ASSET MANAGEMENT EXAM TYPE QUESTIONS

1.Key competences of asset manager in high performing organisation

The asset manager’s role including the

 Technical skill sets
- Basic operation and maintenance concepts and practice
-Tactical planning for scheduling and accomplishing daily FM tasks that support the
operation of a facility.
- Finance and Business- with regard to real estate facilities, analyzing,
accounting,forecasting, budgeting, tax auditing and controlling
 Knowledge of environment you operating in
-internal,external
-Leadership and Strategy
- Technology
-Regularly research market trends and changes that may impact managed assets
-Environmental Stewardship and Sustainability
-Emergency Preparedness and Business Continuity

Experience knowledge about about the assets you managing

Operations and Maintenance -physical plant, preventative

maintenance, conservation, energy management systems
-Project Management-strategic, tactical and annual facility planning: new construction
and/or renovations; architecture and/or engineering projects
-Quality-international standards
organization, standards, facility audits and total quality management
-Real Estate and Property Management-acquisitions, financials, negotiations and/or
disposals, code compliance, telecommunications, purchasing, security, food service,
reprographics, building services, transportation, furnishing and equipment inventory,
maintenance and outsourcing management
-Communications-technology, integration, knowledge management development,
implementation and maintenance of Information Technology (IT) systems
 Human Factors
-abilities required to effectively perform their work.
-Communication
- health and safety workplace dynamics, teamwork, interpersonal behaviors, ergonomics
-Manage multiple client accounts and maintain effective communication with stakeholders
Identify important data insights and generate reports using business intelligence software
-Create impact analysis reports and deliver reports to key stakeholders and clients
-Communicate any needed account changes with clients in a timely manner
-Organize and lead meetings with key stakeholders to review accounts
-Critical thinking
-Politics
-Poor Commisioning

Commissioning
Summary
Key Commissioning
Challenges to FM
Phase Activities Risk associated
■ Commissioning is
established as an
Pre-design integral part of the Rejection,  
  project    
■ The owner selects the
commissioning
  authority    
■ Develop the scope of
  commissioning    
■ Commissioning
authority reviews
  design intent document    
Increase
Review design to downtown
Manuals not
ensure it troubleshooting,
understood
accommodates procurement of
Design commissioning wrong spares
Document for
■ Write commissioning maintenance missing
specifi cations defi ning trouble shooting
  contractor difficult  
  responsibilities    
■ Commissioning
authority writes the
  commissioning plan    
Over ambitious
■ Establish the project creating wrong Unprofessionalism
  schedule expectation
      unreliable
Identify commissioning
scope; develop
Construction commissioning    
  test details    
■ Commissioning Poor operation
Poor performing
authority reviews and maintenance
building
  contractor submittals leads to premature
■ Coordinate
commissioning process equipment failure
low Energy efficiency
—through and higher energy
  commissioning costs
plan, commissioning
  meeting and schedule    
■ Carry out and
Building performance
document system verifi
rating systems low
  cation checks  
■ Observe and
document equipment
  and system start-ups System failure  
■ TAB agency
completes and
documents test and
  balance    
  work    
Carry out functional
Cost increase on
performance tests on
spare
Acceptance all HVAC System failure
Internal
Under training,
sustainability
training wrong people
  systems programs poor
■ Train the O&M staff Signed document to
Untrained staff,
for effective, ongoing confirm training for
unrealibility team.
  operations accountability
Without proper
documentation and
training, operators may Unaccountability
and maintenance of all be able to keep the
  systems building
 Incompetency of
senior managers to
■ Provide full running, but at what implement
  documentation cost? developed asset
      management
Engineering/
technical skills
      challenges
Lack of
experiences of
technical
      employees
Negative attitudes
and morals of
      employees
Poor service
delivery by
      service contractors
Lack of legal and
regulatory
      compliance
       
Handover   Change management Bureaucracy
Rigid organisational
    culture  
More time
troubleshooting
and resolving
Low tenant uptake
Correct any defi issues during
ciencies, and carry out building
Post-Acceptance any required occupants
High maintenance Bad design team
  re-testing costs reputation
■ Carry out any
High risk of structural Compliance
required “off-season”
failure failure
  tests
■ Update Chronic comfort
Equipment
documentation as problems cause
malfunctioning
  required tenant turnover
Shorter equipment
reputation
    lifespan e.g elevators
for uncomfortable
Occupants discomfort- and unproductive
    conditions.
 poor indoor environmental
quality can be serious.
Temperature, lighting, and
ventilation problems can
make occupants
uncomfortable, lowering
their ability to work Litigation and
    effectively. damages
In some cases, these issues
can make employees sick.
Incorrect building
    pressurization  

can result in poor indoor air

quality as well, since
pressure affects the migration
oftoxins, odors, and moisture
between spaces.
     
