Objective

The aim of the project is the application of methods of multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) to complement and further develop existing methodological approaches for sustainability assessment of energy technologies in different development stages. For this purpose, a decision support tool (DST) will be developed which takes into account different MCDA methods and can be applied to different energy technologies.

The development and application of MCDA methods enables an integrated, i.e., simultaneous consideration of economic, ecological, and social indicators in the context of sustainability assessment (of technical processes). This integrative multidimensional approach builds on and further develops research on disciplinary, one-dimensional assessment at ITAS. These include mathematical models and methods of analysis specific to the respective sustainability dimension, such as life cycle analysis, economic calculations, and results from different social science approaches.

The multi-criteria assessment approach allows, e.g., considering and revealing the preferences of different stakeholders in the evaluation process. In order to make the robustness and uncertainties of the results visible, the multi-criteria assessment will be coupled with sensitivity analyses. In this way, it is possible to examine the influence of the preferential weighting of selected input variables and the number of investigated technology options on the results.

The identification of factors influencing the decision-making process when using MCDA methods provides important information for advising decision makers in science, business, and politics. The development of a multi-criteria DST can thus make a significant contribution to TA. At the same time, a multitude of methodological challenges must be taken into account. These include, for example, the choice of the MCDA method, the identification of relevant criteria and stakeholders, and the presentation of the results.

The planned integration of the DST within the MCDA is shown in Figure 1. The multi-criteria DST for sustainability assessment and its applicability in participatory decision-making processes will be reflected upon with colleagues from transdisciplinary research and tested in a real-world lab with stakeholders and citizens. For this purpose, selected energy technologies that are being developed in the Helmholtz Research Association (e.g., bioliq® and different energy storage systems) will be used as case studies.

Work packages

The following listed work packages should not be regarded as sequential, but as iterative.

1. Review of the state of the art
2. Conception and development of DST
3. Application of DST in use cases
4. Test runs of DST in the real-world lab
5. Evaluation of DST

Decision Support Tool (DST)

HELDA, the Helmholtz MCDA Tool, is available for download on the website of the Helmholtz Working Group on MCDA. ITAS is developing HELDA together with the Institute of Thermal Energy Technology and Safety (ITES).