Use of the multicriteria analysis methods to optimize sustainable energy systems based on renewable sources

Abstract

Sustainable The sustainable energy development implies to look for balanced technological alternatives, economically, socially, and environmentally. Therefore, it is a complex process which solution is commonly supported on mathematic tools, whether multi-objective optimization (MODM) or multicriteria analysis (MCDM). In this work, an analysis of these tools in the field of the renewable energy is carried out, with the purpose of identify the hybrid renewable energy systems design under a sustainable view perspective, which implies the use of MCDM or MODM tools. The methodology used consists of identifying the references related to the design of hybrid renewable energy systems and the sustainability term, using the WOS (Web of Science) search engine, which were analyzed in chronological order to identify the basic forms of the methods, the application foundations, and finally, the perspectives, reflected in the most recent publications. MCDM tools were identified as the most used with the 71% of the analyzed references, above the multiobjective methodologies; being the most popular the Hierarchical Analytical Process (AHP) and the Order of Preference for Similarity with the Ideal solution (TOPSIS). It is important that the decision makers use such kind of tools, both to design and to plan sustainable energy systems.