Energy 279 (2023) 128070

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Energy
journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/energy

Selection of strategies to improve energy efficiency in industry: A hybrid

approach using entropy weight method and fuzzy TOPSIS
Mohammad Reza Zare Banadkouki *
Department of Industrial Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Meybod University, Meybod, Iran

A R T I C L E I N F O A B S T R A C T

Handling Editor: X Zhang Energy has now turned out to be one of the key factors for competitiveness and economic growth across the
globe. In this line, the manufacturing industries have been acknowledged among the biggest drivers of economic
Keywords: development in all nations. Considering rapid industrial development and high rates of energy consumption,
Energy efficiency energy demand is multiplying faster than ever. Accordingly, it seems critical to improve energy efficiency (EF)
Ceramic tile industry
and reduce energy consumption in various industries. Finding the common types of energy waste, the strategies
Shannon’s entropy
to step up EF can consequently provide industrial owners, developers, and planners with solutions to deal with
Entropy weight method
Fuzzy TOPSIS such issues. Selecting the implementation strategies for this purpose is thus assumed multi-criteria decision-
making (MCDM) process. In the present study, the ceramic tile industry in Iran, as one of the energy-intensive
industries (EIIs) due to its manufacturing process, was investigated. To this end, the strategies to improve EF
and their evaluation criteria were initially established by reviewing the related literature and eliciting expert
opinions. Then, the Entropy Weight Method (EWM) and the fuzzy Technique for Order Preference by Similarity
to Ideal Solution (fTOPSIS) were operated to allocate weights to the criteria, and rank the given strategies,
respectively. Based on the literature review, 22 EF strategies and 4 evaluation criteria were retrieved, and finally
approved by the experts. The study results revealed that “cost of implementing strategies” received the highest
weight among the evaluation criteria. With regard to these criteria, “Reducing leakage in the compressed air
production/distribution system”, Reducing power consumption of the presses, ball mills, crushers, and glazing
during peak hours by shifting the load to non-peak hours”, as well as “Sealing/filling the pores between the rail
wall and wagon (sand seal) in tunnel kilns”, were given the highest priority as the implementation strategies at
factory level. Also, according to the change in the weight of the criteria, sensitivity analysis was performed for
the robustness and strength of the ranking.

1. Introduction higher rates of energy consumption have become the manifestations of

Energy, consumed in daily household chores and industrial activ­
ities, is the key driving force, powering the economic development en­
gine across the world. Thus, energy consumption and economic growth
are strongly associated [1]. Energy is also among the basic needs in the
industrial sector all over the globe, indicating its high importance in
developing nations with high economic growth rates during the last
decades, as it influences their economic competitiveness, and helps
create and maintain employment [2]. The rapid increase in energy
consumption in various sectors has accordingly turned into a serious
issue in developing countries, since it has raised many new challenges,
such as energy provision, energy waste, environmental impacts, ozone
layer depletion, global warming, and climate change [3]. In contrast,
economic prosperity. As efficiency is nowadays among the main factors
shaping economic conditions, its improvement in different sectors can
be one of the best ways economic growth can be achieved with regard to
the scarcity of production resources, including energy. Therefore,
moderating energy consumption and improving energy efficiency (EF)
help increase gross domestic product (GDP), accompanied by competi­
tiveness and social welfare, which is a good strategy to deal with the
problems facing energy supply and demand, and reduce greenhouse gas
(GHG) emissions [4]. Hence, EF is a core element for sustaining eco­
nomic expansion.
The ceramic tile industry is among the main industries of funda­
mental economic importance in the past, and even the axis of industrial
development in some countries. Over and above its technical features,

