Readiness to Adopt the Smart Readiness Indicator Scheme Across Europe: A Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis Approach

Facing the challenges of climate change, energy poverty, and energy crisis, humanity is increasingly focusing on the transition to green and fossil fuel-free alternatives, showcasing the commitment to sustainable development. Consequently, devising new methods for decarbonizing the energy system has become crucial to satisfy the energy demands of industries, businesses, transportation, and residential sectors. Towards this direction, a profound comprehension of the situation and, as a result, the implementation of a series of actions to overhaul the regulatory framework, advance technological innovations, stimulate economic development, and encourage collective social efforts emerges. The aim of this study is to assess the readiness for adopting the Smart Readiness Indicator (SRI) scheme in several European countries. This Indicator, introduced by the European Union, seeks to enhance the energy efficiency of buildings, adapt operations to the occupants' needs, and respond to signals from the electricity grid. Our analysis employs a multicriteria framework to evaluate a country's preparedness for the SRI scheme, relying on social, political, economic, and technological dimensions, and incorporates a comprehensive set of twelve evaluation criteria. The methodology is based on a combination of the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and the Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) methods. Twenty European countries are ranked, and areas for growth are identified, highlighting potential intervention gaps in the policy-making front.