Gradual deterioration/
Low tenant uptake
    aging of asset
Mechanical
breakdowns of assets/
High maintenance
equipment and
costs
subcomponents
    failures
Improper operation of High risk of
    assets (above/below) structural failure
Lack of operational Equipment
    safety malfunctioning
Shorter equipment
Improper/inadequate
lifespan e.g
risk planning
    elevators
Unclear roles and
Occupants
responsibility/improper
discomfort
    structure
More time
Unavailability of
troubleshooting
inadequate models and
and resolving
systems to guide asset
issues during
management (policy &
building
strategy), etc.
    occupants
Ineffective information
Bad design team
on assets/asset
reputation.
    management
Negative attitudes
Poor management of
and morals of
asset criticality
    employees
 Negative attitudes
Poor spare parts
and morals of
management
    employees
Reactive asset Poor service
management and delivery by
    maintenance service contractors
Lack of legal and
Lack of investment in
regulatory
new technologies
    compliance
Poor contract
    management  
Service failures (due to
changing demand for  
    asset management)
Poor service delivery
    by service contractors  
Lack of legal and
    regulatory compliance  
    Acquisition risk  
    Construction damage  
       

-Any five types of maintenance

1.Corrective maintenance (CM), as name suggests, is maintenance strategy that is used to correct
something its normal working condition. Whenever any equipment or asset gets failed, one needs
to identify main problem and then make decision regarding whether particular equipment should
require to either repair or replace. CM is a type of maintenance strategy that is generally required
when an asset i.e. equipment, component, part of equipment, etc. gets failed or stop working or
gets damaged, simply to bring assets back to its normal working condition. Asset can be
corrected either by replacing it or repairing it. Its main aim is generally to restore broken assets
or equipment.
CM can be both i.e. either planned or unplanned.
In such maintenance strategy, maintenance task is assigned only after occurrence of
failure or breakdown and that too within given period of mine.
Failure that is needed to be corrected should be less severe.
CM is only effective if failure maintenance is less severe in nature.
Corrective maintenance makes sure that particular equipment failure should not affect
overall production loss by simply correcting it and bringing equipment back to its normal
working condition.
CM can also be used as part of wider strategy to plan your maintenance strategy.
This decision of choosing CM mainly depends upon how fast equipment can be repaired if
problem occurs, reliability of particular asset, cost of downtime. Sometimes performing
corrective maintenance can be more costly than other performing types of maintenance. But it’s
better for one to prevent equipment from failure by performing preventive maintenance rather
than performing corrective maintenance.There are several situations when such maintenance
occurs :
Whenever any problem is detected using condition monitoring.
Whenever a potential fault is identified while routine inspection.
Whenever an asset or equipment fails or breaks down.

2.Condition-based maintenance (CBM) involves monitoring equipment performance with

visual inspections, scheduled tests, and sensor devices to determine the most cost-
efficient time to perform maintenance. Condition-based maintenance seeks to
eliminate downtime, inform preventive maintenance tasks, and decrease
unnecessary costs.
Example 1:
One common application of condition-based maintenance is the use of pressure readings
on piping systems. Pressure levels are constantly monitored, allowing the maintenance
staff to identify when possible leaks may occur. Manufacturers who rely on pipe or liquid
systems, such
as food and beverage producers, use CBM to track pressure and diagnose problems.
Example 2:
If you manage a fleet of vehicles, such as in the transport or construction industry, you may
be used to scheduling an oil change based on a
calendar schedule (such as every three months) or mileage (such as every 5,000 miles
driven). But if you use CBM, your maintenance schedule may be informed by reading a
gauge that monitors oil particles. This may mean changing the oil every 8,000 miles instead
of 5,000 miles or after four months instead of three months. The advanced monitoring
would save costs on engine oil.
Example 3:
Most buildings nowadays are upgrading to smart HVAC units that can provide real-time
readings of temperature and humidity. This is a form of CBM that utilizes diagnostic
algorithmic technology to adjust to control building temperature and alert management of
any issues. This helps to
prevent emergency shutdowns or worse, fire damage.
3. Preventive Maintenance (PM) :
PM is a type of maintenance task or action that is usually performed before equipment failure.
It’s simply considered as all activities that maintain assets and prevent them from failure or
breakdown. It is preventive in nature.

