Selection of optimum green energy sources by considering environmental constructs and their technical criteria: a case study

Abstract

Optimum green energy sources selection needs a strategic decision for reducing the use of conventional resources. In the selection of optimum green resources, constraints like technical and customer requirements play an important role. The proposed integrated AHP-QFD approach has been applied to a specific northeastern region, India, to select the optimal green energy sources addressing the technical and customer requirements. AHP is used to calculate the intensity of relative priority for customer requirements. The main reason behind choosing AHP methodology is its reliability and consistency in decision-making process. The prime idea of QFD is to translate typical customer requirements into a significant technical requirement by means of transformation for every stage of development and selection. The relative priority and normalized priority of each technical requirement are computed using QFD transformation. An overall score for each green energy sources alternative is then calculated to select the optimum green energy sources based on conflicting multiple criteria. The proposed integrated methodology reveals that the solar energy is the optimum choice for future green energy investment projects followed by other sources likely hydropower, biomass and biogas, and it also suggests that exhausted source is replaced by the available sources for future clean energy planning. Based on the study findings, this research also provides guidelines for Tripura’s green energy expansion policy for practice. The uniqueness of the present research is to ascertain the relationship between needs and strategies by taking opinions from experts as well as residents.