Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment Research Articles

SLiCE: An open building data model for scalable high-definition life cycle engineering, dynamic impact assessment, and systematic hotspot analysis

Building construction and operation are responsible for around 40 % of global energy-related greenhouse gas emissions. To identify emissions reduction and removal potentials as well as wider environmental impacts, researchers, policy, and decision makers need comprehensive life cycle sustainability assessment (LCSA) insights on individual buildings and building stocks at large.This article proposes an open building data model for Scalable, high-definition Life Cycle Engineering (SLiCE) as a solution to overcome the limitations identified for existing models. The article departs from conceptualizing the problem within the Space-Time-Indicator Nexus; presents the proposed SLiCE data structure; and showcases practical uses of SLiCE data for dynamic assessment of climate change impact as well as for systematic environmental hotspot analysis.The open SLiCE building data model and SLiCE hotspot analysis tool are henceforth available for implementation within life cycle assessment (LCA) of building and building stocks, enabling comprehensive insights on buildings' environmental impacts across spatiotemporal scales.

Current status on utilizing a life cycle system perspective to evaluate renewable energy production systems for achieving UN SDGs

Increased awareness of environmental issues and climate change leads to a proportional increase in research and development of “greener” technologies pertaining to renewable energy. In order to avoid simply creating more issues in the process of solving an outstanding problem, the implementation of proposed alternatives has to be studied methodically and holistically from a cradle-to-grave perspective. Currently, the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals provide guidelines for country-level analysis but many of the indicators may not be applicable for technology-, products-, services- and system-level evaluation. Additionally, there is a lack of comprehensive and easily comparable sustainability assessments that can be applied across the different Sustainable Development Goals as well as a paucity of relevant targets for renewable energy technologies. Life cycle sustainability assessment, an extension to the widely applied life cycle assessment, is presented herein as the frame of reference to objectively provide insight into the potential impacts of prospective production systems, such that the Sustainable Development Goals can be met in a truly sustainable manner. An overview of current literature (>80 studies) on research into renewable energy production technologies in the areas of wind, solar and biomass is provided, with possible areas of life cycle sustainability assessment utilization highlighted and applied comprehensively in relation to the relevant Sustainable Development Goals. It is thus demonstrated that a Life Cycle Perspective in the form of Life Cycle Sustainability Assessments can be utilized to evaluate renewable energy technologies in a manner that truly meets the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, and the relevant methodology applied to products and services as well.

Evaluating Cleaning Services in Civil Environments: Microbiological and Life Cycle Analysis Comparing Conventional and Sustainable Methods

In response to the growing global concern for environmental sustainability, a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) study was conducted to evaluate the environmental benefits of the “Formula Servizi” GREEN protocol compared to a conventional cleaning protocol, as mandated by the updated Criteria for Environmental Sustainability (CAM—Criteri Ambientali Minimi) for cleaning services. The CAM, effective on 19 June 2021, requires companies to demonstrate the environmental advantages of their cleaning protocols over traditional methods. This study aligns with the new CAM guidelines and employs UNI EN ISO 14040–14044 technical standards for a comprehensive comparative analysis. The study highlights the significance of maintaining hygiene to ensure safety in various contexts, emphasizing the importance of environmental sampling and monitoring to prevent contamination and infection transmission. Despite the complexity and expenses associated with microbiological monitoring, this research affirms its crucial role in validating cleaning procedures, particularly in healthcare facilities, food service areas, and industrial settings. The findings reveal that both the “Traditional” and “GREEN” cleaning protocols demonstrate satisfactory effectiveness in controlling microbiological contamination according to established guidelines. Moreover, the LCA results indicate that the “GREEN” protocol, while exhibiting higher water consumption and wastewater treatment, showcases a strategic use of more sustainable cleaning and laundry detergents. Despite the increased water usage in certain phases, the significantly lower environmental impact per unit of weight demonstrates the potential for optimizing both environmental sustainability and operational efficiency in future Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment (LCSA) endeavors. The comparative LCA further reveals that the “GREEN” protocol enables an annual avoidance of 260 g of CO2-e emissions per square meter of cleaned surface. The most significant reduction in absolute terms is associated with the use of eco-labeled detergents in the laundry system, resulting in the avoidance of 654.1 kg of CO2-e per year of service (−77% compared to traditional laundry detergents).

