Group assessment for the selection of sustainable small-scale power supply projects: A study case from northern Colombia

Abstract

Sustainability assessment provides essential information to facilitate informed decision-making, enabling the selecting of the best option among various projects. This research paper considers the decision-making problem in the context of marginalised and isolated communities, introducing a groupal model for evaluating the sustainability of small-scale power supply projects. The proposed model incorporates a comprehensive set of five indicators and 25 criteria. The analysis presented in this study prioritises these indicators and criteria, introducing new criteria based on several stakeholders’ participation and offering guidance on measuring the identified criteria. Furthermore, the proposal provides fundamental thresholds for evaluating the projects’ sustainability and proposes a model based on aggregated indicators to assess the available alternatives. It encompasses all stages of the decision-making process, employing multiple indicators to evaluate the sustainability of power supply projects. The effectiveness of the proposed model was validated in a real case study conducted in a marginalised community facing isolation challenges in La Guajira, Colombia. The evaluation showcased the model’s contribution to decision-making processes regarding power supply projects in isolated communities. Finally, the results demonstrated the suitability of this strategy for immediate application, highlighting its potential impact on decision-making for sustainable development within marginalised areas.