A novel pythagorean fuzzy AHP and TOPSIS method for the wind power farm location selection problem

Abstract

This paper proposes an Integrated Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) with the Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) method using Pythagorean fuzzy sets for the wind farm location selection problem. The method combines the advantages of the two methodologies to consider uncertainties and lack of information in the decision-making process (human expert capacities) and enables better representation of membership and non-membership functions, and at the same time, allows for the evaluation of large numbers of alternatives and criteria. The authors implement the method to evaluate four potential sites near cities located in the west and north-west regions of Turkey, using seven main criteria and twenty-five sub-criteria. The analyses are based on the judgements of three experts/decision-makers. Moreover, the authors compare the results (site ranking) of the methodology, with those from a Pythagorean Fuzzy AHP and an interval-valued Type-2 fuzzy AHP method. With the additional consideration of the sub-criteria, the proposed method generates slight differences in the ranking compared to the previously evaluated methods.