Life cycle sustainability assessment and multi-criteria decision analysis: selection of a strategy for municipal solid waste management in Brazil

Life cycle sustainability assessment and multi-criteria decision analysis: selection of a strategy for municipal solid waste management in Brazil

Sustainability implications of establishing a circular European supply chain of battery materials

The increasing number of electric vehicles worldwide leads to strategic challenges in designing battery supply chains. More sites for raw material extraction, battery production, and recycling will be needed to fulfill the future battery demand and the legislative goals regarding recycling rates, recycled content, CO2-limits, and social standards from the European Union for sustainable batteries. Battery manufacturers must also design their supply chains cost-efficiently to compete with non-European battery manufacturers. The environmental and socio-economic impacts of supply chains depend significantly on the supply chain design, which is expected to change in the upcoming years. Therefore, this study aims to investigate battery supply chains in the status quo and 2035 regarding all three sustainability dimensions using the life cycle sustainability assessment (LCSA). The status quo is modelled based on current market shares and without circular supply chains. For 2035, circularity is added with secondary materials in the production and more European-centered supply chains by moving the cell production and the recycling fully to Europe. The results provide insights into the design of sustainable battery supply chains. They highlight that moving a big part of the supply chains to Europe has a more significant influence on the environmental, social, and economic impacts than the circularity of materials. However, the results depend on the current supply chain design and future developments of products and processes as well as the electricity mix.

Design of battery supply chains under consideration of environmental and socio-economic criteria

The demand for electric vehicles is increasing worldwide, leading to a high demand for lithium-ion batteries, whose supply chains are associated with high environmental and socio-economic impacts. Therefore, legal regulations, such as the EU Battery Regulation, force battery manufacturers to use secondary materials, comply with CO2-limits and ensure social conditions along their supply chains. These circumstances make it necessary to assess battery supply chains in terms of their environmental, economic, and social impacts. For this purpose, the life cycle sustainability assessment approach can be used. However, the results of this approach often lead to conflicting goals between and within sustainability dimensions, making it challenging to derive recommendations for more sustainable battery supply chain designs. One approach to solving this problem is to use optimization models that take the three sustainability dimensions into account.To this end, this study aims to combine the results of a Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment of battery supply chains with a decision support model to derive recommendations for action for the design of more sustainable battery supply chains. For this purpose, different spatial-differentiated activities are assessed and included in a decision support model that aims at minimizing the costs of a German battery pack manufacturer, considering environmental, social, and legal restrictions. The decision support model is implemented in Python and solved using Gurobi. The results of the decision support model are compared with the current state of battery supply chains as a benchmark. The result of the study shows that in many of the scenarios studied, the cost, as well as the environmental and social impacts, can be significantly reduced compared to the benchmark. However, if the environmental and social impacts were to be reduced strictly, this would lead to higher costs compared to the benchmark. Furthermore, the results show that a European-centric supply chain would emerge for more environmentally friendly supply chains, while for a more socially friendly supply chain, the focus would be on Japan.

Life cycle sustainability assessment of the agri-food chain: empirical review and bibliometrics

Life cycle sustainability assessment of the agri-food chain: empirical review and bibliometrics

Does enzymatic catalysis lead to more sustainable chemicals production? A life cycle sustainability assessment of isopropyl palmitate

A methodology is presented for assessing the life cycle sustainability of enzymatic catalysis for chemicals production. For IPP, lower environmental impacts, but higher costs and social risks were found for switching to enzymatic catalysis.

Analyzing the Environmental, Economic, and Social Sustainability of Prefabricated Components: Modeling and Case Study

The building industry has significant environmental, economic, and social impacts. The trend of construction industrialization to promote sustainable development is becoming increasingly evident. As an essential component of this process, prefabricated components provide a foundation for studying the sustainability of prefabricated buildings. This study proposes a life cycle sustainability assessment (LCSA) model involving environmental, economic, and social aspects to assess the sustainability of prefabricated components. The sustainability impacts on the raw material extraction and production, off-plant transport, material processing and component manufacturing, on-plant transport, and component storage stages are comprehensively assessed. The LCSA model is applied to four types of prefabricated components: interior wallboards, precast stairs, composite beams, and composite floor slabs. The results show that the precast stairs exhibit the highest sustainability score and that the performances of environmental, economic, and social pillars of four components are slightly different. These findings enhance our understanding of the sustainability of prefabricated components and broaden the scope of LCSA applications. The established sustainability assessment model is expected to help guide prefabrication scheme designs and production plan optimization, further encouraging the wider adoption of sustainable practices in construction.

