A Fuzzy-Social Network Multi-criteria Group Decision-Making Framework for Selection of Renewable Energy Project: A Case of China

The proper selection of a renewable energy project (REP) is the key to give play to regional resource advantages and optimize the energy consumption structure. As a complex multi-criteria group decision-making (MCGDM) problem, the choice of REP involves many influencing factors such as economy, society, and environment. To solve this problem, this paper proposes a social network MCGDM framework based on social network analysis (SNA) and hesitant probabilistic fuzzy set (HPFS). Firstly, the HPFS is introduced into the social network and constructs the hesitant probabilistic fuzzy trust function to represent the trust relationship between decision-makers. Secondly, the trust propagation operator of the hesitant probabilistic fuzzy trust function is constructed using the idea of conditional probability; then a dual feedback mechanism including opinion modification and weight adjustment is proposed to improve the group consensus level. On this basis, a social network MCGDM framework for REP selection is further proposed, and the SNA method is applied to the selection of REP for the first time. Following this, a case in Zhejiang Province, China, is presented to prove the rationality and effectiveness of the framework. The results show that the proposed hesitant probabilistic fuzzy trust function can better reflect the trust relationship between decision-makers and better describe the process of trust transmission, which is of great significance for solving the MCGDM problems such as REP selection.