Multiparametric optimization based decision making approach in energy systems planning under uncertainty
Energy infrastructure planning confronts a fundamental temporal asymmetry in which capacity decisions must be committed before uncertainty materializes and yet must remain robust across all future operational scenarios. Traditional approaches either adopt worst-case hedging or ignore operational uncertainty. We address this through a Robust Optimization framework integrating data-driven uncertainty quantification with multiparametric programming, enabling design strategies as explicit functions of realized uncertainty without iterative re-optimization. We quantify forecasting errors via probabilistic deep learning technique to inform uncertainty bounds. Rather than worst-case designs, we model it as bilevel problem solved multiparametrically, deriving "wait-and-see" operations as piecewise affine functions of "here-and-now" decisions and uncertainty realizations.Applied to a multi-source, multi-sink energy system (wind, nuclear, natural gas, battery, electricity and hydrogen demands) under joint supply-demand uncertainty, the framework reveals a strategic shift in technology prioritization as uncertainty quantiles increase, optimal designs preferentially allocate capacity to expensive-but-reliable dispatchables even though economical renewables remain available. The complete parametric solution enables upfront cost-robustness trade-off exploration, providing a tractable and generalizable tool for risk-aware capacity expansion, supporting strategic investment decisions in uncertain and rapidly evolving energy landscape.
Authors
- Dustin Kenefake (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9611-7347)
- Rahul Kakodkar (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4139-083X)
- Harsh Shah (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0000-8195-8883)
- Nikolaos V. Sahinidis (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2087-9131)
- Efstratios N. Pistikopoulos (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6220-818X)
Institutions
- Georgia Institute of Technology (US)
- Mitchell Institute (US)
- University of Delaware (US)
- Texas A&M University (US)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Applied Energy
- Published
- 2026-08-28
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apenergy.2026.128714
- Primary Topic
- Integrated Energy Systems Optimization
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- Texas A and M University
- National Institutes of Health
- Energy Institute, Texas A and M University