21. Evaluation of Factors Affecting the Feasibility of Trigeneration Systems for Energy Efficiency in Hospitals

Energy, which is a part of our daily needs, is indispensable for our lives. Because our daily needs for heating, electricity, shelter and food are all met with an energy source today. Institutions and businesses play a huge role in making a country’s economy sustainable and meeting the needs of its citizens. It is very important for businesses and organizations to provide energy sources to continue their activities. In addition, businesses and organizations aim to make profits by using energy efficiently while providing energy resources. It has a very important place in human health for the continuation of economic sustainability. For this reason, hospitals, which are health organizations, are necessary for people to maintain their health. In this context, it is vital to provide energy efficiently and sustainably in these hospital institutions that need to provide service twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. The application of trigeneration systems in hospitals to ensure the energy efficiency discussed in this regard seems to be able to solve the energy crisis. Trigeneration systems mean systems that can meet heating, cooling and power needs from a single source. Therefore, this study aims to reveal the most important factor by determining the factors affecting the feasibility of trigeneration systems in order to achieve energy efficiency in hospitals. Within this scope, the importance weights of the criteria were revealed with the DEMATEL (decision-making trial and evolution laboratory) method, one of the multi-criteria decision-making methods. The most important criterion has been determined as the type of energy that affects the feasibility of trigeneration systems. Therefore, the study found that the type of energy used is very important in order to maximize the performance of trigeneration systems in hospital institutions. Thence, it is recommended that the hospital where the system will be implemented should focus on research and development studies to search for energy sources that will have the lowest cost and highest output. In addition, researching other sectoral and international examples where the trigeneration system is used will facilitate the applicability of trigeneration systems in hospitals.