* Department of Industrial Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Meybod University, Meybod, 8961699557, Iran.
E-mail addresses: mr.zare@meybod.ac.ir, mr.zare@gmail.com.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.energy.2023.128070
Received 22 February 2023; Received in revised form 29 April 2023; Accepted 7 June 2023
Available online 8 June 2023
0360-5442/© 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
M.R. Zare Banadkouki
this industry is of great value from economic, sociocultural, and political
perspectives. The world’s top ceramic tile manufacturers are in the
Asian countries with the highest production rates [5]. Thanks to the
availability of raw materials, workforce abundance, and cheap energy
sources, this industry also has a privileged position in Iran.
The ceramic tile manufacturing process contains several steps,
varying based on the type of products. The main steps include, preparing
raw materials; molding, shaping, and pressing; drying; glazing; deco­
rating; and firing [6]. The raw materials are often minerals and
non-metallic materials that become uniform under heat and come to be
the final product by shaping. This process, lasting usually for a long
time, occurs inside high-temperature kilns [7]. While the ceramic tile
body and glaze are fired together, the manufacturing process is known as
single-firing. However, the body is sometimes heated first, and then
decorated and subjected to a second-heat cycle to fire the glaze, which is
called double-firing. Currently, the most common process is single-firing
[8]. Generally, the manufacturing process and the initial steps demand
much electricity to move the raw minerals, particularly those related to
the production process, such as milling, kneading, and molding. A sig­
nificant amount of thermal energy is further required to facilitate
endothermic reactions for the chemical transformation of the materials
[5]. Accordingly, high consumption rates of thermal energy occur in
some steps [9], viz., spray-drying by ceramic grouts, drying
freshly-formed ceramic tile bodies, as well as firing, which by itself
demands the highest thermal energy [10]. By definition, the ceramic tile
manufacturing process is an energy-intensive industry (EII). So, the
ceramic industry is classified as an EII [11,12]. For example, Ruivo et al.
(2021) in their study showed that the ceramic manufacturing sector
accounted for 28% of industrial energy consumption in 2019 [13]. The
production of this product at the level of processes and technologies
faces many challenges towards improving EF, where thermal energy loss
in this sector is reported to be more than 80–95% [7,9]. In other words,
not only a lot of energy is consumed in the manufacturing process, but
energy cost also accounts for a significant percentage of the total costs
and the final price of products [7].
Against this background, it is essential to attend to energy saving by
implementing new technologies to tackle the global energy crisis and
environmental degradation, and even reduce the cost of products in this
industry. The highest energy consumed in the ceramic tile industry is
mainly supplied by fossil fuels with their own environmental impacts, as
a challenge to most countries under the obligations for reducing GHG
emissions. Considering cheap energy in Iran, but timeworn
manufacturing equipment, energy loss is high in this sector. With regard
to the importance of energy consumption optimization, it is of utmost
importance to keep an eye on the strategies for improving EF and
moderating energy consumption. In view of the cost of implementing EF
strategies in industrial sectors and reassuring as many industrial owners,
developers, and policymakers as possible to invest and implement the
effective strategies, selecting such strategies in light of various evalua­
tion criteria is among the multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) pro­
cesses. Utilizing the MCDM techniques accordingly aids industrial
owners, developers, policymakers, and planners involved in this sector
to make the best decisions. From this perspective, this study was an
attempt to select the strategies to improve EF in the ceramic tile in­
dustry. For this purpose, the related strategies and their evaluation
criteria were initially identified, and then the decision-making alterna­
tives, i.e., the strategies, were ranked in relation to the evaluation
criteria with reflections on their capacity to be implemented and
feasibility.
The following points indicate the novelty of the present study: i)
Providing strategies with the aim of improving EF and focusing on the
critical points of energy consumption in the ceramic and tile industry, ii)
Developing evaluation criteria for EF strategies in terms of feasibility,
iii) Using the MCDM method to select and prioritize EF strategies. The
unique contribution of this research compared to other studies can be
expressed as follows: In order to identify EF strategies, a comprehensive
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Energy 279 (2023) 128070
approach including production process, production equipment and
consumption management have been adopted. The evaluation criteria
presented in this research are completely unique. Moreover, the appli­
cation of the combined entropy-topsis method with the purpose of
choosing EF strategies has rarely been used in other researches in this
field.
This paper is organized as follows: Section 2 introduces a review of
the relevant literature. The Methodology of the research is elaborated in
section 3. Section 4 presents the Numerical Examples of data analysis
related to Identifying EF strategies for the ceramic tile industry extracted
and Ranked. The discussion is presented in Section 5. The Managerial
and practical implications are presented in Section 6. Finally, the
concluding remarks are included in Section 7.
2. Literature review
The review of the literature will be presented in the following three
sections: In the first section, studies related to EF and its importance in
various industries will be reviewed. Then, EF studies in the ceramic and
tile production sector will be mentioned, and finally, we will briefly
describe the studies conducted with MCDM techniques related to the
research objectives.
2.1. EF in industry
EF indicates the ratio of the useful output (namely, production) to
the energy input. Improving EF accordingly denotes using less energy for
the identical level of previous production or more with the equal amount
of energy consumed earlier [14]. This increases competitiveness
through cost reduction, and even helps minimize environmental
degradation [15]. Given this, some studies investigating EF in various
industries were reviewed.
For example, Liu [16] explored EF in the cement industry in China in
light of the construction and renovation of new facilities. He further
investigated EF improvement in vertical kilns with no high technologies,
and then analyzed them in terms of costs, energy intensity, and envi­
ronmental impacts based on three scenarios, viz., advanced high-cost
precalciner kilns, as well as advanced moderate- and low-cost vertical
ones. In the research carried out by Chu et al. [17] on the drivers of EF in
China, they used an economic growth model to identify the de­
terminants of EF, ultimately finding that EF is related to the share of
industry in GDP, share of public sector in GDP, and share of electricity in
total energy consumption. They also stated that for better EF, the
country’s industrial development structure should shift from industry to
service and its energy consumption structure should shift to clean en­
ergies. As well, Pardo Martínez [18] reflected on the management pol­
icies, actions, and strategies shaping EF in the manufacturing industries
of Germany and Colombia. Based on the primary data from both coun­
tries, they examined the factors affecting EF performance, which were
placed into three categories, namely, economy, production, and political
tools. They correspondingly established that energy management was of
utmost importance for the manufacturing industries in respect of busi­
ness strategies. As well, the quantification and evaluation of energy
consumption and EF were considered as the input indicators for
improvement and optimization in the business strategies. In this way,
achieving higher EF performance in German industry could be possible
through a pattern of economy, production, and political tools, whereas
improvements in EF in Colombia were mostly related to economy and
production. It was further suggested that energy policies should take
account of legal and financial tools to lay down the conditions for
improving EF in the manufacturing industries. In this line, Mielli [19]
proposed some EF strategies in the cement industry. Considering that
cement production was energy-intensive, he then stated that energy
costs could account for up to 40% of the cement manufacturing costs. EF
plans, consisting of strategic measures and new technologies, could thus
further reduce costs by lowering consumption rates and improving
M.R. Zare Banadkouki
operational efficiency. The implementation of EF plans in cement plants
was accordingly beyond applying variable-speed drivers and optimizing
advanced processes in grinding and kiln combustion. Among such plans
were the sustainability task force, measurement and management, and
central control room. The policies for EF and its improvement in the
manufacturing industries in China were similarly delineated by Yang
et al. [20]. To do so, the effects of implementing the energy saving and
emission reduction (ESER) policy during the 11th five-year plan (FYP)
on EF in the manufacturing sector in this country, along with the
environmental-adjusted EF in 15 EIIs, were evaluated and compared,
using the coverage analytics. It was then concluded that four industries
had so far achieved significant EF improvements in the 11th fiscal year,
mainly attributed to the effective implementation of the ESER policy. In
contrast, EF in 11 industries had experienced relatively small improve­
ments over the decade. Li et al. [21] similarly investigated EF evaluation
methods and policies in EIIs. Upon reviewing the related literature, they
shed light on the methodological models of EF evaluation and their
measurement in EIIs, particularly in power plants worldwide. They
subsequently classified the EF criteria and their associated policies, as
well as the factors affecting energy consumption, including investment,
environmental indicators, structural indicators (viz., energy consump­
tion at factory level), GDP, energy prices, and workforce. In addition,
they found that technological indicators, environmental factors, de­
mand, and resources could be the main limitations in the given models.
EF in such industries had been further influenced by the technology
utilized and the level of production. Besides, Tetiana et al. [22]
researched the innovative methods for evaluating the performance of EF
projects. For this purpose, they introduced a mathematical model for
selecting EF projects and maximizing their economic impacts. The main
components examined were project lifecycle cost, project completion
budget, and cost of delay. They also highlighted the socioenvironmental
effects of EF projects. Developing strategies to improve the EF of boilers
in the pharmaceutical industry, Djayanti [23] drew attention to inade­
quate energy resources and supply-demand gap, and reported that en­
ergy supply, especially in the industrial sector, was a costly decision, and
the best strategy to handle this problem was to increase the efficiency of
industrial operations and equipment, and improve EF through energy
audit. This strategy was further deemed as a great opportunity to save
energy costs in practical, stable, and economically feasible oil boilers.
Based on the efficiency analysis of the boilers, it was demonstrated that
energy saving could be boosted by 15% via controlling the excess air and
adjusting the inlet air to the combustion chamber. Koutsandreas et al.
[24], in a systematic literature review, also studied risk mitigation
strategies in the financing of EF, raised the need to increase investment
in EF for the years to come, and found that there was no attention to
relevant technical aspects and uncertainty factors. In their study, they
additionally labelled a wide range of risks and uncertainties in EF
financing, and classified them in relation to the phase of the project that
was likely to be launched. The existing risks in the financing of EF were
consequently placed into eight general categories, and the most refer­
enced ones were those pointing to the regulatory framework of the
executing country and the technical aspects of the EF projects. Shah
et al. [25] examined the trends and determinants of EF in South Asian
countries, stating that EF is the most efficient solution for addressing
increasing energy demand. They also investigated the role of EF and
productivity growth in the ecological improvement of South Asia and
evaluated the determinants of EF change (efficiency change or techno­
logical change) in different South Asian countries. The results of this
study showed that the main determinant of EF growth is technological
change rather than efficiency change. These researchers also reported
that the average EF from 2001 to 2010 has been significantly different
from 2011 to 2019. Their results ultimately showed that EF and pro­
ductivity in South Asia have decreased over the course of the studied
period, a trend that they attributed to inefficiency in energy conversion,
extensive resource utilization, and low production growth.
3
Energy 279 (2023) 128070
2.2. EF in ceramic and tile manufacturing
The literature contains a number of studies on the subject of EF in
ceramic and tile manufacturing and the methods of improving EF in this
industry. Some of the more notable studies in this field are mentioned
below.
Agrafiotis and Tsoutsos. [7], investigated energy saving technologies
in the European ceramics sector. While examining the cooking process,
they analyzed the thermal energy consumption. Also, they introduced
the arrangement of furnaces, insulation of burners and furnaces along
with energy audit as effective measures to save energy. In his study,
Weber. (2009) also investigated EF in the ceramic industry in terms of
furnace technology and suggested energy saving by heat recovery in
furnaces and dryers. In a study by Cassani [26] on energy recovery from
kiln, spray dryer, and mill, it was stated that roller kilns account for most
of the thermal energy waste in ceramic tile manufacturing. Bristo et al.
[27] investigated the EF in the ceramic industry by recovering the
combustion heat of furnaces and spray-dryer performance. They sug­
gested replacing more efficient equipment and recovering heat through
combustion smoke. Introducing a definition for “waste heat” in indus­
trial processes, Bending et al. [28] stated that the kilns used in ceramic
tile manufacturing are extremely inefficient and waste a major part of
their energy input through stacks and coolants. In a study by Mezquita
et al. [8], they stated that a major part of thermal energy consumed in
the production of ceramic tiles is wasted in the firing stage, and roller
kilns, which are the type of kiln most widely used in this stage, are fueled
by natural gas and tend to waste over 50% of their energy input through
stacks and coolants. These researchers proposed a method based on
adjusting certain kiln operating parameters for energy saving in the kiln
by making part of the cooling gas return to the firing chamber instead of
being released into the atmosphere. Ciacco et al. [2] studied energy
consumption in the Brazilian ceramic and tile industry. In this study, by
quantifying the energy consumption of tile and ceramic production
processes, the researchers found that the firing and sintering stage
consumes the most energy in the production process, and the atomiza­
tion steps and drying are in the next positions. Delpech et al. [29] believe
that one of the solutions for EF and recovery of wasted heat in the
ceramic industry is the use of heat exchangers based on heat pipe
technology. In the study conducted by Manrique et al. [5] analyzed the
barriers to the implementation of EF measures in Colombia’s ceramic
tile industry. This study reported that the greatest barriers to the
implementation of said measures are hidden costs followed by corporate
values. This study also found a positive correlation between potential
energy savings, the degree of obsolescence of equipment, and the overall
barrier to the implementation of EF measures. The results also showed
that the identified barriers can be overcome by devising some programs
for reducing uncertainty in the adoption of new technologies. Ferrer
et al. [30] also checked energy balance and exergy analysis of an in­
dustrial roller kiln for firing porcelain tiles. They accordingly reported
the low efficiency of continuous roller kilns fed with natural gas, iden­
tified the most critical parameters affecting their EF, and suggested
strategies to improve their energy performance. Their analysis
confirmed that the main sources of high energy loss in kilns were natural
gas combustion, heat transfer in the cooling process of fired tiles, and
heat transfer through kiln surface. Waste heat recovery could signifi­
cantly enhance the energy performance of the kiln. Some strategies to
improve such performance were implementing systems for heat recov­
ery for flue and cooling gases, optimizing burner inlet airflow rate, and
augmenting thermal insulation of kilns. In their review of EF de­
velopments, technologies and strategies in the ceramic industry, Castro
Oliveira et al. [31] stated that since heat-based manufacturing processes
tend to have extremely high energy loss, they can significantly benefit
from waste heat recovery (WHR) strategies. They recommended a
number of actions for improving EF in ceramic tile manufacturing,
which include using high-efficiency burners, recycling hot air from kilns
to other processes, installing heat exchangers, and using gas turbines for
M.R. Zare Banadkouki
combined heat and power generation. In a study by Türkmen et al. [32]
on the sustainability of the ceramic tile industry in Turkey, they
compared the environmental impacts of current manufacturing process
under four scenarios: 1- heat recovery for use in the drying process, 2-
improving combustion efficiency, 3- producing thinner ceramic tiles to
minimize energy and material consumption, and 4- a combination of all
other scenarios. They analyzed the implications of each scenario for
each stage of ceramic tile production and estimated the impact on sus­
tainability. In their research, Castro Oliveira et al. [33] evaluated the
improvement of EF in the ceramic industry through waste heat recovery
modelling and while pointing to the high energy consumption in this
industry, they stated that the highest energy consumption in the units
cooking, drying, spray dryer and boiling happen. For this reason, the
highest energy loss occurs in these units and the adoption of waste heat
recovery (WHR) strategies will lead to EF in this sector. Also, they
suggested hot air recycling solutions by cooling furnaces and installing
heat exchangers. Furthermore, Ruivo et al. [13] investigated energy
management in the Portuguese ceramic tile industry, and addressed the
high rates of thermal energy consumption in this sector. Implementing
EF measures with cost-free strategies were then found to be vital. They
further analyzed the characteristics of energy in different sub-sectors of
ceramic tile manufacturing, and dealt with inefficient energy manage­
ment with much focus on natural gas consumption. They further re­
ported that improving energy consumption had reduced kiln operation
practices, and this had been minimized by kiln ceramic load optimiza­
tion, efficient combustion in burners, and waste heat recovery, leading
to the direct use of cooling air in the drying step, as some cost-free
strategies that could significantly save energy and lower carbon emis­
sions. In a study, Monteiro et al. [34] evaluated integrated environ­
mental and economic life cycle improvement strategies for the ceramic
industry. By analyzing the actual energy consumption of the processes
and the waste heat potential, they presented three waste heat recovery
scenarios. The results indicated that applying heat recovery from flue
gases to preheat the combustion air, leads to a significant reduction in
environmental effects.
2.3. MCDM techniques (application of entropy, TOPSIS method)
In complex and unstable environments, the problem of decision-
making is considered one of the most important issues in modern
management because decision-makers are faced with different options
affected by different internal and external criteria. In this case, MCDM
models are considered as one of the effective tools for making optimal
decisions, and in the current era, they are considered an important part
of modern and scientific decision-making knowledge [35]. These tech­
niques are widely used in many fields such as energy, supply chain,
quality assurance, transportation, information and communication
technology, management, economics, social sciences, etc. [36–38].
MCDM methods are a set of decision-making techniques that consist of
quantitative and qualitative factors. In these methods, the opinions and
goals of multiple decision-makers are clearly combined and they are
allowed to rank the criteria and importance of each of them using the
observations made. So, the inconsistencies are resolved despite the
inconsistent and opposing opinions. MCDM methods are used in prob­
lems that follow different conditions, situations and goals and include a
wide range of developed and applied methods that are used in solving
problems. Some of these methods are: analytic hierarchy process (AHP)
[39–41], analytical network process (ANP) [39], preference ranking
organization method for enrichment evaluations (PROMETHEE) [42,
43], elimination and choice expressing reality (ELECTRE) [44], the
order of preference by similarity to an ideal solution (TOPSIS) [45–48],
and simple additive weighting (SAW) [49,50]. These methods can be
used for multifaceted, group decisions and complex issues with a high
level of uncertainty. On the other hand, these methods provide the
possibility of considering different views and decision-making prefer­
ences of separate decision-makers. In recent years, researchers have
4
Energy 279 (2023) 128070
turned their attention to MCDM for complex decision-making [35].
In many studies, distance-based uncertainty techniques (e.g., TOP­
SIS) have been reported as suitable and flexible tools for MCDM ana­
lyses. The reason for this superiority can be stated as: the ease of
changing the weight of the criteria for analysis by decision makers,
relatively easy calculations and the ease of identifying the highest
weight of the criteria. In addition, the results of Thor et al. [51], Junior
et al. [41] and Wang et al. [38] studies illustrate that the TOPSIS
method, perform better than SAW, AHP and ELECTRE due to its struc­
tured compatibility, ease of calculations, and its ability to manage large
data sets [52].
In another study, Elsayed et al. [53] pointed out that the TOPSIS
method is superior to other methods due to its computational efficiency
and favorable ability to measure relative performance for each alter­
native. Alao et al. [39] believe that the TOPSIS method is an effective
MCDM method due to its simplicity and ability to understand. Because
of the mentioned reasons, TOPSIS technique was used in this research.
Another important task in MCDM analysis is to determine the
weights of criteria. The weight of the criteria shows the relative
importance of a criterion compared to the alternatives in multi-criteria
problems, which is usually between 0 and 1 for each criterion [39].
Several techniques for determining the weight of criteria have been
reported in the literature, such as: entropy method, standard deviation,
weighted average method, statistical variance and correlation between
criteria [54,55]. Weighting can be determined using an objective or
subjective method based on the nature of the criteria. Among the
mentioned techniques, the entropy method has been widely used
compared to other methods in the previous studies for weighting the
criteria [39]. Therefore, entropy is used to weight the criteria in the
current research.
Due to the nature of MCDM methods, they can focus on quantitative/
qualitative data or a combination of both. Quantitative criteria express
the characteristics of alternatives in the form of numerical values, while
qualitative criteria express the opinion and judgment of decision makers
regarding the characteristics of alternatives. When the relative impor­
tance of a criterion to the alternatives is expressed through qualitative
(mental) attributes or verbal expressions, these qualitative attributes
must be converted into quantitative. Due to ambiguity and uncertainty
in human’s mental opinions and judgments, mental characteristics can
be converted and expressed numerically by using fuzzy scale [39].
TOPSIS technique is easily combined with fuzzy logic in cases where the
data is in the form of verbal variables [56].
Therefore, based on these reasons and research objectives, which
seeks to choose the best EF strategies in the industry, we used the
combined technique of entropy weighting and fuzzy TOPSIS.
Entropy weighting and TOPSIS have been widely used in research
literature. In the following, for example, some of these applications in
research with an industrial approach are briefly mentioned. Chaghooshi
et al. [57] used fuzzy TOPSIS technique and entropy to select industrial
robotic system. In his study, Wood [52] selected a supplier for the
development of oil industry facilities using intuitive fuzzy TOPSIS and
entropy weighting. In their study, Lu et al. [58] selected the suppliers of
machinery and industrial products using the entropy and TOPSIS
method. Reddy et al. [59] selected the best sustainable building mate­
rials using entropy-based fuzzy TOPSIS method. Oluah et al. [60]
selected phase change material to improve the performance of thrombus
wall systems using entropy weighting and TOPSIS. Alao et al. [39] in a
study using MCDM technique based on entropy weighting and TOPSIS
selected waste to energy technology in Nigeria. Kaaffah et al. [61]
designed a vendor selection system in the oil and gas industry using
intuitive fuzzy TOPSIS and entropy weighting method. Anwar [62]
investigated the strategies of choosing the best biodiesel raw materials
from economic, technical, environmental and social aspects using
multi-criteria decision analysis. In another study, Chodha et al. [63]
selected the electric arc welding robot using TOPSIS and entropy tech­
niques. Cao and Xu [36] in a research using entropy-based fuzzy TOPSIS,
M.R. Zare Banadkouki Energy 279 (2023) 128070

