Abstract
In the current scenario of increasing energy demand and encouraging sustainable development in countries, the energy sector’s planning has become more complex, involving multiple factors, such as technical, economic, environmental, social, and political. The decision process plays a vital role in structuring and evaluating complex decision situations related to the sector, considering various criteria and objectives, encouraging adopting policies to promote energy efficiency actions by increasing research on renewable energy sources and strategic energy decisions. The high number of multi-criteria decision support methods (MCDM) available and their efficiency in solving highly complex problems results in an impasse with their selection and application in specific decision situations. Thus, the scientific community requires methodological approaches that help the decision-maker select the method consistent with his problem. Accordingly, this paper conducts a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) of renewable energy problems associated with MCDM methods based on a final set of 163 articles. We identified five categories of problems solved by MCDM techniques: Source selection, location, sustainability, project performance, and technological performance. We separate the MCDM process into five evaluation steps (alternative selection, criteria selection, criteria weighting, evaluation of alternatives, and post-assessment analyzes), and we extract the methods used in each MCDM step from papers. This paper’s main contribution is identifying the most common MCDM methods in the renewable energy area and the energy problem they solve. Accordingly, this manuscript helps energy decision-makers, entrepreneurs, investors, and policy-makers to improve their ability to choose the proper MCDM methods to solve energy problems.
Highlights
In the last two decades, world demand for electricity doubled [1], contributing to natural resources collapse
This study identified the most often used multi-criteria decision support methods (MCDM) methods in renewable energy and its purpose
The systematic literature review outlines the main problems that researchers seek to solve sustainable and renewable energy sources related to these problems, and the MCDM methods used in each decision-making stage
Summary
In the last two decades, world demand for electricity doubled [1], contributing to natural resources collapse. Environment pollution and energy crisis are two significant problems controlling modern society’s sustainable development [2]. In this topic, energy is one of the most critical and pervasive issues that will confront decision-makers globally during this century. The importance of electricity to maintain economic growth has led governments to ensure that their growing energy demands are adequately attempted [3]. Worldwide adopted policies to promote the introduction of energy efficiency actions and energy generation from renewable and sustainable sources [4,5,6], increasing the investigations about clean sources and strategy energy decisions
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