Adjustable model of renewable energy projects for sustainable development: A case study of the Nišava District in Serbia

Abstract

This paper explores and ranks the key performance indicators of multi-criteria decision-making in the process of selecting renewable energy sources (RES). Different categories of factors (e.g., political, legal, technological, economic and financial, sociocultural, and physical) are crucial for the analysis of such projects. In this paper, we apply the fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (fuzzy AHP) method-a mathematical method-in order to analyze the main criteria for such projects, which include the environment, the organizational management structure, project participants, and participants' relationship with the performance indicators. In order of ranking, the indicators are the following: time, costs, quality, monitoring the project's sustainability, user feedback, and users' health and safety. The aim of this paper is to point out the necessity of creating an adjustable model for renewable energy projects in order to proceed with the sustainable development of the southeast part of Serbia. This model should lead the creation process for such a project, with the aim of increasing its energy efficiency.