Methodological comparison of MCDA techniques in energy efficiency assessment: A case study of European Countries

In the context of increasing global energy demand and the urgent need for sustainable energy policies, evaluating national energy efficiency has become a critical analytical endeavor. This study presents a comparative assessment of 33 European countries using three prominent Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) methods: Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS), Visekriterijumsko Kompromisno Rangiranje (VIKOR), and Weighted Aggregated Sum Product Assessment (WASPAS). Energy-related indicators for the year 2022 were sourced from Eurostat, and criterion weights were derived using the entropy weighting method to ensure objectivity. The analysis focuses on ranking consistency, inter-method correlation, and the phenomenon of rank reversal, which poses a significant threat to the robustness of decision-making frameworks. Results reveal a strong correlation between TOPSIS and VIKOR, while WASPAS exhibits greater resilience to rank instability. The findings underscore the importance of methodological sensitivity when interpreting MCDA-based rankings, especially in international comparative contexts. The study contributes to the methodological discourse by highlighting trade-offs between consistency, robustness, and interpretability in energy efficiency evaluations. It offers practical implications for policymakers seeking to adopt transparent and reliable decision-support tools for energy planning within the European context and beyond.