Multi-criteria Valuation for Sustainable Autonomous Microgrid Planning: a Comparative Analysis of Technology Mix with Different MADM Techniques

The selection of an appropriate combination of generation/storage technologies is elementary for the planning of a reliable and sustainable autonomous microgrid (AMG). The determination of technology mix (TM) has been acknowledged by several researchers. However, the focus has been either on component sizing for an AMG or on its evaluation based on different criteria. This paper provides integration of sizing and evaluation using multiple-attribute decision-making (MADM) techniques in one structure. It is a challenge to decide on a suitable MADM technique amidst the wide range reported in literature. In order to address this issue, a comparative analysis has been carried out using eight different MADM techniques-TOPSIS, VIKOR, PROMETHEE II, WSM, WPM, WASPAS, EDAS and CODAS. The final result is obtained based on rank aggregation to facilitate enhanced analysis, and 25 priority sequences (PS) have been formulated based on four primary criteria and 11 sub-criteria. The proposed formulation has been applied for an AMG located in Jaisalmer, India. For determining the appropriate TM, combinations of five technologies consisting of PVA, wind turbine (WT), biomass technology (BT), diesel generator (DG), and battery storage (BS) have been considered. The optimal component sizes for each TM are obtained using the butterfly-PSO. Thereafter, analysis of each TM was carried out using different MADM approaches. The results from four MADM techniques (TOPSIS, VIKOR, EDAS, PROMETHEE II) indicate that PVA-WT-BS is the most appropriate combination. However, WPM and WASPAS assigned first rank to PVA-BS, while WSM and CODAS allocated first rank to PVA-WT-BT. The final aggregated rank obtained through Borda count suggests that PVA-WT-BS renders optimal and sustainable planning of an AMG.