Coupling LCSA and Multi-criteria Decision Analysis for Energy System Prioritization

With the emergence of energy problems, how to ensure the sustainability of the energy system has become an important issue. There are already a number of ways to evaluate and rank the sustainability of energy systems. Among them, the method of life cycle sustainability assessment (LCSA) has been paid the most attention by researchers, because it reflects the life cycle thinking and makes the sustainability assessment more comprehensive. However, LCSA also has some weaknesses. In order to solve the problems existing in LCSA, this paper uses multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) to integrate the sustainability evaluation criteria with the idea of life cycle. Using grey-DEMATEL and TOPSIS method combined with LCSA, comparable, more objective, more real and more directive sustainability evaluation results were obtained. The case study of power generation system proves that our sustainability evaluation system is effective and can accurately identify key criteria and provide suggestions for subsequent optimization. In this paper, MCDA method is used to integrate life cycle evaluation criteria, which overcomes the difficulty of comprehensive treatment of criteria in LCSA process and reduces the uncertainty in the evaluation process. LCSA also provides good data for the MCDA process and reduces the negative impact of MCDA. A new way of thinking is proposed for the development of sustainability evaluation process.