*2.2. Renewable Energy Selection in Indonesia*

Indonesia is one of the countries with abundant potential for many different types of renewable energy development; therefore, selecting the most suitable type of renewable energy to develop is very vital for the energy transition. Despite having quite a few choices for renewable energy with abundant potential, research that is specific to the selection of the most suitable renewable energy in Indonesia is still lacking.

Rumbayan and Nagasaka (2012) [9] used the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) method to identify and rank the most suitable renewable energy in Indonesia, using the level of availability of renewable energies as the primary consideration. Three types of renewable energy were analysed for this study, including solar energy, wind energy, and geothermal energy. The result shows from this study that geothermal is the best criteria, followed by solar and wind alternatives. Tasri and Susilawati (2014) [10] used the Fuzzy Analytical Hierarchy Process (F-AHP) to determine the most appropriate type of renewable energy to develop in Indonesia. This research used several selection criteria, such as sustainability, economic, social, and technological point of view. They evaluated renewable energies for this research include solar energy, hydropower, geothermal energy, wind energy and biomass energy.

Based on the previous research, it is evident that the quantitative approach, especially the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP), remains the most popular method to use for renewable energy selection. While the quantitative approach can provide tangible information by generating numerical data, which is beneficial for statistics, it also has certain limitations. A quantitative approach may not be able to provide a deep understanding and insights that explain the underlying reasons behind those numbers. Quantitative approaches are most suitable for countries with a more mature system of renewable energy development, the abundance of data, and clear parameters. However, this method does not provide an explanation that gives insights suitable for countries developing with limited resources. Use of a qualitative approach here provides an extended explanation and reasoning behind each dataset. Collating a deep understanding and explanation of the decision-making process from qualitative analysis is thus important. In the case of renewable energy selection, this information can be used not only as an input for evaluating and selecting the best renewable energy for an area, but it can also provide the thoughts, opinions, and essential information that can be useful for potential follow-up research, for example, research on policy development, which involves many parties and stakeholders. In addition to that, policymaking is often performed through a qualitative approach or science diplomacy. Therefore, for this research, the qualitative approach is preferable over the quantitative approach, and it is chosen to evaluate and to select the most appropriate renewable energy technology in Indonesia. The research could be a reference for performing renewable energy selection in other countries with limited resources in terms of data abundance, parameters, a less mature system of renewable energy development. Moreover, Indonesia is dealing with the power balance issue, where the stakeholders are mostly taken into account in terms of regulatory aspects. Because of that, stakeholders' recount plays an important role in the early stage of policymaking. This paper can be applied to the countries or locations that have similar characteristics to Indonesia.