Prioritizing IoT-driven Sustainability Initiatives in Retail Chains: Exploring Case Studies and Industry Insights

INTRODUCTION: Prioritizing sustainability initiatives is crucial for retail chains as they integrate Internet of Things (IoT) technologies to drive environmental responsibility. Retail chains have responsibility to establish environmental stewardship when they globally expand in terms of operations, supply chain and offerings. By prioritizing the initiatives retail chains can reduce impacts on environment, resource waster and mitigate risks related to that with the help of concepts like IoT.
 OBJECTIVES: This paper aims to explore how IoT can aid in sustainable practices, mitigate risks, and enhance efficiency while addressing challenges, ultimately providing insights for retail chains to prioritize sustainability in the IoT context.
 METHODS: The research employs a qualitative approach, focusing on in-depth case studies and analysis of industry reports and literature to explore IoT-driven sustainability initiatives in retail chains. It includes a diverse sample of retail chains, such as supermarkets and fashion retail, selected based on data availability related to their use of IoT for sustainability. The study involves descriptive analysis to present an overview of these initiatives and competitive analysis to identify sustainability leaders and areas for improvement. However, limitations include potential data availability issues and reliance on publicly available sources, with findings reflecting data up to the 2018-2021 timeframe.
 RESULTS: The results highlight significant sustainability benefits achieved through IoT integration in various retail chain types. Case studies, such as Sainsbury's and Coca-Cola, demonstrate waste reduction and sustainable practices. Examples from Nordstrom and 7-Eleven showcase energy efficiency improvements. The versatility of IoT technologies across supermarkets, department stores, and convenience stores emphasizes the transformative power of IoT in driving sustainability in the retail industry. The study proposes a prioritization approach, considering key metrics and leveraging frameworks like the Triple Bottom Line, Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment, and Sustainability Framework for effective decision-making and goal alignment in IoT-driven sustainability initiatives.
 CONCLUSION: In conclusion, this paper highlights the substantial potential of prioritizing IoT-driven sustainability initiatives in retail chains for positive environmental, social, and economic outcomes. Through case studies, the diverse applications of IoT, such as food waste reduction and energy-efficient lighting, demonstrate tangible benefits. The trend towards sustainable sourcing and materials is evident across various retail chain types. The discussion underscores the need for a systematic approach, utilizing frameworks like the Triple Bottom Line, to align with strategic objectives and optimize resources.

Demonstrating circular life cycle sustainability assessment – a case study of recycled carbon concrete

To counter the high consumption of resources and environmental emissions in the construction sector, innovative materials such as carbon-reinforced concrete (CRC) are needed. CRC has the potential to lower the resource use and emissions of the construction sector and lead to a circular economy (CE). To understand the overall circularity and sustainability performance of such materials, holistic assessments are needed. This study demonstrated the application of the newly developed circular life cycle sustainability assessment (C-LCSA) framework that is based on CE indicators and life cycle sustainability assessment (LCSA). The framework was applied to an industrial floor that was made from recycled CRC scrap (R–CRC industrial floor) in its development phase – using both the concrete faction and the carbon fiber fraction. The material circularity indicator (MCI) was used for the circularity assessment. It was applied in parallel to a life cycle assessment (LCA), life cycle costing (LCC), and a social hotspot assessment, using the same functional unit and system boundaries. The cut-off approach used was in line with the technical system boundaries. The results showed that the contribution to the circularity of the R–CRC industrial floor was high (0.8184) due to the use of recycled material and the potential of being recycled again. The global warming potential (GWP, 167 kg CO2 eq.) was lower while the human toxicity potential (HTP) was higher compared to similar products. The production costs far exceeded the current price of a comparable product which might be related to the inefficiencies in the production at the laboratory scale in the development phase of the R–CRC industrial floor. Social risks were found for health and safety, as well as for the social acceptance of the floor due to technical uncertainties. Increasing the circularity further by only using recycled aggregates mostly showed positive effects on the environmental impacts. However, HTP and costs increased. General statements on the interlinkages between a higher circularity and positive impacts on sustainability performance cannot necessarily be made. Instead, a robust and holistic assessment of new products is needed. C-LCSA has demonstrated its effectiveness as a reliable framework for identifying interlinkages and trade-offs between the different sustainability dimensions and circularity. Further studies should be conducted to validate and demonstrate the C-LCSA framework on different products.