4. Time-based Maintenance
Time-based maintenance (TbM), also called periodic maintenance, refers to routine maintenance tasks
performed on an asset at fixed time intervals, regardless of its condition

Scheduled maintenance handles who performs maintenance work and when

By detecting problems in advance and optimizing scheduling, scheduled maintenance reduces

downtimes

Scheduled maintenance requires careful coordination and planning

When handled well, scheduled maintenance improves profitability and workplace safety

Periodic maintenance activities are done based on a set time interval (e.g. weekly, monthly, etc.)

Metrics such as mean time between failure (MTBF) can help determine whether periodic
maintenance is applicable

Periodic maintenance cannot address breakdowns caused by random events

The assumption with periodic maintenance is that breakdowns can be predicted by time

Time-Based Maintenance refers to replacing or renewing an item to restore its reliability at a fixed
time, interval or usage regardless of its condition

Periodic or time-based maintenance assumes that equipment failure can be predicted over time. It is
a maintenance strategy that is applicable to equipment that has a foreseeable life span based on
historical data or manufacturer specifications. Assets that are more prone to random failures are less
likely to benefit from periodic maintenance.

Time Based Maintenance is to protect yourself against the failure of known wearing parts which have
predictable Mean Time Between Failure (MTBF) i.e. Time Based Maintenance assumes that the failure
is age related and a clear service life can be determined. Or, that it’s simply not worth the effort to
assess the condition and a time based replacement is more economical and still (reasonably) effective.

Periodic, time-based maintenance is required to keep assets in proper operating condition.

Examples include:

 Tuning up a furnace every year before winter

 Clearing debris out of a gutter every 6 months
 Visually inspecting fire extinguishers each month
 Changing an air filter every quarter
 Lubricating pumps every 6 weeks

time-based maintenance should be used to prevent failures on assets that are critical to the
organization. Using asset management KPIssuch as mean time between Failure (MTBF), historical
maintenance data, manufacturer recommendations, and one’s own experience, the ideal interval for
time-based maintenance activities can be identified.
Safety-related activities, such as fire extinguisher inspections and smoke alarm tests, are well-suited
for time-based maintenance because the cost of asset failure is high, the cost of maintenance is very
low, and condition-based maintenance (CbM) is either impossible or costly. HVAC units, furnaces, and
other assets that require seasonal attention are also great candidates for time-based maintenance
activities.

Time Based Maintenance can never effectively manage non-age related failure modes and therefore
should only form a small part of your overall maintenance program as >70% of the failure modes in
your plant are not age related

many industries companies do have to complete certain tasks to meet regulatory compliance
requirements and these would typically be executed on a fixed time interval i.e. Time Based
Maintenance. But even with compliance related maintenance, there are often opportunities to
engage a regulator and look at moving to for example risk-based approaches.

Like other types of maintenance, TbM can be beneficial when used as part of a larger maintenance
management strategy.

• Minimal Training: Time-based tasks are relatively simple and usually don’t require extensive
training to learn.

• Lower Long-term Cost: Compared to breakdown or corrective maintenance (CM), time-based

maintenance is relatively inexpensive.

• Easy to Implement: Unlike predictive maintenance (PdM) or condition-based monitoring,

time-based maintenance does not require additional sensors or equipment to decide when assets
require service.

• Predictable Schedule: Since time-based maintenance follows a set time interval, maintenance
schedules are consistent and predictable.

• Effective for Continuously Running Assets: Wear and tear is more predictable for assets that
run continuously, allowing maintenance work to be scheduled at regular intervals.

Organizations that rely heavily on time-based maintenance can face some challenges:

• Ignores Other Causes of Failure: Time-based maintenance assumes that failures are age-
related and does not take into account the actual condition of assets. As many maintenance
professionals know, many breakdowns and failures do not occur at regular, predictable intervals.

• Too Frequent Schedule Introduces Risk: A maintenance activity may introduce a risk of
incorrect re-assembly, misalignment, or other errors. A too frequent maintenance schedule heightens
this risk.
• Too Infrequent Schedule Leads to Excessive Failures: A too infrequent maintenance schedule
risks preventing predictable asset failures.

• Ineffective for Assets Run Occasionally: Assets that are used occasionally will not wear down
at the same rate as assets that are used continuously. Therefore, TbM is not optimal for all assets, but
can be used as part of a larger preventive maintenance strategy.

• Increased Costs from Excessive Maintenance: Performing maintenance on assets that don’t
need it leads to unnecessary downtime, labor, and consumable part costs.