addressed the optimal decision in the investment of large-scale projects. applications it is often convenient to work with triangular fuzzy
Moreover, An et al. [64] evaluated the multidimensional development numbers (TFNs) because of their computational simplicity, and they are
of renewable energies in Belt and Road Initiative countries using TOPSIS useful in promoting representation and information processing in a
and entropy techniques. fuzzy environment [67].
Triangular fuzzy numbers can be defined as a triplet A
̃ = (l, m, u).
3. Methods The parameters l, m, and u. Respectively, indicate the smallest possible
value, the most promising value, and the largest possible value that
Considering its implications for industrial owners, developers, and describe a fuzzy event. A triangular fuzzy number M is shown in Fig. 2
policymakers in suggesting the main EF strategies, this descriptive- [68].
analytical study was of applied research type, using a structuralist A fuzzy number A ̃ on R to be a TFN if its membership functions μ(x):
approach as its philosophy, which aimed to create concepts in a specific R → [0, 1] is equal to following Eq. (1):
field, especially in the identification of the evaluation criteria for EF. For ⎧
data collection, a library method was initially utilized to examine the ⎪
⎪
⎪
x− l
.l ≤ x ≤ m
⎪
documents and the related literature, and then expert opinions were ⎪
⎨ m− l
elicited. To conduct the research, the case study of the ceramic tile in­ μà (x) = u − x .m ≤ x ≤ u (1)
⎪
⎪
dustry was performed. As the study procedure, first, the documents and ⎪u − m
⎪
⎪
⎩
the literature on energy consumption and optimization in Iran’s ceramic 0 .otherwise
tile industry were reviewed, and then the effective strategies for
improving EF in this sector were extracted. Based on previous studies 3.2. Linguistic variables
and expert opinions, the EF evaluation criteria were identified and
weighted, using the Entropy Weight Method (EWM) or Shannon’s En­ Linguistic variables take on values defined in its term set: its set of
tropy. At last, the fuzzy Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to linguistic terms. Linguistic terms are subjective categories for the lin­
Ideal Solution (fTOPSIS) was employed to learn about the most effective guistic variable. A linguistic variable is a variable whose values are
strategies to improve energy consumption, and the EF strategies in the words or sentences in a natural or artificial language [48]. This paper
given industry were ranked. The experts were also selected via non- used linguistic variables to express reasonably a situation that is difficult
probable, non-random, purposive sampling, out of those having at
least five years of professional work experience in EF in the ceramic tile
industry, and a relevant bachelor’s degree at the minimum. Fig. 1 de­
picts the research process.

