Multi-criteria evaluation and priority analysis of different types of existing power plants in Iran: An optimized energy planning system

The energy assurance and electricity supply are significant factors for progress and development of all countries. Low investment costs, reducing greenhouse emission, and high output efficiency for good performance of power plants are key factors in evaluating energy parameters for governments. This study is intended on determining and proving the compatibility of existing power plants in the country of Iran by applying observational data through the application of Multi-Criteria Decision-Making Analysis (MCDA). The obtained compromise solutions applied through a MATLAB code that helped in specifying which power plants are particularly suitable for establishment in the future work. Furthermore, it supports the generalization and validation of applying VIKOR method for thorough evaluation of power systems by comparing the results with real condition. The different types of power plants have been considered as alternatives. Multi-criteria evaluations of these diverse power plants were also carried out with respect to the environmental, technological, and economic criteria. It was concluded that hydropower plant is the best possible case for establishment, and the VIKOR method is a reliable technique for evaluating energy systems which can help to rank alternatives and determines the solution named compromise that is the closest to the ideal case.