A comparative assessment of thin-film photovoltaic production processes using the ELECTRE III method

The use of renewable energy sources for the production of electric power brings huge benefits both in terms of environmental protection as well as savings in non-renewable resources. Photovoltaic stands out from other renewable energy sources for its simplicity and the modularity of its energy conversion system. To date, the most highly developed technology for the construction of solar cells is one based on mono and polycrystalline silicon. An alternative production line is currently under development to produce, thin-film modules. There are currently a variety of processes and materials available to make thin-film cells but their relative costs and performance differ. Therefore, it would be useful to make a comparative evaluation of the different processes using a multiple criteria method. This paper proposes an application of an outranking methodology to assess a selection of production processes of thin-film solar technology. As this work demonstrates, multi-criteria analysis can provide a technical-scientific decision making support tool that is able to justify its choices clearly and consistently in the renewable energy sector. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.