Integrated Evaluation of Energy Technologies across Economic, Environmental, and Social Dimensions

Abstract

The global transition toward sustainable energy systems requires integrated evaluation frameworks capable of simultaneously assessing economic, environmental, technical, and social performance. This study conducts a comprehensive comparative assessment of ten major electricity generation technologies: biogas, geothermal, hydropower, solar photovoltaic (PV), concentrated solar power (CSP), onshore wind, offshore wind, natural gas, coal, and oil, using the technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS) multi-criteria decision-making method. A structured decision matrix was developed, incorporating installation cost, levelized cost of electricity (LCOE), capacity factor, life-cycle CO₂ emissions, water consumption, land-use intensity, and employment generation indicators. Cost-type criteria were minimized, while technical and social criteria were maximized. After normalization and calculation of positive and negative ideal solutions, closeness coefficients (Cᵢ) were computed to determine overall sustainability ranking. The results reveal that renewable and low-carbon technologies dominate the top positions. Biogas achieved the highest TOPSIS score (Cᵢ = 0.681), closely followed by geothermal (0.680), onshore wind (0.662), offshore wind (0.638), and solar PV (0.634). In contrast, fossil-based technologies ranked lower, with natural gas (0.534), coal (0.477), and oil (0.344) occupying the bottom positions. The findings indicate that technologies combining relatively low emissions, moderate cost, stable operational performance, and employment benefits achieve superior integrated sustainability performance. The study demonstrates that single-metric evaluations, such as cost alone, may produce misleading conclusions, whereas multi-criteria frameworks provide balanced and transparent decision support. The results offer evidence-based guidance for policymakers and energy planners, supporting diversified renewable portfolios and gradual fossil fuel phase-down strategies aligned with long-term sustainability and decarbonization objectives.