The first thing that comes to mind for an air filtration system is the degree of air quality that system can produce. In the scenario where there are several systems that achieve the same, premium air quality, the owning and operating cost, or Life Cycle Cost can show the overall cost of that system and help guide the decision process and to which system or air filters will cost the least amount of money.
The following elements help make up the Life Cycle Cost of HVAC systems and the filters it uses:
-Filter Cost
-Labor Cost (installation and removal of air filters)
-Energy Cost
-Waste
-Maintenance
Of these elements, Energy uses the most at 81% with Investment and Maintenance coming in second at 18.5%. The high energy costs has a lot to do with what type of filter you are using and what type of resistance to air flow it has. The more dense the media of the filter, the higher average pressure drop or Delta P will be, spiking energy costs.