Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) in the Selection of Renewable Energy Sources – VIKOR Method

Abstract

Renewable energy selection is a critical step toward achieving sustainable energy goals in Malaysia. However, the decision-making process is complex due to the presence of multiple, often conflicting, evaluation criteria such as technical feasibility, economic viability, social acceptance, and environmental impact. Therefore, the main objective of this paper is to identify the most suitable renewable energy source by applying the VIKOR method, a multi-criteria decision-making approach focused on compromise solutions. The criteria weights are determined using the objective-based MEREC method to eliminate subjectivity. All evaluations are initially conducted using triangular fuzzy numbers and then defuzzified using the centroid method for analysis. Real data involving solar, hydro, wind and biomass energy alternatives are used to demonstrate the proposed method. Based on the VIKOR technique, it has been found that wind was ranked first, followed by hydro, solar, and biomass. Both approaches demonstrated significant agreement in selecting the most and least preferred alternatives, verifying the overall results, even though the TOPSIS method's results revealed a tiny variation in the middle rankings. In conclusion, an integrated MCDM framework combining VIKOR and MEREC was successfully implemented to evaluate renewable energy sources in Malaysia, with results supporting informed decision-making by eliminating subjectivity in weighting and providing consistent rankings across methodologies.