Reference no: EM13979144

A pork-processing facility is considering installing either a storage facility or a holding pond. A biosystems engineer has been hired to evaluate the economic trade-offs for the two alternatives. The engineer estimates the cost of the storage facility to be $213,000, with annual costs for maintenance to be $3,200 per year. She estimates the cost of the pond to be $90,000, plus $45,000 for pumps and piping; annual operating and maintenance costs for the holding pond are estimated to be $8,500. The engineer estimates the life of the storage facility and the pond to be around 20 years but is concerned about the accuracy of this estimate. She decides to do a sensitivity analysis. a.) Develop the equation she should use to determine how sensitive the economic decision is to changes in life. Use a MARR of 15%.  Determine which alternative is preferred for lives ranging from 15 to 25 years in 1 year increments.