Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis Approach for DC Microgrid Bus Selection

The increasing variety of DC microgrid configurations has created a challenge for engineers in selecting the optimal design. To address this, multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) provides a systematic approach. In this study, six distinct DC microgrid configurations are defined as potential alternatives: unipolar, bipolar, multi-terminal topology, multi-bus topology, ring topology and AC microgrid. MCDA allows for the establishment of relevant evaluation criteria specific to each configuration, such as protection schemes, fault resilience and overall system cost. By systematically analysing the MCDA results using the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) technique, the most suitable DC microgrid design can be identified, which inherently determines the optimal type of distribution bus. AHP assigns weights to each evaluation criterion based on its relative importance. This study concludes with a comprehensive sensitivity analysis and an investigation of optimisation techniques. This assessment integrates perspectives from both expert judgements and relevant scientific publications.