Substantial transition to clean household energy mix in rural China

Shen，Guofeng1; Xiong，Rui1; Tian，Yanlin1,2; Luo，Zhihan1; Jiangtulu，Bahabaike3; Meng，Wenjun1; Du，Wei4; Meng，Jing5; Chen，Yuanchen6; Xue，Bing7; Wang，Bin3,8; Duan，Yonghong9; Duo，Jia10,11,12; Fan，Fenggui13; Huang，Lei14; Ju，Tianzhen15; Liu，Fenggui16,17; Li，Shunxin18; Liu，Xianli19; Li，Yungui20; Wang，Mu21; Nan，Ying22; Pan，Bo23; Pan，Yanfang24; Wang，Lizhi25; Zeng，Eddy26; Zhan，Chao27; Chen，Yilin28; Shen，Huizhong28; Cheng，Hefa1; Tao，Shu1,28

2022-07-01

10.1093/nsr/nwac050

National Science Review   Impact Factor & Quartile

2095-5138

2053-714X

The household energy mix has significant impacts on human health and climate, as it contributes greatly to many health-and climate-relevant air pollutants. Compared to the well-established urban energy statistical system, the rural household energy statistical system is incomplete and is often associated with high biases. Via a nationwide investigation, this study revealed high contributions to energy supply from coal and biomass fuels in the rural household energy sector, while electricity comprised ?20%. Stacking (the use of multiple sources of energy) is significant, and the average number of energy types was 2.8 per household. Compared to 2012, the consumption of biomass and coals in 2017 decreased by 45% and 12%, respectively, while the gas consumption amount increased by 204%. Increased gas and decreased coal consumptions were mainly in cooking, while decreased biomass was in both cooking (41%) and heating (59%). The time-sharing fraction of electricity and gases (E&G) for daily cooking grew, reaching 69% in 2017, but for space heating, traditional solid fuels were still dominant, with the national average shared fraction of E&G being only 20%. The non-uniform spatial distribution and the non-linear increase in the fraction of E&G indicated challenges to achieving universal access to modern cooking energy by 2030, particularly in less-developed rural and mountainous areas. In some non-Typical heating zones, the increased share of E&G for heating was significant and largely driven by income growth, but in typical heating zones, the time-sharing fraction was <5% and was not significantly increased, except in areas with policy intervention. The intervention policy not only led to dramatic increases in the clean energy fraction for heating but also accelerated the clean cooking transition. Higher income, higher education, younger age, less energy/stove stacking and smaller family size positively impacted the clean energy transition.

clean heating energy transition household energy mix modern energy sustainable development

SCI ; EI

English

Corresponding

WOS:000825618600001

20223112455331

Biomass ; Coal ; Rural areas

Solid Fuels:524

2-s2.0-85128788605

Scopus

1.College of Urban and Environmental Sciences,Peking University,Beijing,100871,China
2.Collaborative Innovation Center of Atmospheric Environment and Equipment Technology,Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Environment Monitoring and Pollution Control (AEMPC),Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology,Nanjing,210044,China
3.Institute of Reproductive and Child Health,Peking University,Beijing,100191,China
4.Laboratory of Geographic Information Science,School of Geographic Sciences,East China Normal University,Shanghai,200241,China
5.Bartlett School of Sustainable Construction,University College London,London,WC1E 7HB,United Kingdom
6.College of Environment,Zhejiang University of Technology,Hangzhou,310014,China
7.Institute of Applied Ecology,Chinese Academy of Sciences,Shenyang,110016,China
8.Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics,School of Public Health,Peking University,Beijing,100191,China
9.College of Resources and Environment,Shanxi Agricultural University,Jinzhong,030801,China
10.Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution and Bioremediation,Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography,Chinese Academy of Sciences,Urumqi,830011,China
11.National Engineering Technology Research Center for Desert-Oasis Ecological Construction,Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography,Chinese Academy of Sciences,Urumqi,830011,China
12.University of Chinese Academy of Sciences,Beijing,100049,China
13.School of Geography and Tourism,Anhui University,Wuhu,241000,China
14.School of Environment,Nanjing University,Nanjing,210033,China
15.College of Geography and Environmental Science,Northwest Normal University,Lanzhou,730070,China
16.College of Geographical Science,Qinghai Normal University,Xining,810008,China
17.Academy of Plateau Science and Sustainability,Xining,810008,China
18.College of Chemistry,Chemical Engineering and Environment,Minnan Normal University,Zhangzhou,363000,China
19.School of Environmental Science and Engineering,Hubei Polytechnic University,Huangshi,435003,China
20.Department of Environmental Engineering,Southwest University of Science and Technology,Mianyang,621010,China
21.College of Food Science,Tibet Agricultural and Animal Husbandry University,Linzhi,860000,China
22.College of Geography and Ocean Sciences,Yanbian University,Yanji,133002,China
23.Faculty of Environmental Science and Engineering,Kunming University of Science and Technology,Kunming,650500,China
24.College of Geography and Environmental Science,Henan University,Kaifeng,475001,China
25.College of Ecology and Environment,Hainan University,Haikou,570228,China
26.School of Environment,Jinan University,Guangzhou,510632,China
27.Institute of Coastal Research,Ludong University,Yantai,264025,China
28.College of Environmental Science and Technology,Southern University of Science and Technology,Shenzhen,518055,China

Shen，Guofeng,Xiong，Rui,Tian，Yanlin,et al. Substantial transition to clean household energy mix in rural China[J]. National Science Review,2022,9(7).

Shen，Guofeng.,Xiong，Rui.,Tian，Yanlin.,Luo，Zhihan.,Jiangtulu，Bahabaike.,...&Tao，Shu.(2022).Substantial transition to clean household energy mix in rural China.National Science Review,9(7).

Shen，Guofeng,et al."Substantial transition to clean household energy mix in rural China".National Science Review 9.7(2022).