Methodology and evaluation of priorities for energy and environmental research projects

To evaluate and prioritize energy-related projects, not only technological issues but also resource and social aspects must be included. We use an analytic hierarchy process (AHP) for incorporating these two features. Technological issues are divided into three categories; resource and social aspects are divided into five categories. Each category is further subdivided, forming a tree-like hierarchy. Nineteen energy-related characteristics and seven environmental characteristics are used to describe a proposed research project. By utilizing the estimated relative importance of each selected characteristic, seven different planning perspectives have been identified: short-, intermediate-, and long-range strategies for Japan, short- and intermediate-range strategies for less developed countries (LDCs), and intermediate- and long-range global strategies.