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Levelized Product Cost: Concept and Decision Relevance

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  • Stefan Reichelstein
  • Anna Rohlfing-Bastian

Abstract

This paper examines a life-cycle cost concept that applies to both manufacturing and service industries in which upfront capacity investments are essential. Borrowing from the energy literature, we refer to this cost measure as the levelized product cost (LC). Per unit of output, the levelized cost aggregates a share of the initial capacity expenditure with periodic fixed and variable operating costs. The resulting cost figure exceeds the full cost of a product, as commonly calculated in managerial accounting. Our analysis shows that the LC can be interpreted as the long-run marginal product cost. In particular, this cost measure is shown to be the relevant unit cost that firms should impute for investments in productive capacity.

Suggested Citation

  • Stefan Reichelstein & Anna Rohlfing-Bastian, 2014. "Levelized Product Cost: Concept and Decision Relevance," CESifo Working Paper Series 4590, CESifo.
    • Handle: RePEc:ces:ceswps:_4590
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Stefan J. Reichelstein & Anshuman Sahoo, 2015. "Cost- and Price Dynamics of Solar PV Modules," CESifo Working Paper Series 5674, CESifo.
    2. Bistline, John E. & Comello, Stephen D. & Sahoo, Anshuman, 2018. "Managerial flexibility in levelized cost measures: A framework for incorporating uncertainty in energy investment decisions," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 151(C), pages 211-225.
    3. Dmitry Livdan & Alexander Nezlobin, 2017. "Accounting rules, equity valuation, and growth options," Review of Accounting Studies, Springer, vol. 22(3), pages 1122-1155, September.
    4. Nezlobin, Alexander, 2018. "Dynamic Investment Models in Accounting Research," Foundations and Trends(R) in Accounting, now publishers, vol. 12(3), pages 216-297, December.
    5. Gunther Glenk & Stefan Reichelstein, 2020. "Synergistic Value in Vertically Integrated Power‐to‐Gas Energy Systems," Production and Operations Management, Production and Operations Management Society, vol. 29(3), pages 526-546, March.
    6. Glenk, Gunther & Reichelstein, Stefan, 2021. "Intermittent versus dispatchable power sources: An integrated competitive assessment," ZEW Discussion Papers 21-065, ZEW - Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research.
    7. Glenk, Gunther & Meier, Rebecca & Reichelstein, Stefan, 2021. "Cost dynamics of clean energy technologies," ZEW Discussion Papers 21-054, ZEW - Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research.
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    9. Sunil Dutta & Stefan J. Reichelstein, 2019. "Capacity Rights and Full Cost Transfer Pricing," CESifo Working Paper Series 7968, CESifo.
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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • M20 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Business Economics - - - General
    • M41 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Accounting - - - Accounting
    • L11 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Production, Pricing, and Market Structure; Size Distribution of Firms
    • L12 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Monopoly; Monopolization Strategies

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