A Novel MS Excel Tool for Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis in Energy Systems

Application of multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) methods to various aspects of energy systems is of significant interest. This chapter first proposes a simple yet user-friendly MS-Excel tool with four popular MCDA methods. The tool can be effectively used to apply MCDA techniques and to determine the rankings for the alternatives. This MS-Excel tool is made available on Mendeley data repository. The chapter explains the overall MCDA computational processes, algorithms, and provides details on using the tool itself with the help of two case studies to demonstrate its effectiveness and applicability.

Site selection for managed aquifer recharge in the city of Kabul, Afghanistan, using a multi-criteria decision analysis and geographic information system

While the success and sustainability of managed aquifer recharge (MAR) strongly depends on many characteristics of the site, it is necessary to integrate the site characteristics and develop suitability maps to indicate the most suitable locations. The objective of this study is to integrate geographic information system (GIS) and multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) techniques to identify the most suitable areas for a MAR project in the Kabul city area, Afghanistan. Data for six effective criteria, including slope, drainage density, surface infiltration rate, unsaturated zone thickness, soil type and electrical conductivity, were collected and then a classification map was produced for each criterion in the GIS environment. By applying MCDA techniques, the weights of the effective criteria were obtained. A suitability map was generated from each technique separately based on a combination of all criteria weights and thematic layers. The result of the analytical network process (ANP) method was found to be more precise and reliable compared with that of the analytical hierarchy process (AHP) method. Based on the final suitability map produced from the ANP model, there is 3.7, 15.0, 37.4, 33.1 and 10.3% of the total area that is unsuitable, of low suitability, moderately suitable, suitable and very suitable for MAR application, respectively. As a final result of this work, seven sites have been prioritized based on land use. The integration of multi-criteria decision analysis and GIS is recognized as an effective method for the selection of managed aquifer recharge sites.