3.1. Establishing fuzzy numbers

Fuzzy sets are sets whose elements have degrees of membership.

Fuzzy sets have been introduced by Zadeh [65] as an extension of the
classical notion of set. In classical set theory, the membership of ele­
ments in a set is assessed in binary terms according to a bivalent con­
dition an element either belongs or does not belong to the set [66]. It is
Fig. 2. Triangular fuzzy number.
possible to use different fuzzy numbers according to the situation. In

Fig. 1. Research process.

5
M.R. Zare Banadkouki Energy 279 (2023) 128070

to define. Table 1 shows Linguistic variables for the rating alternatives precisely and crisp values are used in the evaluation process. However,
and corresponding Triangular Fuzzy Numbers. under many conditions crisp data are inadequate to model real-life de­
cision problems. Therefore, the fuzzy TOPSIS method is proposed where
the weights of criteria and ratings of alternatives are evaluated by lin­
3.3. EWM
guistic variables represented by fuzzy numbers to deal with the defi­
ciency in the traditional TOPSIS [74]. This method is particularly
The EWM was first proposed by Shannon and Weaver in 1974. The
suitable for solving the group decision-making problem under fuzzy
entropy concept accordingly expresses the degree of uncertainty in a
environment. The algorithm of this method can be described as follows:
continuous probability distribution [69]. This method is based on the
principle that the greater the dispersion in the values of an index, the Step 1. Determine the weighting of evaluation criteria (This research
more important that index is [70]. The EWM was thus operated in five employs entropy to find the fuzzy preference weight).
steps as follows.
Step 2. Construct the fuzzy performance/decision matrix and choose
Step 1. Creating a decision matrix was the first step. This matrix the appropriate linguistic variables for the alternatives with respect to
contains m alternatives and n criteria, so m alternatives were evaluated criteria.
using n criteria.
C1 C1 … Cn
Step 2. In this step, the decision matrix was normalized based on Eq.
(2). A1 ⎡ ̃x11 ̃x12 x1n ⎤
̃ ∑ (k)
⋯ ̃xij
⎢
A 2 ⎢ ̃x21 ̃x22 x2n ⎥
̃ ⎥ i=1,2,…, m ; j=1,2,…, n ; ̃xij = (6)
rij ̃=
D ⎢ ⎥ k
pij = ∑
m (2) ⋮ ⎣ ⋮⋮ ⋱ ⋮ ⎦
rij
i=1 Am xm1 ̃xm2 ⋯ ̃xmn
̃

k
Where ̃
xij is the performance rating of alternative Ai with respect to
Step 3. The entropy of each criterion was calculated according to Eq. criterion Cj evaluated by kth expert, and ̃
xij
(k)
= (lij . mij .uij ).
(k) (k) (k)
(3) in the third step. As per, the value of m refers to the number of the
study alternatives. Step 3. Normalize the fuzzy-decision matrix. The normalized fuzzy-
decision matrix denoted by R ̃ is shown as following formula:
∑
m
( ) 1 [ ]
Ej = − K pij Ln pij .K = (3) ̃ = ̃rij
R i = 1.2.…. m; j = 1.2. …. n (7)
i=1
Ln(m) m×n

Then, the normalization process can be performed by following

formula:
Step 4. After calculating the entropy of each criterion, their uncer­ ( )
tainty or degree of deviation (dj) was determined (Eq. (4)). lij mij uij { ⃒ }
̃rij = + . + . + ; u+ ⃒
j = maxi uij i = 1.2.….m for benefit criteria (8)
uj uj uj
d j = 1 − Ej (4)
( )
l−j l−j l−j { ⃒ }
̃rij = . . ; l−j = min lij ⃒i = 1.2.….m for cost criteria (9)
uij mij lij
Step 5. Finally, the weight of each criterion (Wj) was determined in
line with Eq. (5). The normalized ̃rij is still triangular fuzzy numbers. The weighted
fuzzy normalized decision matrix is shown as following matrix V:
̃
dj [ ]
Wj = ∑
n (5) ̃ = ̃vij . i = 1.2.….m ; j = 1.2.….n Where ̃
V mn
vij = ̃
xij ∗ wi (10)
dj
i=1

3.4. The fuzzy TOPSIS method Step 4. Identify positive ideal (A+) and negative ideal (A-) solutions.
The fuzzy positive-ideal solution (FPIS, A+) and the fuzzy negative-ideal
TOPSIS is a widely used MADM technique because of its simple and solution (FNIS, A-) are shown in the following equations:
programmable nature [71]. TOPSIS, developed by Hwang and Yoon is { + + }
{( ⃒ ) (
⃒ ′
⃒
⃒
)}
used to obtain ranking scores and rank the alternatives accordingly [72]. A+ = ̃ v1 .̃v2 .….̃v+ = maxvij ⃒⃒iεI . × minvij ⃒⃒iεI ′′
(11)
i j
j
The basic concept of this method is that the chosen alternative should
. i = 1.2.….n . j = 1.2.….m
have the shortest distance from the positive ideal solution and the
farthest distance from negative ideal solution. Positive ideal solution is a {( ⃒ ) (
⃒ ′
⃒
⃒
)}
{ − − }
solution that maximizes the benefit criteria and minimizes cost criteria, v1 .̃v2 .….̃v−i =
A− = ̃ minvij ⃒⃒iεI . × maxvij ⃒⃒iεI ′′
whereas the negative ideal solution maximizes the cost criteria and
j j (12)
minimizes the benefit criteria [73]. In the classical TOPSIS method, the . i = 1.2.….n j = 1.2.….m
weights of the criteria and the ratings of alternatives are known
Where I is associated with benefit criteria and I′′ is associated with cost
′

criteria.
Table 1
Linguistic variables and Triangular Fuzzy Numbers. Step 5. Calculate the distance of each alternative from A+ and A-using
Linguistic variables TFN the following equations:
Very low (VL) (0,0.1,0.3)
Low (L) (0.1,0.3,0.5) ∑
n
( )
Medium (M) (0.3,0.5,0.7)
D+
j = d ̃vij .̃v+
i j = 1.2.….m (13)
j=1
High (H) (0.5,0.7,0.9)
Very high (VH) (0.7,0.9,1)