5. Reliability-based maintenance (RBM)

Reliability-Centered Maintenance (RCM) is the optimum mix of reactive, time- or interval-based,

condition-based, and proactive maintenance practices. These principal maintenance strategies, rather
than being applied independently, are integrated to take advantage of their

respective strengths in order to maximize facility and equipment reliability while minimizing life-cycle
costs.

recognized three principal risks from equipment failures: threats

to safety,

to operations, and

to the maintenance budget.

RCM offers five principal options among the risk management strategies:

Predictive maintenance tasks,

Preventive Restoration or Preventive Replacement maintenance tasks,

Detective maintenance tasks,

Run to Failure, and Onetime changes to the "system" (changes to hardware design, to operations, or
to other things).

Most reliability strategies remain time based, such as replacing bearings every six months. This has

limitations, as the bearings may not need to be replaced yet or may have been past optimal
conditions

months ago.

The developed recommendations should be focused on further improving the proactive tasks and

spare parts inventory, thus providing closed-loop continuous improvement.

With an RBM system in place to help you manage assets, understand the risks and set priorities for
preventive maintenance, it will be possible to achieve the organizational objectives for the asset pool

you serve.

RCM also offers specific criteria to use when selecting a risk management strategy for a system that
presents a specific risk

when it fails. RCM examines failure at several levels: the system level, sub-system level, component
level, and sometimes even the parts level.The criteria are often presented in the form of a
decisionlogic diagram,though this is not intrinsic to the nature of the process. The decision of what
technique to use should be left to the

end user and be based on:

Consequences of failure

Probability of failure

Historical data available

Risk tolerance

Resource availability

For example, a machinery train composed of a motor and pump can fail catastrophically due to the
complete failure of the windings, bearings, shaft, impeller, controller, or seals. In addition, a

functional failure also occurs if the pump performance degrades such that there is insuf􀃗cient
discharge pressure or 􀃘ow to meet operating requirements. These

operational requirements should be considered when developing maintenance tasks.. That failed
component has little effect on the overall system performance.

Conversely, several degraded components may combine to cause the system to have failed, even
though no individual component has itself failed.

predict when equipment failure might happen, and then

perform maintenance to keep machines in operation. This ensures that a piece of equipment requiring

maintenance is only shut down right before imminent failure, allowing assets to remain productive for
the

most amount of time possible.

Reliability-centered maintenance is often mistaken for preventive maintenance; however,

there is one key difference: preventive maintenance isn't selective like RCM, making it less

eFFIcient. When performed correctly, reliability-centered maintenance reduces ine􀂣ciency

by looking at each individual asset carefully before assigning maintenance tasks.

Reliability-centered maintenance is designed to be performed continuously as opposed to

a one-time analysis. It is a valuable tool that enables you to extend the life of your assets,

maintain their integrity, minimize or eliminate unplanned downtime and reduce

maintenance costs. Reliability-centered maintenance can help you:

• Align maintenance tasks with business goals and objectives;

• Achieve regulatory compliance, safety and environmental responsibility goals;

• De􀂡ne your plant's real performance objectives, including your equipment's true

performance capabilities;

• Identify potential risks and hazards that come with hitting your performance

objectives;

• Determine the most e􀂣cient and effective methods of mitigating risks; and

• Document the whole process for continuous performance assessment and future

RCM improvemenT

Successful implementation of RCM can lead to improved overall cost performance, reduced
downtime, and

greater insight into the overall risk profile of the organization. By implementing a consistent,
structured method

to decide whether predictive, preventive, or run-to-failure strategies should be used, reliability

centered

maintenance can take the guesswork and debate out of these important decisions. With a high-level

organizational perspective, often wasteful “cookie-cutter” type maintenance practices can be avoided.

Reliability centered maintenance principles can also be used to extend equipment life by basing
replacement

decisions on equipment condition rather than predetermined lifecycles. As more failures are
prevented,

operational expenditures will benefit from reduced repairs, overhauls and downtime. Safety and
security are the

paramount considerations of RCM, so property and/or environmental damage is avoided while

employee

engagement and satisfaction are improved.

Reliability centered maintenance is potentially the most efficient overall maintenance strategy
because more

complex maintenance processes are only applied when a strategic cost benefit has been established.
At the same

time, lower value maintenance activities can be identified and eliminated in favor of appropriately
scaled run-tofailure

or more limited scheduled maintenance approaches.

