TY - JOUR
T1 - A decision model for prioritizing geographic regions for cellulosic renewable energy
AU - Azizi, Majid
AU - Rahimi, Fatemeh
AU - Ray, Charles D.
AU - Faezipour, Mehdi
AU - Ziaie, Mosen
N1 - Funding Information:
This work was financially supported by the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Tehran [grant number 271089].
Publisher Copyright:
© 2016 The Author(s). This open access article is distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) 4.0 license.
PY - 2016/12/31
Y1 - 2016/12/31
N2 - This paper proposes a decision model for prioritizing geographic provinces in Iran to produce renewable energy from cellulosic materials by applying the Analytic Network Process (ANP). Biomass (forest residues, agricultural waste and wood) is a cellulosic material that can be used to produce thermal energy, electricity, and transportation fuels. The abundance, renewability, versatility, and carbon-neutrality make biomass a suitable feedstock for energy applications, and as an alternative for fossil fuels. Nine provinces in Iran are considered as possible locations for establishing renewable energy units. The ANP is used to synthesize and analyze the model. In different situations, all the decisions were affected by external factors; hence, the value-weighted competency model (benefits, costs, opportunities and risks) is calculated in the first stage with the influence of external factors on the competency model. Hierarchical designs of decisions are made for each of the competencies and their subsets. Paired comparison matrices associated with the degree of importance of each of the competencies were achieved in the second stage. In the final stage, subsets of competencies’ weighting values and their sub-options are identified through combination of the competencies and the best location is obtained. Finally, a sensitivity analysis of the model is performed and evaluated.
AB - This paper proposes a decision model for prioritizing geographic provinces in Iran to produce renewable energy from cellulosic materials by applying the Analytic Network Process (ANP). Biomass (forest residues, agricultural waste and wood) is a cellulosic material that can be used to produce thermal energy, electricity, and transportation fuels. The abundance, renewability, versatility, and carbon-neutrality make biomass a suitable feedstock for energy applications, and as an alternative for fossil fuels. Nine provinces in Iran are considered as possible locations for establishing renewable energy units. The ANP is used to synthesize and analyze the model. In different situations, all the decisions were affected by external factors; hence, the value-weighted competency model (benefits, costs, opportunities and risks) is calculated in the first stage with the influence of external factors on the competency model. Hierarchical designs of decisions are made for each of the competencies and their subsets. Paired comparison matrices associated with the degree of importance of each of the competencies were achieved in the second stage. In the final stage, subsets of competencies’ weighting values and their sub-options are identified through combination of the competencies and the best location is obtained. Finally, a sensitivity analysis of the model is performed and evaluated.
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U2 - 10.1080/23311975.2016.1249233
DO - 10.1080/23311975.2016.1249233
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85044835324
SN - 2331-1975
VL - 3
JO - Cogent Business and Management
JF - Cogent Business and Management
IS - 1
M1 - 1249233
ER -
