Sustainability performance evaluation of renewable energy systems using a new multi-expert multi-criteria interval type-2 fuzzy distance to ideal solution approach

Abstract

The transition from energy systems based on fossil fuels and toward those based on renewable resources is very necessary for sustainable development. Evaluation of the current sustainability level is known to be the first step toward sustainability improvements. With the use of multi-expert multi-criteria decision making and interval type-2 fuzzy sets, this research suggests a novel method for determining the current degree of sustainability through renewable energy systems based on distance to ideal solution concept. The presented approach draws attention to components that are underperforming, which assists decision-makers in recognizing the barriers to sustainable growth. A numerical example that illustrates the use of the proposed approach in renewable energy systems demonstrates the implementation methods and benefits of the strategy. The results of the sustainability performance evaluation indicate three individual dimensions of sustainability indicators for social, economic, and environmental aspects, as well as an overall sustainability indicator which is calculated as ((2.91, 4.70, 4.70, 6.47; 1.00, 1.00), (3.85, 4.70, 4.70, 5.60; 0.90, 0.90)) and according to its distance to ideal solution value 5.297 corresponds to “weakly sustainable” for the illustrative case. Also, the underperforming criteria can be determined, which for our case study are filling station availability, NOx emissions, need for waste disposal, land requirements, and social acceptability. The proposed methodology has the potential to facilitate the development of more effective policies and strategies for sustainable development on a global scale. This can be accomplished by enhancing the quality of linguistic judgments made by experts and by providing a comprehensive understanding of the sustainability of renewable energy systems worldwide.