Incremental Evaluation Method- An Integrated Method to Assess Urban Energy System

How to make decisions to choose urban energy systems is the key issue for urban energy planners or policy makers. It's crucial to develop an integrated method to assess urban energy system. Present methods emphasize on economic evaluation of energy system and care less for the difference and distinctiveness between planned system and traditional one. It can't reveal the incremental cost of energy-efficient techniques. Based on cost-effectiveness analysis method, an innovative incremental evaluation method (IEM) is introduced from the view point of energy increment index ΔE, environment increment index ΔP and economic increment index ΔZ, which focus on the difference between input and output increments in energy system to reduce negative effects of uncertain human factor and lower the workload of evaluation. IEM can be defined as an economic benefit analysis between the planned energy system and target energy system based on input and output increment analysis to meet the same energy demanding. Firstly, principle of IEM is present including the calculation of equivalent weight of various energy resources and environment emissions. Then, using quadrant diagram and Strengths-Weaknesses-Opportunities-Threats (SWOT) strategy analysis, IEM are analyzed in detail. And concepts of equivalent energy value and equivalent environment value are defined to assess systems both in II and IV quadrant. Finally, a case of different power plants is evaluated using IEM. It concludes that as an integrated assessment method, IEM reveals the difference and distinctiveness between planned system and traditional or popular one with a clear physical meaning but less negative effects of human factor and lower evaluation workload.