Cost and time of machine downtime is kept to a minimum

Likelihood of failure is reduced and reliability improved

Higher upfront cost than more basic maintenance strategies.The

initial costs associated with RCM implementation can be higher than other maintenance processes
with

equipment and training contributing to the total. There is also a significant investment in time and
resources to

complete the RCM analysis necessary to assign maintenance priorities. The potential savings will
significantly

outweigh these initial costs but deploying the system in full can take some time, so a little patience
may be

needed to fully realize the financial benefits.

Since RCM maintenance incorporates reactive, proactive, preventive and predictive maintenance
strategies

simultaneously, other potential disadvantages are inherent to the approach selected. For example, if
run to failure

is chosen as the appropriate maintenance practice for an aging or seldom used machine, the cost of
maintenance

will be low, but the risk and expense of an unplanned failure will be much higher than instances
where

predictive or preventive maintenance processes are selected.

-Energy consumption reduction methods in a hotel

 Calorofiers preheating with dispated heat from boliers

  Use solar power partially.Solar can be used during the day. Use gas
burners in the kitchen
 Install smart power strips.
 Negotiate.ZESA tarif regime,off peak and peak rates
 Power factor correction
 Energy efficient plant
 Demand side management
 Perform an Energy Audit includes looking for air leaks—open space around doors
or windows, checking insulation levels, tallying light bulb wattages, and checking
and changing filters in your heating and cooling units.
 Get an Energy-use Consultation
 Trend analysis
 Buy energy- efficient appliances.
 Adjust your hot water heater.
 Caulk your windows.
 Install weatherstripping around drafty doors.
 Switch Light Bulbs
 Install Faucet Aerators
 Switch to a more efficient Low-flow Shower Head.
 Improve Insulation in Attics, Exterior Walls
 Get a Programmable Thermostat and Use it
 Air-dry your clothes.
 Consider a Heated Mattress Pad
 Maintain/Clean Your Appliances
 Use a wool dryer ball.
 Cook indoors in the winter and outdoors in the summer.
 Use ceiling fans in the right direction.

-How does an asset manager contribute to the organization profit line

Value at acquisition stage

Value at maintenance

Value at operation

The hotel development process can be described in four key phases and the asset manager can be
beneficial throughout: The planning phase, the development phase, the pre-opening phase and the post-
opening phase.
Planning phase
There are many key decisions to be made for a successful hotel development project, one of which is the
selection of an operator and brand. Asset managers, especially those with experience overseeing new
hotels ramp-up through stabilization, can offer insight and exceptional benchmarking capabilities to
validate projections submitted by operators, as well as often provide feedback on capabilities by group
based first-hand experience. Similarly, the decisions surrounding the selection of a brand/operator versus
a franchise and third-party operator have a lasting impact on a project, and asset managers can advise on
the opportunities and challenges given the owner’s investment objectives. Once selected, key agreements
need to be negotiated that will govern the future relationship and require careful thought and negotiation.
Development phase
Asset managers frequently are asked to assist with project team selection, including recommendations for
project manager, architect, designers, furniture, fixtures and equipment procurement, among other
project consultants. Having the right advisor can assist an owner in finding the right partners for the
owner’s goals. For many of these choices, there may be dozens of viable options for each position. An
asset manager can also help sort through the options and qualify them in a timely fashion. As a hotel
program gets defined/refined, an asset manager can assist in key decisions that can impact a project’s
longterm viability and financing. Prime examples include facility programming such as guestroom
configuration, food-and-beverage facilities and concepts and back-of-house layout, all of which have an
impact on revenue potential, operating costs and value. Asset managers often find their role as a voice of
reason among what may be many divergent interests, and ensuring that the implications of each decision
are carefully weighed against overall investment objectives.
Pre-opening phase
While it is often said that the key to success in real estate is location, a close second in the hotel business
inarguably is people. Key elements in the pre-opening phase include interviewing key personnel,
understanding the staffing chart and how it may fluctuate from year to year and monitoring the staff
hiring progression to the construction schedule and targeted opening date. In addition to establishing the
operating platform, other key tasks during this phase include ensuring the pre-opening sales plan is put
into motion. This may include website set-up, key account introductions, progression to pre-opening
group sales targets and establishment of initial rate strategies. A crucial area that continually sees a
disconnect, even once budgets are established, is in opening rates. Offering low rates to induce trial at
opening is not a strategy that most asset managers will recommend, as lower
rates can serve to undermine market positioning and slow the ramp-up considerably.
Post-opening phase
The first year of operation for a new hotel presents additional challenges and opportunities, as the
management team shifts from a “pre-opening” mentality to an “operational ramp-up” mode. Despite
budgets and forecasts, the reality of opening will inevitably reveal unexpected operational issues, unique
market dynamics and other challenges that will necessitate some level of adjustment in strategy and
approach. It also is critical that performance during this period is carefully tracked so trends and
challenges can be identified, and adjustments can be made. Examples include inaccuracies in forecasting
that result in high labor costs, an F&B outlet that may be performing better (or worse) than expected, or a
revenue management strategy that may need tweaking. While this occurs, construction budgets and line
items such as operating supplies and equipment need to be reconciled and closed out, and construction
punch list items need to be addressed. The asset manager can assist in the transition from
the project team to the operations team in a seamless manner, support the operating team in identifying
opportunities and hold them to task on required operational adjustments.

