what is whole life cost 
whole life cost is the total expense of owning an asset over its entire life from purchase to disposal as determined by financial analysis it is also known as the life cycle cost the lifetime cost cradle to grave or womb to tomb whole life cost includes purchase and installation design and building costs operating costs maintenance associated financing costs depreciation and disposal costs whole life cost also takes into account certain costs that are usually overlooked such as those related to environmental and social impact factors in the example of constructing a nuclear power station it is possible to calculate the environmental impact of making the concrete containment and the water required for copper refinement in addition to other components whereas a number of options may be portrayed as good for the environment a whole life cost analysis allows a determination of whether or not one solution carries a lower or higher environmental cost than another understanding whole life cost analysiswhole life cost analysis is often applied when evaluating different options when investing in new assets and for analyses that attempt to minimize whole life cost over the lifetime of an asset it may also be used to decide between two different projects or to make acquisition decisions 