Review of Tools for Sustainability Assessment of Renewable Energy Technologies for Remote Area Power Supply

Abstract

This review discusses the tools used in the sustainability assessment of renewable energy technologies in remote area power supply systems. A comprehensive keyword search was conducted to identify widely used tools in assessing the three pillars of sustainability (economics, environmental and social). Results found that environmental life cycle assessment (ELCA), life cycle costing (LCC), social life cycle assessment (SLCA), triple bottom line (TBL) approach and eco-efficiency analysis (EEA) were commonly used worldwide to assess the environmental, economic and social implications of renewable energy technologies. Eco-efficiency analysis is recommended to be applied in the sustainability assessment of power generating technologies for remote area power supply. This tool does not only assess the economic and environmental implication of existing technologies but also assists in the implementation of improvement opportunities for a better eco-efficiency performance.