Triple Sustainability Design of Distributed Energy Systems: A Pareto-based Multi-objective Optimization and Decision-making Framework

Abstract

In the global context of achieving carbon neutrality and sustainable development, the sustainable design of energy systems for high-consumption areas like smart parks is crucial. Traditional energy system design often focuses on a single economic dimension, neglecting comprehensive consideration of environmental and social dimensions. To address this, this study develops an integrated decision-making framework aimed at simultaneously optimizing the triple sustainability objectives of economy, environment, and society. Applied to a smart park's integrated energy system, this framework employs a multi-objective optimization strategy, using Total Annualized Cost (economic), CO₂ emissions and Water Consumption (environmental), and Inherent Safety Index (social) as core evaluation metrics. By solving a series of optimization problems with different combinations of sustainability indicators, this research reveals the intrinsic trade-offs among the objectives. The results show significant competitive relationships between different optimization goals; for instance, the levelized cost of energy can vary between 0.35 and 0.65 €/kWh, CO₂ emissions range from 12 to 70 kgCO₂/MWh, and water consumption lies between 30 and 75 m³H₂O/GWh. Furthermore, the study finds that increasing the proportion of hydrogen production via water electrolysis and reducing the capacity of hydrogen storage units can effectively enhance the system's inherent safety. The proposed multi-objective optimization and decision-making framework provides park managers and policymakers with a scientific tool to quantitatively assess the pros and cons of different design schemes, facilitating the identification of an optimal balance point that accommodates the triple sustainability goals under complex constraints.