Renewable energy technology selection for hotel buildings: A systematic approach based on AHP and VIKOR methods

Abstract

This study provides an assessment of renewable energy technology utilization in hotel buildings, which are significant structures in terms of energy consumption. The aim of the study is to determine suitable renewable energy technologies (RETs) for hotel buildings by defining criteria for evaluating RETs, assessing the relative importance of these criteria, and proposing a multi-criteria decision-making framework to solve the problem of selecting the most appropriate RETs during the design stage. The alternatives for RETs and the criteria for their evaluation are gathered through a literature review and expert consultations. Eight fundamental RETs used in hotel buildings (such as heat pumps, solar panels, biomass boilers, etc.) are examined, and nine selection criteria are analyzed. According to the weights determined by the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) method, the initial investment cost is the most influential decision criterion, with a weight of 0.314. As a result of applying the AHP and VIKOR (Multi-Criteria Optimization and Compromise Solution) methods for technology selection, photovoltaic panels emerge as the top-ranked choice. This comprehensive evaluation provides stakeholders in the building production process of hotel buildings with detailed analyses and multi-criteria decision-making methods for selecting RETs.