Cost analysis resources

This collection of tools includes our own and external resources.

STEP Life Cycle Costing Tool (Ontario)

STEP Life Cycle Costing Tool includes Bioretention, Enhanced grass swales, Green roofs, Infiltration chambers, Infiltration trenches, Permeable paving, and Rainwater harvesting

The Sustainable Technologies Evaluation Program have produced a life cycle costing tool specific to Ontario. The tool is in a simple to use Excel format and is free to download.

STEP tool

Green Infrastructure Optimization Tool (Great Lakes)

The Greater Lakes Green Infrastructure Optimization Tool gives a preliminary assessment of green infrastructure options. Land-cover types (and technologies) include: Existing and proposed buildings, existing and proposed paved parking areas, walkways and roadways, open space, pasture, meadow, brush, woodland/grassland, woods and bare soil.

Green Values Stormwater Toolbox (Great lakes, USA)

A free tool for evaluating the costs and benefits of green infrastructure. It is based on the hydrology of the Great Lakes region, and produced by the Center for Neighborhood Technologies, a non-profit organisation in the USA.

CNT's Toolbox webpage

United States Environment Protection Agency (USA general)

A collection of resources from the Green Infrastructure team at the US EPA.

Cost benefit resources from EPA

CIRIA's BeST tool (UK)

A tool which monetizes Ecosystem Services (ESS) and Triple Bottom Line (TBL) criteria to assess LID options (described as Sustainable Drainage Systems, SuDS). The tool guides the user to consider some or all of the co-benefits listed below . Whilst the relative values may be useful for assessing options, the currency of this model is in GBP (£).

BeST

• Air Quality
• Amenity
• Biodiversity and Ecology
• Building temperature
• Carbon sequestration
• Crime
• Economic growth
• Education
• Enabling development
• Flexible infrastructure
• Flood risk
• Groundwater recharge
• Human health
• Pumping wastewater
• Rainwater harvesting
• Recreation
• Treating wastewater
• Tourism
• Traffic calming
• Water quality of receiving water

Sustainable Technologies Evaluation Program

Natural vegetation and vegetative technologies in urban settings such as: urban forests; green roofs; green walls; green spaces; rain gardens; bioswales; community gardens; natural and engineered wetlands and stormwater management ponds; and porous pavement systems. These systems are designed to provide multiple benefits, such as moderate temperatures, clean air and water, and improve aesthetics.

Refers to the conditions in which an organism lives and survives or the conditions in which an organism resides. These conditions can be described as aspects of a “physical”, “social” or an “economic” environment, depending on the perspective perceived by the observer.

A biological community, including humans and their natural environment.

Low Impact Development. A stormwater management strategy that seeks to mitigate the impacts of increased urban runoff and stormwater pollution by managing it as close to its source as possible. It comprises a set of site design approaches and small scale stormwater management practices that promote the use of natural systems for infiltration and evapotranspiration, and rainwater harvesting.

Increases in groundwater storage by natural conditions or by human activity. See also artificial recharge

The inflow of surface water to a groundwater reservoir or aquifer.

The practice of intercepting, conveying and storing rainwater for future use. Captured rainwater is typically used for outdoor non-potable water uses such as irrigation, or in the building to flush toilets.