6
M.R. Zare Banadkouki Energy 279 (2023) 128070

∑
n
( ) Table 2
D−j = d ̃vij .̃v−i j = 1.2.…. m (14) EF strategies for the ceramic tile industry extracted from the related literature.
j=1
No. Alternatives REF

1 A1 Using power and speed controllers in alternating [2,75]

compressors
Step 6. Calculate similarities to ideal solution.
2 A2 Separating the power consumption of different [2,29]
sections of the factory by installing a separate meter
D−j on each section’s power supply path
CCj = j = 1.2.….m (15)
D+ −
j + Dj
3 A3 Installing a capacitor next to major consumers for [76]
power factor correction
4 A4 Reducing the simultaneity factor of major consumers experts’
to reduce demand and increase the factory’s load opinion
Step 7. : Rank preference order. Choose an alternative with maximum factor
CC∗j or rank alternatives according to CC∗j in descending order. 5 A5 Reducing leakage in the compressed air production/ [13,75,77]
distribution system
6 A6 Reducing the temperature of the air entering the [13,30]
4. Numerical Examples compressor to improve its efficiency
7 A7 Regular maintenance of facilities and equipment [5,78]
The opinions of 10 experts were mined in this study, including four 8 A8 Installing automatic doors or air curtain systems [79]
9 A9 Implementing a lighting management program in [80,81]
individuals as engineers working in the ceramic tile industry with en­
the factory
ergy expertise, 2 people as plant chief executive officers (CEOs), two 10 A10 Insulating steam and hot water pipes along [33]
experts as energy inspectors and auditors in the ceramic tile industry, transmission and distribution routes
and two faculty members as researchers in the energy sector. Based on 11 A11 Insulating heat exchangers, boilers, and hot water [33]
the literature, the implementation strategies for improving EF and sources
12 A12 Proper loading of AC motors and transformers [82]
reducing energy consumption in the ceramic tile industry were extrac­ 13 A13 Reducing power consumption of the presses, ball experts’
ted, and then the evaluation criteria for the strategies in terms of their mills, crushers, and glazing during peak hours by opinion
capacity to be implemented at factory level were identified. Eliciting shifting the load to non-peak hours
expert opinions, the MCDM technique was further employed, and the 14 A14 Using power controllers and soft starters in ball mill [83]
electro motors
implementation strategies were ranked according to their priority.
15 A15 Using smaller electro motors matching the load of [5,82,84]
Therefore, it should be briefly stated that in this study, experts’ slurry mixers
opinions have been used for the following purposes: identifying sensitive 16 A16 Waste heat recovery from combustion exhaust gases [13,28–31,
points of energy consumption in the studied industry, introducing EF through heat exchanger and from hot air exiting the 33]
strategies, deriving evaluation criteria for strategies, completing the kiln’s cooling system
17 A17 Replacing roller kiln with tunnel kilns [7,8,26,28,
decision matrix considering verbal terms and weighting criteria based
30,33]
on the research method. The research procedure was as follows. 18 A18 Adjusting excess air in burners and kilns [8,13,30–32]
19 A19 Controlling the kiln’s firing process and cycle [8,26,29,32]
Step 1. Identifying EF strategies in Iran’s ceramic tile industry 20 A20 Adjusting and calibrating kiln thermocouples [29]
21 A21 Sealing/filling the pores between the rail wall and [33]
Upon reviewing the related literature on EF in the ceramic tile in­
wagon (sand seal) in tunnel kilns
dustry at factory level, the main obstacles, challenges, and strategies to 22 A22 Using high-efficiency electro motors in kiln fans [5,77]
improve energy consumption were investigated from the technical,
managerial, and manufacturing perspectives. Afterward, a list of the
strategies to moderate energy consumption was prepared, as illustrated
Table 3
in Table 2.
Evaluation criteria for EF strategies.
Step 2. Identifying the evaluation criteria for EF strategies No. Code Criteria

To identify the evaluation criteria, previous research was first 1 C1 Time to implement the strategy
reviewed. Next, a list of the key criteria for evaluating the EF strategies 2 C2 Use of existing technologies to implement the strategy
3 C3 Effect of the strategy on lower energy consumption
was extracted based on their capacity to be implemented at factory level.
4 C4 Cost of implementing the strategy
For this purpose, seven criteria, including “time to implement the
strategy”, “rate of return on capital”, “use of existing technologies to
implement the strategy”, “effect of the strategy on lower energy con­ The EWM was used to allocate weight to the criteria. At first, the
sumption”, “cost of implementing the strategy”, “infrastructure needed fuzzy data were converted into explicit ones through the center of area
to implement the strategy”, and “production line failure” were initially (CoA) method, according to Eq. (16), before starting the EWM steps and
identified. Then, these criteria were given to the experts to check their upon calculating the fuzzy collective values of all expert opinions in
priority and effectiveness in the evaluation of the EF strategies for the relation to each alternative-criterion, often called the best non-fuzzy
ceramic tile industry in Iran. Finally, four cases were recognized as the performance (BNP) values [85].
top evaluation criteria, displayed in Table 3. [( ) ( )]
uij − lij + mij − lij
Step 3. Creating the decision matrix Xij = + lij (16)
3
To evaluate the EF strategies in the ceramic tile industry, as The decision matrix developed based on the EWM calculations is
mentioned above, the opinions of 10 experts involved in this field were shown in Table 5. Fulfilling the EWM steps accordingly helped obtain
elicited based on the framework presented in Table 1. the weights of the criteria, as depicted in the last row in Table 5.
After completing the initial decision matrices by all experts, and
Step 5. Normalizing the fuzzy decision matrix
converting the verbal expressions into triangular fuzzy numbers and
The fuzzy decision matrix presented in Step 3 (Table 4) is normalized
calculating their mean values, the final decision matrix was determined.
using Eqs. (8) and (9).
Table 4 depicts the decision matrix in this study.
Step 6. Creating weighted normal fuzzy decision matrix
Step 4. Allocating weight to the criteria
The weights of the criteria obtained by the EWM (Table 5) and the

7
M.R. Zare Banadkouki Energy 279 (2023) 128070

Table 4
Fuzzy decision matrix.
Alternatives Criteria

C1 C2 C3 C4

A1 0.2 0.38 0.58 0.2 0.38 0.58 0.28 0.46 0.64 0.28 0.46 0.64
A2 0.32 0.5 0.7 0.26 0.46 0.66 0.5 0.7 0.86 0.26 0.46 0.66
A3 0.66 0.86 0.98 0.4 0.58 0.76 0.3 0.5 0.7 0.3 0.5 0.7
A4 0.3 0.5 0.7 0.48 0.66 0.82 0.36 0.54 0.74 0.16 0.3 0.5
A5 0.46 0.66 0.84 0.62 0.82 0.96 0.5 0.7 0.9 0.06 0.22 0.42
A6 0.5 0.7 0.86 0.38 0.58 0.76 0.16 0.34 0.54 0.28 0.46 0.66
A7 0.38 0.58 0.78 0.44 0.62 0.8 0.4 0.58 0.78 0.5 0.7 0.86
A8 0.18 0.38 0.58 0.26 0.46 0.66 0.08 0.22 0.42 0.18 0.38 0.58
A9 0.38 0.58 0.78 0.36 0.54 0.72 0.14 0.3 0.5 0.14 0.3 0.5
A10 0.62 0.82 0.96 0.38 0.58 0.78 0.28 0.46 0.66 0.16 0.34 0.54
A11 0.5 0.7 0.86 0.4 0.58 0.78 0.46 0.66 0.82 0.16 0.34 0.54
A12 0.12 0.26 0.46 0.14 0.34 0.54 0.14 0.3 0.5 0.5 0.7 0.88
A13 0.42 0.62 0.8 0.38 0.58 0.78 0.5 0.7 0.86 0.08 0.22 0.42
A14 0.16 0.34 0.54 0.36 0.54 0.74 0.32 0.5 0.7 0.42 0.62 0.82
A15 0.42 0.62 0.82 0.46 0.66 0.84 0.32 0.5 0.7 0.46 0.66 0.84
A16 0.28 0.46 0.66 0.46 0.66 0.86 0.46 0.66 0.86 0.3 0.5 0.7
A17 0.12 0.26 0.46 0.04 0.18 0.38 0.58 0.78 0.94 0.66 0.86 0.98
A18 0.22 0.42 0.62 0.38 0.58 0.78 0.18 0.34 0.52 0.28 0.46 0.66
A19 0.34 0.54 0.74 0.66 0.86 0.98 0.22 0.38 0.58 0.3 0.5 0.7
A20 0.34 0.54 0.74 0.54 0.74 0.92 0.2 0.34 0.54 0.24 0.42 0.62
A21 0.34 0.54 0.74 0.46 0.66 0.86 0.22 0.38 0.58 0.06 0.22 0.42
A22 0.16 0.34 0.54 0.16 0.34 0.54 0.7 0.9 1 0.3 0.5 0.7

