Abstract
Renewable energy resources have become popular in energy policies as sustainable development in the energy field requires the transition to clean or renewable energy resources such as solar, wind, and hydro to mitigate global warming. Renewable resources play a more significant role in the energy future of Turkey. However, despite renewable energy resources being cleaner and causing fewer environmental problems, the renewable energy selection problem is a complex task due to the involvement of various conflicting factors and uncertainty. Therefore, multi-criteria decision-making methods are commonly used to handle this complexity successfully. In this chapter, the studies focused on renewable energy resource selection problem in Turkey with multi-criteria decision-making methods were reviewed. Findings suggest that the number of studies increased due to the growing importance of renewables. Also, AHP, TOPSIS, and ANP have risen to the top of the literature as the most extensively used approaches.
TopCurrent State Of Renewable Energy Resources
Renewable resources are known as local, clean, and limitless energy supplies. Biomass, hydropower, geothermal, solar, wind, and marine energies are all examples of renewable energy sources. Hydropower, solar, and wind are the most commonly used renewable resources globally. They accounted for 12% of the global energy supply in 2020, and it is projected to be 26% by 2030. The ratio of renewable energy in electricity production is 17%, and it is expected to be 46% by 2030 (IEA, 2021). Figure 1 shows the global renewable energy outlook for 2050.
Figure 1. Renewable electricity share development
Key Terms in this Chapter
Energy Dependency: It refers to humanity's reliance on either primary or secondary energy for energy consumption. It shows the degree of reliance a country has on imports to satisfy its energy demands.
Solar Power: Solar power is the conversion of sunlight into thermal or electrical energy. Solar power is the most environmentally friendly and widely used renewable energy source currently accessible.
Geothermal Power: Geothermal power is generated from the heat hot water pools found at various temperatures and depths under the ground.
Hydropower: Hydropower is the oldest renewable energy resource which generates electricity by harnessing the natural flow of flowing water.
Biomass: Biomass power is generated from burning material derived from living beings like plants and animals such as plants, wood, and garbage.
Global Warming: It is the increase in the air and water temperatures which causing change in the climate. It is caused by carbon emissions mainly produced from fossil fuel consumption.
Multi-Criteria Decision-Making (MCDM) Methods: These methods are used when numerous criteria (or objectives) must be examined simultaneously to rank or choose between the alternatives being assessed.
Renewable Energy: Renewable energy resources are used to produce electricity as an alternative to fossil fuels. They cause much less environmental problems compared to fossil fuels.
Wind Power: The kinetic energy generated by moving air is utilized to generate electricity in the wind. Wind turbines convert this into electrical energy.