A MCDM-based framework for selection of photovoltaic cell technology using novel information measure under Pythagorean fuzzy environment

With the drastic reduction in natural resource reserves, renewable energy alternatives have emerged as a clean source of energy. Photovoltaic technology (PV) is the rapidly emerging renewable energy technology because it has the capacity to directly convert the sunlight into electricity, and it paves the way for a low-carbon world. In general, the selection of a suitable PV technology, out of five accessible PV technologies, is considered as a complex multiple-criteria decision making (MCDM) problem, which encompasses the appropriate evaluation of technologies on various criteria, and decision maker’s (DMs) judgements. In current study, firstly, we integrate the Pythagorean Fuzzy (PF) information measure with the Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) to a modified novel MCDM-based approach. Then, using a case study of PV technology selection, the feasibility, efficacy, and practicability of the proposed approach are evaluated through information measure under Pythagorean Fuzzy Set (PFS). Furthermore, a comparative study has been provided to demonstrate the novelty and originality of our proposed approach. The developed MCDM-based approach gives sustainable choices to both technology selection as well as government policy supporters for the creation of low carbon society. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Bharati Vidyapeeth's Institute of Computer Applications and Management.