With operational intensity, hotels are often said to be the most complex form of commercial real estate,
and that’s when they’re open! Planning a new hotel development can be even more daunting for owners,
given the impact of decisions made during the pre-opening period are not realized until after the hotel
opens. Surrounding yourself with an asset manager with the right expertise, at the right time, can help
mitigate risk and establish a proven path for longterm success.
An asset manager oversees assets that are owned, leased and subleased by an organization.
He or she is responsible for determining the feasibility of asset acquisition and presenting
supporting documentation to upper management or board members.
Asset managers may also handle special projects as determined by managing directors.

Asset managers are responsible for the management of client assets.

This role requires managers to regularly study and respond to market changes and to
regularly communicate with clients about potential changes that may impact investment
portfolios or other forms of assets.
Asset managers must travel regularly to meet with stakeholders and must generate reports
in a timely manner for each client. 
Duties of asset managers may include the implementation, negotiation and monitoring of asset
programs.
Asset managers work to increase revenue and asset values through identified efficiencies and
savings.
Managers will prepare reports and perform analysis for research to proactively identify potential
loan delinquencies and revenue losses.
Asset managers may also review and update current policies. Implementing training and
development programs may also be required.

They can use their knowledge to provide guidance for refurbishment,

acquisitions and other situations.

 Leading objective: maximum return on assets and asset utilization.

 Scope of work: all assets utilized by both primary business and support business functions of
the company.
 Priority is to improve maintenance productivity and optimize equipment reliability
 Focused on achieving Investor’s profitability objectives while minimizing capital
expenditures
 Corporate social responsibility activities are out of the AM’s scope of work. etresolutions.nl

 Analyze portfolio changes and identify any irregularities that may negatively impact client
asset accounts

 Make needed changes to client portfolio as needed

 1. Helps companies keep track of their assets

 The process makes it incredibly easy for companies to manage their assets no
matter if they are fixed or liquid.
  In this way, company owners will know at all times where their assets are, how
they are being used, and how or if they are being changed. 

 As a result, any recovery of assets, if necessary, will become far easier and more
efficient. This, in turn, will lead to higher returns.
 2. Guarantees accurate amortization rates
 Seeing as all the assets are being checked regularly, the financial statements that
come with them will also be updated.
 3. Risk management becomes much easier
 Risk management of assets is a big part of asset management and you will be
faced with it every day when you are dealing with asset management careers.
 As a result, a company will be prepared should something risky come its way.
 4. It helps remove ghost assets from the inventory
 There are plenty of instances where a company’s inventory still holds damaged,
lost, or stolen assets.
 However, when you have an asset management plan in place or a good asset
manager, for that matter, the company can be aware of these ghost assets and
remove them from their books.

-Select one type of asset acquisition/design solution

-Decision matrix

Effectiveness

Reliability

Cost

Sustainability

Environment

Intergration with existing infrastructure

 Solar Scheme Generator Scheme
Initial Capital 20 000 (5kvA) 5 000 (5kvA)
Reliability
Spares 10yrs battery replacement Fuel