The Biofactory: Quantifying Life Cycle Sustainability Impacts of the Wastewater Circular Economy in Chile

The wastewater circular economy (WW-CE) represents a solution to improving sanitation coverage and management worldwide. However, the transition to circular wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) requires facilitation to enhance decision-makers’ understanding of the integral sustainability impacts of the WW-CE. This research implemented a Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment (LCSA), combining Life Cycle Assessment, Social Life Cycle Assessment and Life Cycle Costing with a Multi-criteria Decision Making (MCDM) model to quantify the environmental, social, and economic impacts of different WWTPs technologies. Two real WWTPs (Plant A and Plant B) in Chile have embraced alternative WW-CE configurations, adopting the title Biofactories, and are considered as case studies in this investigation. A comparative LCSA considered the service of a 1,000,000-population equivalent, under three scenarios: wastewater discharge without treatment, conventional WWTPs, and biofactory WW-CE configurations. The results demonstrate that the transition to WW-CEs improved integral sustainability, and decreased integrated environmental, social, and economic impacts by 30% in Plant A, demonstrating better performance in terms environmental and social impacts. However, a 58% decrease in integral sustainability impacts for Plant B was achieved via the economic advantage of the thermal hydrolysis pre-treatment of sludge. The urgent need to adopt sustainable decision-making models to improve sanitation coverage and sustainability performance of the sanitation industry across the globe is discussed. The WW-CE in Chile presents an opportunity for this to be achieved.

ANALYSIS ON POWER CONSUMPTION FOR LIFE CYCLE SUSTAINABILITY ASSESSMENT IN HARD TURNING OF AISI 4140 STEEL USING SPPP—AlTiSiN-COATED CARBIDE TOOL UNDER VARIOUS CUTTING ENVIRONMENTS

High strength low alloy (HSLA) AISI grade 4140 is grabbing the eyes of automobile industries for its superior properties. However, the production of finished components of HSLA steel by machining under dry environment is challenging owing to high cutting temperature and friction. The usage of low-cost coated carbide tools and environment-friendly cooling-lubrication approach are thereof being given importance for the past few decades for economic and sustainable machining. In this study, the power consumption (Pc) during the hard turning process of AISI 4140 steel was analyzed using an AlTiSiN-coated carbide tool under various cutting environment conditions, including dry cutting, flooded cutting, and nanofluid-MQL cutting. For this study, the nanofluid was prepared by blending MWCNT nanoparticles with an environmentally friendly automotive radiator coolant, which served as the base fluid. Briefly, the cooling-lubrication performance is investigated by comparing the machining responses like machined surface morphology, tool wear, cutting force, and temperature. The variance analysis was adopted to determine the significance level of experimental parameters (speed, feed, nose radius, depth of cut, cutting environments) affecting the Pc. To predict and optimize Pc during hard turning with machining variables, the response surface method (RSM) was proposed. Following the predictive modeling and optimization, the results were applied for economic assessment and for energy saving carbon footprint evaluation. This innovative research also addresses comparative sustainability evaluation in hard turning under different C/L environments using life cycle assessment (LCA) towards cleaner and safer production. Results indicate that cutting speed was the most influential item on Pc enhancement. Furthermore, as compared to dry and flooded turning, lower cutting force, reduced cutting temperature, shorter width of flank wear, and better surface morphology are obtained under nanofluid-MQL machining. It is experienced that nanofluid-MQL machining outperformed towards sustainability improvement concerning techno-economically viable societal acceptable and environment friendliness.

Assessing Short-Term Supply Disruption Impacts within Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment─A Case Study of Electric Vehicles.

