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The aim of this paper is to introduce a newly developed multi-criteria analysis for the comparison of two grid expansion alternatives, conventional and voltage-regulated distribution transformer. The case study comprises environmental, economic, technical and social aspects.

The newly developed method decision condition Preference Ranking Organization METHod for Enrichment Evaluation (DC-PROMETHEE) combines scenario planning with the multi-attribute decision-making method PROMETHEE. DC-PROMETHEE supports the decision-maker to evaluate the total potential of an alternative considering a large number of decision conditions. The calculated performance indicator supports the decision-maker to select the best alternative.

The voltage-regulated distribution transformer shows a high overall potential in the present case study. This leads to the recommendation to the investigated distribution system operator to include the voltage-regulated distribution transformers as a grid expansion measure.

The DC-PROMETHEE can be applied to other distribution system operators by considering their individual grid topology and preferences. Other fields of application are infrastructure investments in the service area, in which expansion alternatives are evaluated in a large number of decision conditions. Examples include telecommunication, gas supply, water supply, sewage and rail networks.

This paper develops the DC-PROMETHEE approach. The DC-PROMETHEE enables the multi-criteria evaluation of a few alternatives in a large number of decision conditions.

Energy scenarios have long been successfully used to inform decision-making in energy systems planning, with a wide range of different methodological approaches for developing and evaluating them. The purpose of this study is to analyze the existing approaches and classify them with a morphological box.

This paper builds upon the methodological literature on developing and evaluating energy scenarios and presents a morphological box, which comprises parameters describing the scenario properties, (energy system) model properties, scientific practice and institutional settings of energy scenarios. The newly developed morphological box is applied to four selected energy scenarios of the German energy transition.

The morphological box is a suitable tool to classify current energy scenarios. The exemplary application also points toward four challenges in the current practice of energy scenario development and evaluation: increasing complexity of decision problems, transparency of the scenario development process, transparency of the decision support process and communication of uncertainty.

The morphological box of energy scenarios helps researchers soundly document and present their methodological approaches for energy scenario development and evaluation. It also facilitates the work of analysts who want to classify, interpret and compare energy scenarios from a methodological perspective. Finally, it supports the identification of gaps between current practice and the methodological literature on energy scenarios, leading to the development of new types of energy scenarios.

Emergency situations may differ in many ways but they share some common characteristics, such as the sudden onset and the need to transparently evaluate various usually conflicting objectives. In nuclear power generation, however, emergency situations constitute a special challenge. The focus of this paper is to highlight the role of multi‐criteria decision analysis (MCDA) in nuclear emergency and recovery management on the basis of a hypothetical case study.

Multi‐attribute value theory as one field of research within MCDA is introduced. Special emphasis is placed on the modelling of the decision makers' preferences which is a crucial part in any multi‐criteria analysis. A central aim is to facilitate the preference elicitation in group decision processes.

The management of emergency situations in nuclear power generation necessitates the consideration of technical, economic, environmental, socio‐psychological and political aspects. Furthermore, various stakeholder and expert groups with diverse background knowledge and different views, responsibilities and interests are involved in such a decision‐making process. MCDA can help to take into account various incommensurable aspects and the subjective preferences of the decision makers and thus contribute to transparency and traceability of decision‐making processes. Since the preference parameters are inherently afflicted with uncertainties, thorough sensitivity analyses are important to visualise the impact of the uncertainties in an understandable way.

A new approach to sensitivity analysis is proposed, allowing one to comprehensibly visualise and communicate the impact of the uncertainties associated with the subjective preference parameters on the results of the decision analysis.

The purpose of this paper is to elaborate a multi‐criteria methodology for the performance assessment of energy supply technologies, which also takes into account the dynamics of technological change.

The approach chosen is based on the multi‐criteria outranking methodology Preference Ranking Organisation METHod for Enrichment Evaluations (PROMETHEE), which is linked to the concept of technology's life cycle by assigning criteria weights depending on the actual development phase of a certain technology. The modifications to the PROMETHEE algorithm are described and the modified methodology is demonstrated by evaluating heat and power supply alternatives for a municipal area in Germany.

The methodology is suitable for the evaluation of energy technologies taking into account varying preferences depending on their stage of maturity. It is a feasible alternative to other methodologies which allow for interconnections like the analytic network process. The results show that, based on a multi‐criteria life cycle approach, renewable energy technologies are competitive with conventional alternatives for supplying heat and power.

Appropriate methods are required to elicit life cycle‐dependent preferences. Decision support should help decision makers (DMs) to articulate preferences according to different development phases and illustrate the results in the most meaningful way.

The methodology provides the basis for a comprehensive analysis of energy technologies at different life cycle stages. It can be used to support decision making in different situations and by various actors.

The purpose of this study is to examine both the technical feasibility and the commercial viability of several demand-side integration (DSI) programs to utilize the charging flexibility of electric transport vehicles in a logistic facility. DSI is important for improving system reliability and assisting in integrating renewables into the energy system.

A pre-assessment of several DSI programs is performed by considering effort for implementation, costs and economic potential. Afterward, the most promising programs are compared economically on the basis of optimization methods and economic analysis. The analysis is based on a comprehensive electric mobility project dealing with electric transport vehicles operating in container terminals.

The pre-assessment of several potential DSI programs revealed that many of these programs are unsuitable, largely due to regulatory requirements. Although using DSI to optimize the company’s load is feasible, controlled charging based on variable prices is particularly advantageous because the implementation requires modest effort while identifying significant cost-saving potentials.

Based on the analysis, other companies using electric transport vehicles have a foundation for identifying the most promising demand-side management program.

While most research has focused on individually used electric vehicles, here commercial electric transport vehicles operating in closed systems were investigated as this area of application was found to be particularly suitable for participation in DSI programs.