Capital Equipment

Capital equipment includes items such as complex and high cost laboratory, research, and industrial products. Examples include but are not limited to: microscopes, centrifuges, spectrometers, telescopes, projectors, turbines, motors, etc. Reporting requirements mandate that capital equipment be purchased on a PO to be tagged as a business asset, which in turn allows the University to track the whereabouts of the equipment and assess the depreciation of the equipment's value over time. Any one item with a total per unit value of $5,000 or greater is considered capital equipment. Capital equipment should be purchased on a PO to ensure the University's terms & conditions are accepted: which allows us to better manage returns/defects and supplier performance issues. Refer to policy FIN-034: Accounting Requirements for Equipment Assets. If you’re considering purchasing capital equipment for your laboratory, avoid buying duplicative equipment by utilizing UVA Core Facilities or sharing with neighbors. When possible, equipment should be Energy Star-certified and/or Water Sense-certified to reduce operating costs and conserve resources.