In this article, the recently published SPOTTER approach, which allows for identifying potential supply disruption impacts along the entire supply chain within life cycle sustainability assessment in the short term (i.e., < 5 years), is applied to a case study addressing the cobalt and aluminum supply chains of electric vehicles (EVs) used in Switzerland. Existing studies within the field assessing supply disruption impacts for EVs and other technologies focus on impacts related to raw material supply and thus neglect impacts along full supply chains. The present study identifies hotspots and overall impacts along the full supply chains by analyzing six supply disruption events (i.e., geopolitical instability, child labor restrictions, trade barriers, price volatility, limited recyclability, and economic resource depletion) for two impact categories (i.e., cost variability and limited availability). Identified hotspots suggest that supply chains are potentially disrupted mainly through events occurring in Asian, African, or other developing countries and affecting the Western economies. The highest risks are indicated in relation to the supply of EVs, EV wiring, traction batteries, cobalt powder, and cobalt ore. Suitable measures to mitigate these supply risks are suggested showing that some of the suggestions could not have been made based on the results of existing studies.

Circular life cycle sustainability assessment: An integrated framework

AbstractRobust monitoring and assessment methods are required to assess circular economy (CE) concepts in terms of their degree of circularity and their contribution to sustainability. This research aimed to develop an integrated framework for the CE context—considering both the technical circularity and the complexity of the three dimensions of sustainability (environment, economy, and social). Two existing methods were identified as an appropriate foundation: CE indicators and life cycle sustainability assessment (LCSA), combining life cycle assessment (LCA), life cycle costing (LCC), and social life cycle assessment (S‐LCA). The developed circular life cycle sustainability assessment (C‐LCSA) framework added circularity assessment (CA) as an additional dimension to LCSA (C‐LCSA = LCA + LCC + S‐LCA + CA). The abundance of CE indicators required a systematic selection process to identify the most appropriate indicators for the framework which was built on criteria levels, performance, loops, unit, dimension, and transversality. The material circularity indicator, product circularity indicator, and longevity indicator were identified as most suited for C‐LCSA. Being developed for a single life cycle, the traditional life cycle approaches needed refinements for application to CE concepts, derived from discussions and proposed adaptions presented in the academic literature. The cut‐off approach was identified as the most suitable end‐of‐life allocation method for C‐LCSA, being in line with the technical system boundaries. C‐LCSA can be used by LCA practitioners to identify trade‐offs between an improved circularity and resulting impacts on the environmental, economic, and social pillars to provide a basis for decision making in industrial ecology.

Big Data Analytics-based life cycle sustainability assessment for sustainable manufacturing enterprises evaluation

Recently, governments and organizations have repeatedly pressed manufacturing enterprises to promote the ethical and transparent use of natural resources, lessen their negative effects on national and international ecosystems, and safeguard people and the environment. In this context, enhancing the various stages of the product/service life cycle to fulfill sustainability requirements and foster sustainable value creation is a key area of interest for researchers and professionals. This emphasis reflects the growing recognition of the importance of minimizing the environmental impact of products and services, while also maximizing their positive contributions to society, economy, and environment. To this end, this research work addresses how manufacturing enterprises benefit from life cycle sustainability assessment (LCSA) thinking to incorporate the environmental and social criteria into the product/service life cycle strategies. To do so, a novel approach based on environmental priority strategy (EPS) as an LCSA method for impacts monetization coupling with Big Data Analytics (BDA) techniques and tools is developed to evaluate and analyze the manufacturing enterprises’ impacts on the environment and society. Moreover, the developed approach evaluates manufacturing enterprises’ progress toward sustainable development goals (SDGs). Finally, to demonstrate the applicability of the developed approach, a case study from the corporate environmental impact database is used, and the obtained numerical results are analyzed showing its efficiency and added value.

Towards Sustainable Roads: A Systematic Review of Triple-Bottom-Line-Based Assessment Methods

This review summarizes the methods and approaches for quantifying the sustainability performance of roads based on the Triple Bottom Line (TBL) concept. Furthermore, research gaps and challenges in the sustainability assessment of roads are identified. While prior studies explored the environmental and economic dimensions, no comprehensive overview of holistic sustainability assessment of roads exists. A systematic literature review (SLR) was conducted to identify relevant studies. Two assessment approaches were identified: (1) life-cycle-based approaches and (2) sustainability rating systems (SRS). Most of the reviewed studies applied life-cycle-based methods, such as Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment or a combination of Life Cycle Assessment, Life Cycle Costing, and selected social indicators. Heterogeneity in functional units was observed, with most studies opting for a dimension-based instead of a function-based reference. There was high variability regarding the life cycle stages, indicators, and impact assessment methods. Concerning the interpretation methods, most studies calculated a sustainability index or applied Multi-Criteria Decision-Making methods. The SRS presented a similar structure with different levels of aggregation. Furthermore, aspects such as planning, leadership, innovation, and construction activities were addressed. The results of this SLR contribute to expanding the knowledge regarding road sustainability and provide insight into common frameworks, guidelines, and best practices for the sustainability assessment of roads and pavements.

