Elicitation of the Factors Affecting Electricity Distribution Efficiency using Fuzzy AHP Method: A Case Study

Abstract

Energy consumption constantly increases day-by-day, which enforces suppliers and consumers in to plan the needs for the short and long terms. This obliges studying to device useful and accurate ways to predict the need for use in corresponding periods of the time. One of these fields of study is the efficient and uninterrupted energy supply over distribution infrastructures. It is obvious that the efficiency and performance of energy supply companies plays an important role in energy supply itself and has a critical value in determining and finetuning the future roadmap of the sector. In this study, the performance and efficiency of energy supply companies with respect to productivity is investigated over a case study of an electricity distribution company in Turkey. The factors affecting the company’s performance and their corresponding weights have been determined and elicited using analytical hierarchy process (AHP) and the Fuzzy AHP methods, as two well-known multi-criteria decision-making methods. The AHP method differs from other methods in that it can evaluate qualitative and quantitative expressions together, calculate the consistency rate, and show the hierarchical structure between sub-criteria and alternatives depending on the criteria. In addition, it is a decision-making method that is widely used in the literature. The Fuzzy AHP method, on the other hand, reflects the evaluations of people better than the classical AHP method and provides convenience during the evaluation. The results help demonstrate that the criteria elicited to evaluate the company’s energy supply performance plan a crucial role in developing strategies, policies and action plans to achieve continuous improvement and consistent development.