Pythagorean fuzzy SWARA-VIKOR framework for performance evaluation of solar panel selection

Abstract

The age of industrialization and modernization has increased energy demands globally. Solar energy has been recognized as an inexhaustible source of energy and has been applied for desalination and electricity generation. Among different non-conventional energy resources, Solar Energy (SE) is one of the main contributors to the global energy system. A photovoltaic system (PS) is applied to produce SE using photovoltaic cells. The selection of a solar panel includes many intricate factors involving both subjective and quantifiable parameters; therefore, it can be regarded as a complex Multi-Criteria Decision-Making (MCDM) problem. As the uncertainty commonly occurs in the selection of an ideal solar panel, the theory of Pythagorean fuzzy sets has been proven as one of the flexible and superior tools to deal with the uncertainty and ambiguity that arise in real-life applications. The aim of the study is to present an MCDM framework for solving the Solar Panel Selection (SPS) problem within the Pythagorean fuzzy (PF) environment. For this, first, a new integrated method is proposed based on the Stepwise Weight Assessment Ratio Analysis (SWARA) and VlseKriterijumska Optimizcija I Kaompromisno Resenje (VIKOR) approaches in the Pythagorean fuzzy sets (PFSs) context. In the proposed approach, subjective weights of the evaluation criteria are calculated by the SWARA method, and the preference order of alternatives is decided by the VIKOR method in the PF context. The criteria weights evaluated by this approach involve the imprecision of experts' opinions, which makes them more comprehensible. The computational procedure of the proposed methodology is established through a case study of the SPS problem under PF environment, which proves the applicability and efficiency of the proposed method. Furthermore, this study performs sensitivity analysis to reveal the stability of the developed framework. This analysis signifies that the solar panel option R4 constantly secures its highest ranking despite how the parameter values vary. In addition, a comparative study is discussed to analyze the validity of the obtained result. The results show that the proposed approach is more efficient and applicable with previously developed methods in the PFS environment.