The closeness coefficients are shown by CCj, as the final index of

Table 5
ranking and evaluating the alternatives, calculated based on Eq. (15),
Allocating weight to the evaluation criteria for the strategies.
whose results are displayed in Table 7 along with the distance between
Alternatives C1 C2 C3 C4 the positive and negative ideals.
A1 0.033372 0.03125 0.040732 0.045187 With regard to the evaluation criteria, as shown in Table 7,
A2 0.043728 0.037177 0.060803 0.045187 “Reducing leakage in the compressed air production/distribution sys­
A3 0.071922 0.046875 0.044274 0.049116
tem”, Reducing power consumption of the presses, ball mills, crushers,
A4 0.043153 0.052802 0.048406 0.031434
A5 0.056387 0.064655 0.061983 0.022921 and glazing during peak hours by shifting the load to non-peak hours”,
A6 0.059264 0.046336 0.030697 0.045842 as well as “Sealing/filling the pores between the rail wall and wagon
A7 0.050058 0.050108 0.051948 0.067453 (sand seal) in tunnel kilns” were ranked among the strategies with the
A8 0.032796 0.037177 0.021251 0.037328 highest priority from the first to the third. In contrast, “Installation of
A9 0.050058 0.043642 0.027745 0.030779
automatic doors or air curtain systems”, “Replacing roller kiln with
A10 0.069045 0.046875 0.041322 0.034054
A11 0.059264 0.047414 0.057261 0.034054 tunnel kilns”, and “Proper loading of Alternating Current motors and
A12 0.024166 0.027478 0.027745 0.068107 transformers” were ranked the lowest in terms of EF in the ceramic tile
A13 0.052934 0.046875 0.060803 0.023576 industry.
A14 0.029919 0.044181 0.044864 0.060904
In addition, to strengthen the ranking method presented in this
A15 0.05351 0.052802 0.044864 0.064178
A16 0.040276 0.053341 0.058442 0.049116 research, based on the data and the created decision matrix, the alter­
A17 0.024166 0.016164 0.067887 0.08186 natives are ranked by the fuzzy Vikor method and the results are shown
A18 0.036249 0.046875 0.030697 0.045842 in Table 8. From Tables 8 and it can be seen that alternatives A5, A13
A19 0.046605 0.067349 0.034829 0.049116 and A21, have the highest rank in both methods. Comparing the ranking
A20 0.046605 0.059267 0.031877 0.041912
results of Topsis fuzzy and Vicorfuzzy methods shows that the ranking of
A21 0.046605 0.053341 0.034829 0.022921
A22 0.029919 0.028017 0.076741 0.049116 some alternatives has changed and this change in the overall ranking of
Ej 0.98647 0.987825 0.983286 0.981603 alternatives is partial (about 14%). Therefore, it can be reported that the
Wj 0.222476 0.2002 0.274822 0.302502 proposed fuzzy entropy-topsis method can be used to rank EF strategies
Rank 3 4 2 1
in the industry with reasonable accuracy.
According to Table 5, “cost of implementing the strategy” is the most important
Step 9. Sensitivity analysis
one among the EF strategies. The priority of the evaluation criteria for EF in
Iran’s ceramic tile industry, examined in this study, is as follows.C4>C3>C1>C2 To examine the stability and robustness of the ranking of EF strate­
gies in the ceramic and tile industry, sensitivity analysis is performed.
normalized fuzzy decision matrix were converted into a weighted The most common method of sensitivity analysis is changing the weight
normalized fuzzy decision matrix, using Eq. (10). Table 6 shows this of criteria for evaluating solutions (Ci) [86]. For this purpose, the
matrix. weights of C3 and C4 criteria, which have the highest weight among the
four criteria, are selected for change. The weight of the evaluation
Step 7. Calculating the distance of each alternative from fuzzy positive
criteria increases and decreases in three stages (±5%, ±10%, ±15%)
ideal strategy (FPIS) and fuzzy negative ideal strategy (FNIS)
and the results are compared with the ranking done. This weight change
The distances of each alternative, A+ and A− , were obtained from the is proportional to the weight of each criterion and adjusted to the weight
set of positive and negative ideal strategies through Eqs. (13) and (14). of the remaining criteria so that the total weight is kept equal to 1 [87].
Table 9 and Table 10 show the ranking of options based on the change of
Step 8. Determining the closeness coefficient index (CCj, relative
weight of C3 and C4 criteria. It can be concluded that the similarity of
degree-distance) and the desire of the alternatives to reach the ideal
the ranking with the change in the weight of the indicators is very high
levels in each criterion
(about 85%) and the change in the ranking of the alternatives is minor.

8
M.R. Zare Banadkouki Energy 279 (2023) 128070

Table 6
Weighted normalized fuzzy decision matrix.
Alternatives Criteria

C1 C2 C3 C4

A1 0.05 0.09 0.13 0.04 0.08 0.12 0.08 0.13 0.18 0.03 0.04 0.06
A2 0.07 0.11 0.16 0.05 0.09 0.13 0.14 0.19 0.24 0.03 0.04 0.07
A3 0.15 0.20 0.22 0.08 0.12 0.16 0.08 0.14 0.19 0.03 0.04 0.06
A4 0.07 0.11 0.16 0.10 0.13 0.17 0.10 0.15 0.20 0.04 0.06 0.11
A5 0.10 0.15 0.19 0.13 0.17 0.20 0.14 0.19 0.25 0.04 0.08 0.30
A6 0.11 0.16 0.20 0.08 0.12 0.16 0.04 0.09 0.15 0.03 0.04 0.06
A7 0.09 0.13 0.18 0.09 0.13 0.16 0.11 0.16 0.21 0.02 0.03 0.04
A8 0.04 0.09 0.13 0.05 0.09 0.13 0.02 0.06 0.12 0.03 0.05 0.10
A9 0.09 0.13 0.18 0.07 0.11 0.15 0.04 0.08 0.14 0.04 0.06 0.13
A10 0.14 0.19 0.22 0.08 0.12 0.16 0.08 0.13 0.18 0.03 0.05 0.11
A11 0.11 0.16 0.20 0.08 0.12 0.16 0.13 0.18 0.23 0.03 0.05 0.11
A12 0.03 0.06 0.10 0.03 0.07 0.11 0.04 0.08 0.14 0.02 0.03 0.04
A13 0.10 0.14 0.18 0.08 0.12 0.16 0.14 0.19 0.24 0.04 0.08 0.23
A14 0.04 0.08 0.12 0.07 0.11 0.15 0.09 0.14 0.19 0.02 0.03 0.04
A15 0.10 0.14 0.19 0.09 0.13 0.17 0.09 0.14 0.19 0.02 0.03 0.04
A16 0.06 0.10 0.15 0.09 0.13 0.18 0.13 0.18 0.24 0.03 0.04 0.06
A17 0.03 0.06 0.10 0.01 0.04 0.08 0.08 0.14 0.19 0.03 0.04 0.06
A18 0.05 0.10 0.14 0.08 0.12 0.16 0.05 0.09 0.14 0.03 0.04 0.06
A19 0.08 0.12 0.17 0.13 0.18 0.20 0.06 0.10 0.16 0.03 0.04 0.06
A20 0.08 0.12 0.17 0.11 0.15 0.19 0.05 0.09 0.15 0.03 0.04 0.08
A21 0.08 0.12 0.17 0.09 0.13 0.18 0.06 0.10 0.16 0.04 0.08 0.30
A22 0.04 0.08 0.12 0.03 0.07 0.11 0.19 0.25 0.27 0.03 0.04 0.06

