Abstract
For solving decision problems in electric generation planning, a matrix operation based deterministic quantitative model called the Distance Based Approach (DBA) has been proposed for comparing the technical-economical and environmental features of various electric power plants. The customized computer code is developed to evaluate the overall function of alternative energy systems from the performance pattern corresponding to the selected energy attributes. For the purpose of exploring the applicability and the effectiveness of the proposed model, the model is applied to decision problems concerning the selection of energy sources for power generation in Japan. The set of nine energy alternatives includes conventional and new energy technologies of oil fired-, natural gas fired-, coal fired-, nuclear power, hydropower, geothermal, solar photovoltaic, wind power and solar thermal plants. Also, a set of criteria for optimized selection includes five areas of concern; energy economy, energy security, environmental protection, socio-economic development and technological aspects for electric power generation. The result will be a ranking of alternative sources of energy based on the Euclidean composite distance of each alternative to the designated optimal source of energy.
