PhD Thesis - Energy Systems Research Unit - University of Strathclyde

5.6 Integrated performance assessmentThis section aims to bring together the results obtained for the different scenarios in amore integrated manner.When comparing system performance using energetic, environmental and economiccriteria different performance metrics criteria will yield different solutions as towhich system or scenario is most feasible. Further, different performance will givecontradictory results as to a system’s value and feasibility.To better illustrate this point, Table 5.13 summarises the system’s response to thevarious external factors which were investigated during the course of this research.Based on the type of response, whether it is a negative or positive response (e.g. theincrease or decrease in fuel consumption, higher or lower financial value, etc.) Table5.13 is colour coded to distinguish the manner operational conditions affected thedifferent performance criteria. Factors which positively affected a performancecriterion are shaded in green, whilst those which negatively affected a performancecriterion are shaded in red. Factors which did not affect (completely unrelated to theanalysis) a performance criterion, or produced only a negligible change (related tothe analysis but produced no significant change) are shaded in white and yellowrespectively. It can be observed that the response of the system to the differentexternal factors was not uniform and the best possible scenario is thereforedependent on the performance objective, be it maximising the energetic,environmental or financial performance.229