Therefore, the ranking of EF strategies in the ceramic and tile industry is

Table 7
not sensitive to the weight of C4 and C3 criteria.
Distance values, closeness coefficients, and ranking of the strategies.
Alternatives d+ d- CCj Rank 5. Discussion
A1 3.6649 0.3592 0.0893 19
A2 3.5592 0.4620 0.1149 10 The study findings could be compared with the results in previous
A3 3.5164 0.5017 0.1249 6
research in respect of the evaluation criteria and the EF strategies. As per
A4 3.5356 0.4892 0.1215 7
A5 3.3632 0.6986 0.1720 1 the evaluation criteria, “cost of implementing the strategy” was one of
A6 3.5902 0.4318 0.1074 15 the criteria for evaluating the EF strategies in the present study. In this
A7 3.5551 0.4622 0.1151 9 line, Liu (1995), Martinez (2011), Mielli (2011), Li (2017), Tetiana
A8 3.6965 0.3368 0.0835 20 (2018), and Koutsandreas (2022) had further highlighted this strategy.
A9 3.5995 0.4315 0.1070 16
Another evaluation criterion was the “use of existing technologies to
A10 3.5077 0.5175 0.1286 5
A11 3.4826 0.5406 0.1344 4 implement the strategy”, which had been already underlined by Marti­
A12 3.7553 0.2716 0.0674 22 nez (2011), Mielli (2011), and Li (2017). Besides, the “time to imple­
A13 3.4419 0.6013 0.1487 2 ment the strategy” had been considered in Tetiana (2018).
A14 3.6412 0.3807 0.0947 17
As for the EF strategies, one case presented in this study was the
A15 3.5595 0.4588 0.1142 12
A16 3.5396 0.4808 0.1196 8 “replacement of tunnel kilns with roller ones”, which had been exam­
A17 3.7195 0.3088 0.0767 21 ined by Cassani (2010), Bending et al. (2013), Mezquita et al. (2014),
A18 3.6493 0.3746 0.0931 18 and Ferrer et al. in which roller kilns were among the factors contrib­
A19 3.5604 0.4593 0.1143 11 uting to waste energy events in the ceramic tile industry. The strategy of
A20 3.5817 0.4404 0.1095 14
“waste heat recovery for exhaust gases from combustion through a heat
A21 3.5017 0.5651 0.1390 3
A22 3.5735 0.4479 0.1114 13 exchanger and hot air from the cooling part of kilns”, cited in this study,
had been also emphasized in Bending et al. (2013) and Mezquita et al.
(2014).
In this study, implementing a regular maintenance program for fa­
Table 8
Comparison of proposed methodology with Fuzzy VIKOR method. cilities and equipment and even renovating some timeworn ones were
proposed as the strategies to improve EF. In Manrique et al. (2018),
Alternatives Ranking Alternatives Ranking
investigating energy consumption in the ceramic tile industry in
Proposed FVIKOR Proposed FVIKOR Colombia, timeworn equipment and insufficient renovation had been
A1 19 19 A12 22 22 further addressed as the main obstacles to EF in this sector. According to
A2 10 10 A13 2 2 Ferrer et al. (2019), some strategies to improve energy consumption
A3 6 6 A14 17 15 performance had been implementing systems for heat recovery for flue
A4 7 7 A15 12 17
A5 1 1 A16 8 8
and cooling gases, optimizing burner inlet airflow rate, and augmenting
A6 15 12 A17 21 21 thermal insulation of kilns, which were consistent with the findings of
A7 9 9 A18 18 18 the present study.
A8 20 20 A19 11 11 In Castro Oliveira et al. (2020), the use of high-efficiency torches,
A9 16 16 A20 14 14
recycling of hot air from kilns, and installation of heat exchangers had
A10 5 5 A21 3 3
A11 4 4 A22 13 13 been comparably declared as the strategies to improve EF in the ceramic
tile industry, as introduced in this study. Among the scenarios for
expanding sustainability in the ceramic tile manufacturing process in
Turkey, Turkmen et al. (2021) had further considered efficient

9
M.R. Zare Banadkouki Energy 279 (2023) 128070

Table 9
Weight sensitivity of C4 on ranking.
Alternatives Weight level

− 15% − 10% − 5% Original +5% +10% +15%

Ranking (Closeness coefficient)

A1 19 (0.0925) 19 (0.0915) 19 (0.0903) 19 (0.0893) 19 (0.0882) 19 (0.0871) 19 (0.086)

A2 12 (0.1196) 11 (0.1182) 10 (0.1165) 10 (0.1149) 9 (0.1133) 9 (0.1118) 9 (0.1102)
A3 6 (0.1307) 6 (0.1289) 6 (0.1268) 6 (0.1249) 6 (0.1229) 6 (0.121) 6 (0.119)
A4 7 (0.1254) 7 (0.1242) 7 (0.1228) 7 (0.1215) 7 (0.1203) 7 (0.119) 7 (0.1177)
A5 1 (0.1739) 1 (0.1734) 1 (0.1726) 1 (0.172) 1 (0.1714) 1 (0.1708) 1 (0.1701)
A6 15 (0.112) 15 (0.1105) 15 (0.1089) 15 (0.1074) 16 (0.1058) 16 (0.1043) 16 (0.1027)
A7 9 (0.121) 9 (0.1191) 9 (0.117) 9 (0.1151) 10 (0.1131) 10 (0.1111) 10 (0.1091)
A8 20 (0.0855) 20 (0.0849) 20 (0.0842) 20 (0.0835) 20 (0.0829) 20 (0.0822) 20 (0.0815)
A9 16 (0.1096) 16 (0.1088) 16 (0.1079) 16 (0.107) 15 (0.1062) 15 (0.1054) 15 (0.1045)
A10 5 (0.1331) 5 (0.1316) 5 (0.1301) 5 (0.1286) 5 (0.1271) 5 (0.1256) 5 (0.1241)
A11 3 (0.1391) 4 (0.1377) 4 (0.136) 4 (0.1344) 4 (0.1328) 4 (0.1313) 4 (0.1297)
A12 22 (0.0703) 22 (0.0694) 22 (0.0684) 22 (0.0674) 22 (0.0665) 22 (0.0656) 22 (0.0646)
A13 2 (0.1509) 2 (0.1503) 2 (0.1495) 2 (0.1487) 2 (0.148) 2 (0.1473) 2 (0.1465)
A14 17 (0.099) 17 (0.0977) 17 (0.0961) 17 (0.0947) 17 (0.0932) 17 (0.0918) 17 (0.0903)
A15 10 (0.12) 10 (0.1182) 11 (0.1161) 12 (0.1142) 12 (0.1122) 12 (0.1103) 12 (0.1083)
A16 8 (0.125) 8 (0.1233) 8 (0.1214) 8 (0.1196) 8 (0.1178) 8 (0.116) 8 (0.1142)
A17 21 (0.0791) 21 (0.0784) 21 (0.0775) 21 (0.0767) 21 (0.0758) 21 (0.075) 21 (0.0742)
A18 18 (0.0968) 18 (0.0956) 18 (0.0943) 18 (0.0931) 18 (0.0919) 18 (0.0907) 18 (0.0894)
A19 11 (0.1196) 12 (0.1179) 12 (0.116) 11 (0.1143) 11 (0.1125) 11 (0.1107) 11 (0.1089)
A20 14 (0.114) 14 (0.1125) 14 (0.111) 14 (0.1095) 14 (0.108) 14 (0.1065) 14 (0.105)
A21 4 (0.1387) 3 (0.1389) 3 (0.1389) 3 (0.139) 3 (0.1391) 3 (0.1391) 3 (0.1392)
A22 13 (0.1159) 13 (0.1146) 13 (0.1129) 13 (0.1114) 13 (0.1099) 13 (0.1084) 13 (0.1068)