30yrs system replacement

Technical maintanace
Payback period
Durability Solar generators are Diesel generators are also
quite durable. Their durable. However, they can never
longevity is attributed compare with the solar
to their material and generators. Diesel generators
the fact that there are have moving parts. As such, their
no moving parts the lifespan is lesser.
manufacturers say
that these generators
have a lifespan of 20
to 25 years. 
Cost The price is nitial cost of diesel generators is
high.  once you buy low. To be precise, it is considered
the solar generators, that their price is approximately
you will not be 10 to 20 times lesser than that of
fuelling it though solar generators. This is great
they are expensive, in news, but if you take into account
the long run, their net the net cost of these generators,
worth is incredibly you can be sure that you will
low. Hence, we would spend way more in diesel over
not really say they are time. Hence, consider the long-
costly, even though term benefits before making any
their market cost is investment. 
high.
Maintenance: One of the generators Well, if you purchase diesel
that are easy to generators, be ready to commit
yourself in caring and
maintain and care for
maintaining for them. This is
is the solar generator. what we are saying. You must
See? All you need to commit yourself to fuel each time
do is to wash the it runs out of diesel. Plus, these
panels once in a devices become faulty over time.
 while. Also, you need As such, they might frustrate you
to replace the at times, especially if there is a
power outage. Also, you need to
inverter when it is
clean them regularly.
time to do so.

One good thing about

these inverters is that
they come with a
warranty of 5 to 10
years. Thus, you can
be sure that they are
long-lasting.

The other thing is

that since these
generators are
electronic devices,
there's some usual
maintenance that is
needed. That's not
much because all
other electronic
devices need
maintenance, too.
Nonetheless, solar
generators don't need
much attention.

Environmentally Solar generators We all know that diesel

friendly produce no noise generators release some fume.
since they have no For asthmatic people, this fume
moving parts. Also, might threaten their lives. Still,
they emanate no not all people are comfortable
fumes. Hence, they with this fume. Plus, they produce
are suitable for use by some noise which might disturb
anyone without some people.
endangering their
 health.
– Low maintenance.
Positive. - Small yearly operational
cost.
- No fuel transportation
necessary.
- Power requirements may
be exactly adjusted.
- Long life.
- Quiet.
- Environmentally
adaptable
Negative
- Very large initial
expense.
- Solar array must be
oversized due to reduced
effectiveness caused by
wind, dust, or yearly
climatic variations.
- Harsh environmental
conditions may cause cells
to delaminate.
- Very large battery arrays
are necessary for storage
during periods of
unfavorable weather,
greatly increasing the cost
of this form of energy
- Relatively inexpensive in areas where
fuel is readily available.
- Sizing is easy.
- Portable.
- Time proven and tested.
- Many manufacturers.
- Maintenance uses standard tools and
techniques
Frequent and costly maintenance of diesel
generating systems by skilled
mechanics.
- Diesel engine replacement every five to
seven years.
- Non-availability of skilled diesel
generator mechanics in developing
countries.
- The need for automatic transfer switches
and starting equipment, adding
significantly to the cost.

Multiple Power Sources: As mentioned, many solar generators are actually all-in-one
portable power stations meaning that they can also be charged by power sources other
than solar power. Besides solar power, the basic power sources are regular AC electricity
from a wall outlet or from a car using the CIG port.
Low Running Costs: Compared to a fuel-powered portable generator, a solar generator
has lower running costs. You do not need to buy fuel since the sun’s energy is free to
extract and there is no oil that needs changing.
Not having any moving parts also reduces the risk of spare parts getting damaged or
needing replacement. So, despite solar generators being a bigger initial investment,
their running costs are lower compared to a fuel-powered portable generator.
No Fumes: The carbon monoxide released by a conventional fossil fuel-powered
generator is a serious health hazard which is why they can only be used outdoors and at
a safe distance from any buildings. Solar power generators do not release any fumes
making them the safest option, even safe enough for indoor use.
Environmentally Friendly: Solar power is one of the most environmentally friendly
renewable energy sources. Using a portable power station powered by solar energy is
much more environmentally friendly than fossil fuel-powered generators.
A conventional portable generator releases carbon dioxide and other environmentally
damaging gases while a solar power portable generator does not releases any fumes.
So, not only is the input clean energy but so it the output. The environmental benefits
of hotels using solar power cannot simply be written off.

A hotel that generates even 20% of their energy from solar power has the same
effect as multiple homes doing the same thing. Here are the greatest
environmental benefits of solar power in hotels:

 Creates energy without emissions

 Uses few resources (no trees, no coal, no other fossil fuels)

 Doesn’t harm wildlife (like dams and wind turbines can)

 Cuts CO2 and other air pollutants

 Gives you LEED points

LEED is a building certification program that assigns point values to structures

based on their energy efficiency. High LEED scores bring prestige and positive
press along with the financial benefits that come with those.

Lightweight: The heaviest parts in a conventional fuel-powered generator are the

engine, (filled) fuel tank and battery. A solar powered portable power station only has a
battery which means that a lot of the generator weight is cut out.

