{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,16]],"date-time":"2026-01-16T12:22:08Z","timestamp":1768566128950,"version":"3.49.0"},"reference-count":26,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"21","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,28]],"date-time":"2025-10-28T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1761609600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Energies"],"abstract":"<jats:p>The increasing decentralization of energy systems calls for robust frameworks to evaluate the technical and economic feasibility of hybrid renewable configurations at the community scale. This study presents an integrated methodology that combines Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), sensitivity analysis, and Multi-Criteria Decision-Making to assess hybrid systems in Castanheira de Pera, a small community in central Portugal. Fourteen configurations (C1\u2013C14) integrating hydropower, solar PV, wind, and battery storage were simulated using HOMER Pro 3.16.2, PVsyst 8.0.16, Python 3.14.0, and Excel under both wet and dry hydrological conditions. A gate-controlled hydro-buffering model was applied to optimize short-term storage operation, increasing summer energy generation by 52\u201388% without additional infrastructure. Among all configurations, C8 achieved the highest Net Present Value (\u2248EUR 153,700) and a strong Internal Rate of Return (IRR), while maintaining a stable Levelized Cost of Electricity (LCOE) of around 0.042 EUR\/kWh. Comparative decision scenarios highlight distinct stakeholder priorities: storage-intensive systems (C14, C11) maximize energy security, whereas medium-scale hybrids (C8, C7) offer superior economic performance. Overall, the results confirm that hybridization significantly improves community energy autonomy and resilience. Future work should extend this framework to include environmental and social indicators, enabling a more comprehensive techno-socio-economic assessment of hybrid renewable systems.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/en18215665","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,29]],"date-time":"2025-10-29T05:48:46Z","timestamp":1761716926000},"page":"5665","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Multi-Criteria Decision-Making for Hybrid Renewable Energy in Small Communities: Key Performance Indicators and Sensitivity Analysis"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"18","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9028-9711","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Helena M.","family":"Ramos","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Civil Engineering Research and Innovation for Sustainability (CERIS), Instituto Superior T\u00e9cnico, Department of Civil Engineering, Architecture and Georesources, University of Lisbon, 1049-001 Lisbon, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Praful","family":"Borkar","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Civil Engineering Research and Innovation for Sustainability (CERIS), Instituto Superior T\u00e9cnico, Department of Civil Engineering, Architecture and Georesources, University of Lisbon, 1049-001 Lisbon, Portugal"},{"name":"EIT Inno Energy Master\u2019s Student Dual Degree Program at Instituto Superior Tecnico and KTH Royal Institute of Technology, 1049-001 Lisbon, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6574-0857","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Oscar E.","family":"Coronado-Hern\u00e1ndez","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Instituto de Hidr\u00e1ulica y Saneamiento Ambiental, Universidad de Cartagena, Cartagena 130001, Colombia"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1447-6897","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Francisco Javier","family":"S\u00e1nchez-Romero","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Rural and Agrifood Engineering Department, Universitat Polit\u00e8cnica de Val\u00e8ncia, 46022 Valencia, Spain"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8316-7778","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Modesto","family":"P\u00e9rez-S\u00e1nchez","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Hydraulic Engineering and Environmental Department, Universitat Polit\u00e8cnica de Val\u00e8ncia, 46022 Valencia, Spain"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,28]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","unstructured":"International Energy Agency (2025, September 14). 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