Chapter 14 - Life cycle sustainability decision-making framework for the prioritization of electrochemical energy storage under uncertainties

Abstract

Energy storage, which can charge and discharge electrical energy, is deemed as an important support for renewable energy power deployment in electric power systems. Life cycle sustainability assessment of energy storage can help decision-makers to select the most sustainable energy storage technology in life cycle perspective among several alternatives. This study aims at developing a life cycle sustainability decision-making framework for the prioritization of electrochemical energy storage under uncertainties by combining multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) method and life cycle sustainability assessment. Eight criteria in economic, social, environmental, and technological pillars are selected as the criteria system of life cycle sustainability decision-making of electrochemical energy storage, and the LCC, LCA, and SLCA are employed to obtain the values of criteria. The Bayesian best-worst method is employed to determine the weights of eight criteria in four aspects, which can consider the preferences of multiple decision-makers or stakeholders and the degree of certainty about the relation of eight criteria judged by decision-makers. The fuzzy TOPSIS method is used to rank the life cycle sustainability performances of different electrochemical energy storage technologies. The empirical analysis is performed taking lead-acid battery, Li-ion battery, Nas battery, and NiMH battery as the cases, and the result indicates the Li-ion battery has the best life cycle sustainability performances.