Multi-Criteria Ordinal Hierarchical Classification to Improve Energy Investment Decisions

Authors

  • Raymundo Diaz Robles Business School, Tecnológico de Monterrey, Monterrey, Mexico,
  • Juan Antonio Granados Montelongo Department of Renewable Natural Resources, Antonio Narro Autonomous Agrarian University, Saltillo, Mexico,
  • Francisco Magallanes Torreón Technological Institute, National Technological Institute of Mexico, Torreón, Mexico,
  • Ramón Herrera Torreón Technological Institute, National Technological Institute of Mexico, Torreón, Mexico,
  • Juan Antonio Álvarez Gaona Faculty of Marketing, Autonomous University of Coahuila, Saltillo, Mexico,
  • José Daniel Corona Flores Academic Language Unit, Antonio Narro Autonomous Agrarian University, Saltillo, Mexico,
  • Abril Flores Faculty of Accounting and Administration, Autonomous University of Coahuila, Torreón, Mexico.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.32479/ijeep.22178

Keywords:

Multicriteria decision-making, Energy investment, Sustainability, Ordinal classification, Uncertainty modeling

Abstract

Transitioning towards sustainable energy needs decision models able to integrate economic, environmental, and technological factors in conditions of uncertainty. This paper introduces an innovative multicriteria ordinal classification approach based on the so-called HI-INTERCLASS-nB method to support strategic investment decisions in the energy sector. The approach can consider evaluation criteria organized in a hierarchical structure, and capture interactions among financial, environmental, and operational indicators. Unlike traditional approaches, the proposal allows the use of both precise and interval-based data, which improves robustness when the information is incomplete or imprecise. A computational experiment was conducted using data from energy-producing and energy-intensive companies, which are listed in major global markets. The results demonstrate that the proposed approach can effectively determine high-performance investment alternatives, providing stable and interpretable classifications across multiple scenarios. The results also confirm that HI-INTERCLASS-nB can be a valuable decision-support tool for policymakers and investors to promote efficient and sustainable energy strategies.

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Published

2026-02-08

How to Cite

Robles, R. D., Granados Montelongo, J. A., Magallanes, F., Herrera, R., Álvarez Gaona, J. A., Corona Flores, J. D., & Flores, A. (2026). Multi-Criteria Ordinal Hierarchical Classification to Improve Energy Investment Decisions. International Journal of Energy Economics and Policy, 16(2), 743–750. https://doi.org/10.32479/ijeep.22178

Issue

Vol. 16 No. 2 (2026)

Section

Articles

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