Multi-criteria decision making for photovoltaic alternatives: A case study in hot climate country

Photovoltaic (PV) experiences significant growth and has been installed in many locations worldwide over the past decades. However, selecting the best alternative of PV system remains a problem in developing countries, often involving both stakeholders’ interests and multiple objectives. This research proposes a multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) taking into account best-worst method (BWM) and VIKOR method for suitable PV alternatives. The combination provides high accuracy, faster data collection, and reliable performance compared to other methods. A case study in Tomia Island in Indonesia is used to evaluate the effectiveness of these approaches. The result shows that the best scenario is a full PV installation by combining two villages into one system. It offers the highest power and can be used not only for daily access to electricity but also to support economic activities such as tourism and aquaculture. Despite offering some economic benefits, hybrid alternatives that incorporate non-renewable energy as the main source of energy are less preferred by decision-makers due to low power generation and insignificant carbon reduction.