction grant of US$ 0.30 per child in the birth cohort would cover approximately 20% of the capital investments undertaken to facilitate introduction.