An Integrated Entropy-TOPSIS Methodology for Evaluating Green Energy Sources

Abstract

This research aims to select the optimum green energy sources for sustainable planning from a given set of alternatives. The study presents an integrated multi-criteria decision-making analysis—the entropy-technique for order of preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS)—to evaluate the energy sources: coal, oil, gas, carbon capture; and storage: nuclear fission/power, large hydro, small hydro, wind, solar photovoltaic, concentrating solar, geothermal, and biomass. Information related to energy parameters are always imprecise; thus, to address the impreciseness of eliciting judgments in the preferences of criteria, the entropy method is used. TOPSIS method is then utilized to select the optimum sources. Results show that solar-photovoltaic is the optimum green energy source having the highest score value, and annual generation is the most prioritized criterion. Sensitivity analysis also demonstrates the robustness of the selection methodology.