Table 10
Weight sensitivity of C3 on ranking.
Alternatives Weight level

− 15% − 10% − 5% Original +5% +10% +15%

Ranking (Closeness coefficient)

A1 19 (0.0877) 19 (0.0871) 19 (0.0891) 19 (0.0893) 19 (0.0898) 19 (0.0903) 19 (0.0908)

A2 10 (0.1137) 10 (0.1117) 12 (0.1143) 10 (0.1149) 9 (0.1159) 9 (0.117) 9 (0.118)
A3 6 (0.125) 6 (0.1224) 6 (0.1259) 6 (0.1249) 6 (0.1248) 6 (0.1248) 6 (0.1247)
A4 7 (0.1208) 7 (0.1195) 7 (0.1215) 7 (0.1215) 7 (0.1218) 7 (0.1221) 7 (0.1223)
A5 1 (0.1718) 1 (0.1711) 1 (0.1719) 1 (0.172) 1 (0.1721) 1 (0.1722) 1 (0.1722)
A6 14 (0.1085) 16 (0.106) 15 (0.1085) 15 (0.1074) 15 (0.107) 15 (0.1066) 15 (0.1062)
A7 9 (0.1154) 9 (0.1125) 9 (0.1151) 9 (0.1151) 10 (0.1156) 10 (0.1161) 11 (0.1166)
A8 20 (0.0846) 20 (0.0832) 20 (0.084) 20 (0.0835) 20 (0.0832) 20 (0.0828) 20 (0.0825)
A9 16 (0.1055) 14 (0.1067) 16 (0.1079) 16 (0.107) 16 (0.1065) 16 (0.1061) 16 (0.1056)
A10 5 (0.1293) 5 (0.127) 5 (0.1297) 5 (0.1286) 5 (0.1283) 5 (0.1281) 5 (0.1278)
A11 4 (0.133) 4 (0.1316) 4 (0.1345) 4 (0.1344) 4 (0.1348) 4 (0.1353) 4 (0.1358)
A12 22 (0.0666) 22 (0.0658) 22 (0.0674) 22 (0.0674) 22 (0.0677) 22 (0.068) 22 (0.0683)
A13 2 (0.1474) 2 (0.1471) 2 (0.1485) 2 (0.1487) 2 (0.1492) 2 (0.1496) 2 (0.1501)
A14 18 (0.0929) 17 (0.0919) 17 (0.0942) 17 (0.0947) 17 (0.0952) 17 (0.0958) 17 (0.0964)
A15 12 (0.1118) 12 (0.1113) 11 (0.1146) 12 (0.1142) 11 (0.1143) 12 (0.1145) 12 (0.1147)
A16 8 (0.1172) 8 (0.1161) 8 (0.119) 8 (0.1196) 8 (0.1204) 8 (0.1212) 8 (0.122)
A17 21 (0.0737) 21 (0.0741) 21 (0.0759) 21 (0.0767) 21 (0.0776) 21 (0.0786) 21 (0.0796)
A18 17 (0.0935) 18 (0.0917) 18 (0.0934) 18 (0.0931) 18 (0.093) 18 (0.0929) 18 (0.0927)
A19 11 (0.1135) 11 (0.1114) 10 (0.1149) 11 (0.1143) 12 (0.1139) 13 (0.1135) 13 (0.1131)
A20 15 (0.1085) 13 (0.1082) 13 (0.1102) 14 (0.1095) 14 (0.1091) 14 (0.1087) 14 (0.1083)
A21 3 (0.141) 3 (0.1401) 3 (0.1395) 3 (0.139) 3 (0.1383) 3 (0.1377) 3 (0.137)
A22 13 (0.1107) 15 (0.1064) 14 (0.1097) 13 (0.1114) 13 (0.1133) 11 (0.1153) 10 (0.1172)

combustion in production lines, which was also observed among the
strategies proposed in the present study. In their research, Ruivo et al.
(2021) additionally found the strategies to reduce energy consumption
by efficient combustion in burners and waste heat recovery via the direct
use of cooling air in the drying step of the ceramic tile manufacturing
process, which were somehow raised as one of the strategies here. In
Shah et al. (2023), technological change in the industry had been further
raised as an important factor in EF in South Asian countries, and this
approach was reflected in some strategies presented in this study,
putting much emphasis on changing and updating some production line
equipment to meet energy optimization. Therefore, most strategies
addressed in this study had been already validated by some means in
previous research.
6. Managerial and practical implications
Among different industries, the ceramic and tile industry play a key
role in the economic growth of producing countries, and the role of
energy in the production resources of this industry is very prominent.
Therefore, it is very important to pay attention to energy consumption
and energy waste. The issue of energy saving and EF strategies in this
industry, which is considered one of the energy-intensive industries,
plays a vital role in the growth and excellence of this industry. There­
fore, the study of EF strategies in industry is considerably important for
managers, policy makers and industry owners. Implementation and
implementation of EF strategies in industry is usually expensive and
choosing these strategies is considered a MCDM problem due to the

10
M.R. Zare Banadkouki
involvement of several criteria. The approach presented in this study
helps decision makers to choose the best EF strategies in the tile and
ceramic industry and to develop EF strategies in other energy industries
using different techniques.
In this study, 22 EF strategies were identified in the ceramic and tile
industry, considering production processes, production equipment, and
consumption management. To evaluate the strategies, 4 criteria were
used with the approach of implementation and feasibility, and EF stra­
tegies were prioritized using entropy and fuzzy TOPSIS techniques.
7. Conclusion
Considering fast economic growth and high consumption rates, en­
ergy demand is rapidly on the rise in developing nations. These days,
most energy is provided by fossil fuels, and the highest energy con­
sumption occurs in various industries. In view of this, improving EF in
the industrial sector is of utmost importance. EIIs have great potentials
for this purpose. Due to its manufacturing process and timeworn
equipment, the ceramic tile industry is also an EII, so reducing energy
consumption and improving EF in this sector can help supply high-
quality products, minimize the costs, and accelerate economic growth.
Selecting the best strategies for EF has thus turned into one of the biggest
challenges facing industrial owners, developers, and policymakers in
this field, in terms of investment and implementation.
Developing a methodical framework for evaluating EF strategies in
this study, triangular fuzzy numbers were initially utilized to express the
linguistic variables in order to reflect on the evaluators’ subjective
judgments, and then the fuzzy MCDM method was employed to combine
group decisions. In this regard, the fTOPSIS was used to measure the EF
strategies and rank them, and the EWM was recruited to allocate weighs
to the evaluation criteria. To this end, 22 EF strategies in the ceramic tile
industry were deemed as the decision-making alternatives, and evalu­
ated based on four criteria (viz., “time to implement the strategy”, “use
of existing technologies to implement the strategy”, “effect of the
strategy on lower energy consumption”, and “cost of implementing of
the strategy”). According to the EWM, the evaluation criteria of “cost of
implementing of the strategy” and “effect of the strategy on lower en­
ergy consumption” obtained the highest weights. The fTOPSIS outcomes
for the ranking of the given strategies also demonstrated that “leakage
reduction in compressed air production/distribution system”, “lowered
peak-hour electricity consumption by load shifting to off-peak hours in
pressing units”, “use of ball mills for preparing ceramic tile body and
glaze”, as well as “sealing and filling holes in train kiln and wagon walls
of tunnel kilns”, were ranked among the strategies with the highest
priority from the first to the third. In contrast, “installation of automatic
doors or air curtain systems”, “replacement of tunnel kilns with roller
ones”, and “proper loading of alternating current motors and trans­
formers” were ranked the lowest in terms of EF in the ceramic tile in­
dustry in Iran, according to the evaluation criteria. The results of the
sensitivity analysis of the evaluation criteria of the strategies show that
the ratings obtained from the fuzzy entropy-topsis method are not
affected by the change of the weight of the criteria.
As a whole, it is suggested to analyze the strategies proposed in this
study in future research in respect of performance and rate of return on
capital resulting from optimization. Based on the research methods, it is
also a good idea to identify and rank EF strategies in other EIIs.
Funding
No funding was received for this work.
Declaration of competing interest
The authors declare the following financial interests/personal re­
lationships which may be considered as potential competing interests:
The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.Mohammad
11
Energy 279 (2023) 128070
Reza Zare Banadkouki reports was provided by Meybod University.
Data availability
No data was used for the research described in the article.
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