Eco-effective sustainability assessment in buildings: Status and future directions for life cycle studies

Sustainability assessment is the process of estimating multidimensional impacts (environmental, social, economic) of a product, process, or activity. The concept is more evolved in the context of products and is emerging in the built environment domain. Sustainability assessment in buildings has aligned with the perspective of green buildings, encouraging sensitivity to the local environment and materials with lower energy and carbon footprint. There is an emerging focus on applying circularity principles, life cycle assessment, absolute sustainability, and estimating the long-term impacts of indoor toxic emissions in buildings mainly due to the COVID-19 pandemic, rising climate change concerns, and novel pollutants such as endocrine-disrupting chemicals and microplastics. This paper presents an overview of the existing literature on building life cycle sustainability assessment (LCSA) and scrutinizes the existing approaches from an eco-effectiveness perspective. A guiding framework is presented to integrate eco-effectiveness principles in the LCSA of buildings. The framework includes criteria for effectiveness in the context of the life cycle of buildings. This study attempts to integrate diverse perspectives, including limitations in this paper, to promote a holistic understanding of the impacts of a building over its life for improved sustainability. Such studies are crucial in the present context, where the role of the buildings is changing from reducing environmental impacts to ecosystem restoration.

Sustainability Life Cycle Assessment of Household Food Waste Management in Urban Areas

Background: Food waste is a severe problem, and Indonesia is the world’s second-largest producer of food waste. A limited waste management system will decrease environmental quality, such as air, water, and soil pollution. So far, the waste management system is limited to reducing waste generation. The life cycle assessment is a method to analyze environmental aspects or environmental impacts at all stages in a resource’s life cycle, from the initial process of raw materials to disposal. This study aims to analyze the environmental impact and provide waste management policies to obtain sustainable household waste management and environmental sustainability. Methods: The study design used in this research is cross-sectional by conducting direct observations and interviews at the Waste Bank. Interviews were conducted to identify more in-depth findings about waste management problems and the characteristics of respondents and waste characteristics. Observations were made to calculate waste generation that refers to Indonesian national standard methods of sample collection and measurement of urban waste generation and composition (SNI 19-3694-1994.) The sampling technique was carried out by the total sampling method, resulting in 100 households. Results: The research results with organic waste processing with the black soldier fly method. This method impacts global warming, acidification, eutrophication, and ozone depletion. Of the four elements that produce the most negligible impact is the impact of global warming of 0.281 kg CO2 eq compared to the other effects. Conclusion: BSF processing can reduce environmental impacts, especially global warming. Meanwhile, education affects people’s behavior in generating food waste; therefore, there are policy recommendations for Waste Bank stakeholders in processing food waste.

Integrated life cycle sustainability assessment of the electricity generation sector in Bangladesh: Towards sustainable electricity generation

The electricity sector of Bangladesh has experienced a drastic expansion over the last decade, which will continue in the future. However, the country is not attaining optimal benefit from the sector due to discrepancies among its different components. Increased generation capacity based on fossil fuel sources is not only causing negative environmental impacts but also raising future energy security concerns. Stakeholders are unable to address these interconnected issues due to lack of adequate knowledge, which is leading to policy inconsistencies. This paper aims to evaluate the integrated sustainability of Bangladesh’s electricity generation, considering environmental, economic and social aspects using a life cycle approach. Eighteen sustainability indicators have been assessed for five electricity generation technologies currently in operation. Applying a multi-criteria decision analysis, all the technologies have been ranked considering equal as well as differing preferences for the three aspects. Solar power followed by hydropower is the most sustainable option when all aspects are given equal importance and priority is given to economic and social aspects. However, hydropower becomes the most sustainable option when the environmental aspect is prioritized. Among fossil sources, gas is the best and oil power is found as the least sustainable option in all preferences except the environmental aspect when coal becomes the worst. By identifying the disputes between different indicators, this study demonstrates the variations in the results of the integrated sustainability assessment that can be considered while planning improved energy policies for sustainable future electricity generation.