Using AI-MCDM Model to Boost Sustainable Energy System Development: A Case Study on Solar Energy and Rainwater Collection in Guangdong Province

Sung-Lin Hsueh, Yuan Feng, Yue Sun, Ruqi Jia and Min-Ren Yan
Additional contact information
Sung-Lin Hsueh: Department of Art Design and Creative Industry, Nanfang College, 882, Wenquan Road, Conghua, Guangzhou 510970, China
Yuan Feng: Department of Art Design and Creative Industry, Nanfang College, 882, Wenquan Road, Conghua, Guangzhou 510970, China
Yue Sun: Department of Art Design and Creative Industry, Nanfang College, 882, Wenquan Road, Conghua, Guangzhou 510970, China
Ruqi Jia: Department of Art Design and Creative Industry, Nanfang College, 882, Wenquan Road, Conghua, Guangzhou 510970, China
Min-Ren Yan: College of Business, Chinese Culture University, No. 231, Sec 2, Jian Guo S. Road, Da-An District, Taipei City 106, Taiwan

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 22, 1-25

Abstract: Rural areas in southern China receive ample rainfall annually as well as over 1600 h of annual sunshine. Despite a generally severe urban–rural development imbalance, these rural areas feature well-developed basic infrastructure and diverse economic activities. Rural revitalization policies in these areas have emphasized the development of cultural and ecological tourism, which has spurred economic development and given rise to a trend of villa construction. Residential buildings sit on large areas where natural resources are abundant. These advantages are conducive to the development and use of sustainable resources. This study proposes an incentive policy encouraging rural residents to renovate their buildings to include rainwater conservation and solar power generation. The Delphi method, an analytic hierarchy process, and fuzzy logic theory were combined to establish an AI-MCDM model, with applications of artificial intelligence and multiple-criteria decision making. Using Conghua District, Guangdong Province as an example, the study suggested that the model is beneficial to increasing the willingness of rural residents to reconstruct and renovate their residences, promoting the development of a low-carbon ecological region, Wenquan Township. We conducted the Delphi process twice to assess and validate incentives for installing natural resource conservation structures in agricultural areas. Nine criteria were identified, which can be divided into three main dimensions of participation situation, generating capacity, and storage facilities. The proposed AI-MCDM model developed using the Delphi–Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process Model has high objectivity and can support rural areas in developing low-carbon, sustainable characteristics. The findings can serve as a reference for governments formulating incentives to encourage the installation of rainwater conservation and solar energy generation structures by rural households.

Keywords: rural revitalization; low carbon emission self-use residences; Delphi method; analytic hierarchy process; fuzzy logic theory; sustainable system development (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/22/12505/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/22/12505/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:22:p:12505-:d:677688

Access Statistics for this article

Sustainability is currently edited by Ms. Alexandra Wu

More articles in Sustainability from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().