Reliability and Quality

RELIABILITY
Reliability is the probability that an item will survive a given operating period, under speci􀃗ed operating conditions, without failure usually
expressed as B (L ) Life and/or Mean Time to Failure (MTTF) or Mean Time Between Failure (MTBF). The conditional probability of failure
measures the probability that an item entering a given age interval will fail during that interval. If the conditional probability of failure increases
with age, the item shows wear-out characteristics. The conditional probability of failure re􀃘ects the overall adverse effect of age on reliability.
It is not a measure of the change in an individual equipment item.
Failure rate or frequency plays a relatively minor role in maintenance programs because it is too simple a measure. Failure frequency is useful
in making cost decisions and determining maintenance intervals, but it tells nothing about which maintenance tasks are appropriate or about
the consequences of failure. A maintenance solution should be evaluated in terms of the safety, security, or economic consequences it is
intended to prevent. A maintenance task must be applicable (i.e., prevent failures or ameliorate failure consequences) in order to be
Zimbabwe has an advantage of the abundant availability of sunshine
effective.

throughout the day. Other than during rainy days, most of the time, you have good
sunlight. Hence, solar generators are more reliable as compared to diesel
generators. Solar energy is, in some ways, not as reliable as generators, if you don’t take the
mechanical failure of a generator into account. Generators are able to provide their rated power
continuously, however, the power produced by solar panels is heavily dependent on the
weather. On a rainy day, expect your solar system output to drop to about 20
per cent of its rated output.

But solar generators are silent devices, and easy to maintain are the best for
any home or commercial building. Plus, you never worry about them being
faulty. Definitely, solar-powered generators will be the king in the next few
years. To maintain power when the grid goes down, you can purchase either an off-grid
residential solar power system or install a battery backup that stores energy generated from the
solar panels and switches on in the event of a power failure.

Efficiency 
Both diesel and solar generators are efficient. However, the operation and fuel
consumption are invariable of the power being consumed. This can be a vital factor
in determining the efficiency of a diesel genset. On the other hand, disruptions in
receiving ample sunlight can be a drawback in the case of solar generators. However,
solar generators have batteries to store energy that can be used when sunlight fades
away, especially during the night. Solar generators .. 

Effectiveness

When searching for a generator to support your off-grid solar system, keep a few
things in mind:

 Generator output should be 2x your inverter’s output

 Match generator voltage to inverter voltage
 Generator must be warrantied for off-grid use
 2-wire start is mandatory to work automatically with solar system
 3600 RPM generators are more cost-effective, while 1800 RPM generators cost
more up front but last longer and are more efficient
Temperature Sensitivity: Ironically, certain all-in-one portable generators cannot stand
prolonged exposure to hot temperatures. So, if you are using them in a very hot climate
you need to make sure that the power station itself is kept at cooler temperatures while
still positioning the solar panels for maximum sunlight exposure.
Look for solar generators that mention having a Battery Management System or BMS.
This is a special feature that among other things, controls the temperature of the
portable power station.

Inconsistent Energy Supply: The sun’s energy is not constant. Certain places in the world
only get limited sun hours and cloudy days and other weather conditions also limit how
effective solar panels are at drawing in energy.
In reality, a solar generator works best in tropical and sub-tropical climates where
sunshine is more reliable. A solar power generator is less effective in a region with
seasonal differences in sun hours.

Price: There is a wide range of generator prices and solar generators tend to be in the
more expensive category, especially when you look at how much power you get for the
price tag. Solar power technology is simply more expensive than regular fuel engines.
So, a solar power portable power station is generally a bigger initial investment than a
conventional fuel-powered generator. However, keep in mind that the maintenance
costs and running costs of a solar power generator are lower than a conventional fuel-
powered generator.

Big Size for Big Power: Solar power generators meant for light use are more lightweight
than inverter generators and conventional generators. However, if you want to match
the power of a solar generator to that of a conventional fuel-powered generator then
the solar generator will be the heavier one.
In other words, how lightweight the generator is is directly related to how much power
it holds. For light use, a solar power generator is the more portable option but as soon
as you go for 1500 watts or more, inverter generators are the more lightweight option.

Slow Charging: Despite most all-in-one portable power stations having three different
charging options, all charging options are generally slow. A charge time of 8 hours is
not uncommon for an all-in-one portable power station.
This long charge time is not ideal for emergency situations. Manufacturers try to limit
this inconvenience by using solar panels that can store power but this is always less than
full charge.
Another way manufacturers try to compensate for this issue is designing rechargeable
batteries that can be used while charging. Not every solar power generator model is
capable of this and charging is slowed down with the models that can.