Using Multi-Criteria Decision-Making Method for Evaluating and Ranking Renewable Energy Sources: A Case Study of Markazi Province

In the past ten years, electricity consumption in the Markazi province of Iran has risen discernibly, escalating from 40,568.7 MWh to 45,018 MWh, an annual growth rate of nearly 11%. In response to this surge and with a primary focus on mitigating air pollution and safeguarding the environment, there has been a notable emphasis on adopting clean energy sources. Now the question is, which one of our options is appropriate? Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) techniques are widely utilized in evaluating energy technologies. These methods are valuable as they consider both positive and negative criteria, mirroring real-world scenarios. Additionally, each method in this approach has its distinct advantages and limitations. In this study, the ELECTRE method was employed alongside four overarching aspects, encompassing ten criteria, to select the optimal option. The Shannon entropy method was also used to evaluate the importance of each criterion for the ranking of Renewable Energy Sources (RES). The obtained weights revealed that the environmental aspect exerts the most significant influence on determining the optimal option. The conclusive findings of the research indicate that solar photovoltaics emerged as the optimal choice, with wind energy closely following in the ranking.