Buildings (Aug 2024)
Optimizing Warehouse Building Design for Simultaneous Revenue Generation and Carbon Reduction in Taiwan: A Fuzzy Nonlinear Multi-Objective Approach
Abstract
Taiwan’s encouragement of installing solar photovoltaic power plants (SPPPs) on warehouse rooftops is a step towards sustainability and profitable investment. This study, analyzing the installations of STY Company, found that rooftop SPPPs significantly boost revenue, with rates increasing from 2.0088% to 6.8681% over 20 years. The break-even point is in the 7th year, with a return rate ranging from 2.0088 to 2.1748%. This shows that SPPP investments are a benefit for investors, shortening construction times and allowing warehouses to sell solar energy at an earlier date. This research utilized a fuzzy nonlinear multi-objective programming model to examine trade-offs between construction time, cost, quality, and revenue (TCQR) to optimize SPPP construction. The findings suggest that reducing construction time is an effective strategy to lower carbon emissions despite potential cost increases. However, time and quality costs are inversely proportional, highlighting the importance of efficient project management in minimizing the impacts of this trade-off. Adjusting funding can maintain quality while speeding up construction. Completing projects early also heightens revenue from green energy sales, offsetting higher initial investments. The TCQR focuses on investment revenue, managing time efficiently, and making data-driven decisions to expedite SPPP development. This model improves project profitability and promotes sustainable growth by reducing construction time and optimizing financial strategies. This study’s contribution includes: 1. Optimizing the installation process of warehouse rooftop SPPPs, which provide significant long-term revenue and environmental benefits. 2. Combining the different research methods of scholars into fuzzy methods that can solve complex systems with high uncertainty. The nonlinear model put forth by this study is closer to the actual situation and can handle balancing complex problems in multi-objective programming. 3. Improving the efficiency of time management to make it feasible to reduce construction time to lower carbon emissions. 4. Concocting a comprehensive approach integrating financial, environmental, and operational factors for successful SPPP development. This study addresses an academic gap. Previously, scholars conducted research independently, focusing solely on financial investment or time, cost, and quality (TCQ) issues without considering the two together. By combining financial investment with TCQ, this study fills a significant gap in academic research. According to this study, better investment returns could improve the promotion of solar energy. Unlike previous research, this study integrates the analysis of TCQ with that of revenue by assessing costs and revenues together. This approach allows decision-makers to derive judgments from the TCQR model quickly.
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