Multi-criteria decision making for the prioritization of energy systems under uncertainties after life cycle sustainability assessment

Abstract

This study aims at developing a life cycle sustainability prioritization framework for ranking the energy systems under uncertainties. The fuzzy two-stage logarithmic goal programming method was firstly employed to determine the weights of the criteria for sustainability assessment, and the interval grey relational analysis method was subsequently used to determine the sustainability order of the alternative energy systems. Then, an illustrative case including four alternatives for electricity generation in UK, namely, coal-pulverized, combined cycle gas turbines, nuclear-pressurized water reactor, and offshore wind powder based electricity, was investigated, and pressurized water reactor was recognized as the most sustainable, followed by combined cycle gas turbines, offshore wind powder, and coal-pulverized in the descending order. Finally, the results were validated by the interval TOPSIS, and sensitivity analysis was also carried used to investigate the effects of the weights of the criteria for sustainability assessment on the final sustainability order of the alternative energy systems.