Renewable energy performance evaluation studies using the data envelopment analysis (DEA): A systematic review

Abstract

This article provides a systematic analysis of renewable energy performance using data envelopment analysis (DEA) to understand the diverging paths of renewable energy development for countries. In this review, 72 quantitative studies were identified using a multi-stage selection process. The review found that the DEA method can be used as an appropriate tool for performance evaluation of renewable energy studies' research. The DEA method can be applied critically for decision making, especially for policymakers in the renewable energy sector. The review also demonstrated that the DEA method, either traditional or advanced, can be comprehensively used to evaluate the performance of renewable energy studies depending on the objective of the research, as well as the complexity and accuracy of data issues. This review revealed that the selection of input and output factors used in DEA is sufficient enough to evaluate renewable energy performance. This review contributed to the current energy literature and filled in the gap with the addition of new knowledge on assessing renewable energy research studies intensively using a formal systematic literature review process. The review revealed that the development of DEA methodologies and applications in renewable energy should be expanded in the future. The results obtained from this review are both beneficial and inspirational for further research regarding the DEA application in renewable energy and provide valuable input for policymakers in decision-making processes.