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In order to mitigate global climate change and air pollution, the Chinese government has assigned high priority to expanding low-carbon power generation in China. Recent studies have shown that wind power is one of the most promising renewable energy option in China. Although many studies have estimated the generation potential of onshore wind power, their results vary widely from 1783 TWh to 39,000 TWh. Therefore, we examine the different assumptions in these papers and identify three main factors influencing the results. The three influencing factors are: weather data set, land utilisation factor, and wind turbine configuration. For our model-based analysis, we define a reference scenario which is used to compare the results. Our analysis shows using a different weather data set increases the generation potential to roughly 35,000 TWh. This is 54% higher than the generation potential of the reference scenario. The land utilisation factor also has a large influence, ranging between −10% and −51%. The studies' assumptions and data should be subjected to careful scrutiny, as the calculated wind power potentials are widely used to develop decarbonisation strategies for the energy system. • Study results on wind power potentials in China vary from 1783 TWh to 39,000 TWh • Influencing factors: weather data set, land utilisation, and wind turbine configuration. • Model-based sensitivity analysis with nine scenario settings. • Chosen weather data set has the highest impact on the calculated results with a variation of 54%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low-carbon transition would trigger huge costs from reshaping complex energy systems due to large-scale renewable energy investment and early retirement of fossil-energy infrastructure. Reducing costs is challenging, because multiple transition pathways, comprised of massive transition policies and their schedule and pace, would lead to variation on system transition costs, despite achieving the same transition degree. In this paper, we aim to explore a proper pathway with lower costs towards the same transition degree, whilst previous studies focus on impacts of achieving different transition targets. A multi-regional, multi-period, infrastructure-based model is applied to quantify system transition costs, and China is taken as a case study. Scenarios, describing representative pathways to the same transition degree, are designed to establish quantitative relationship between pathways and costs. Results show that, for coal-dominated countries, approaching marginal cost balance of deep electrification and intensive non-fossil power penetration would lead to lower costs. An improper pathway would raise system transition costs up by 17% than a proper pathway we present, whilst this proper pathway would still lead to 35% more costs than the reference scenario. Furthermore, specific infrastructure deployment recommendations are discussed to make the pathway feasible and executive. • An infrastructure-based model is applied to study the pathway with low costs. • Marginal cost balance of electrification and non-fossil power leads to low costs. • To reach 50-percent non-fossil share would increase costs at least by 35%. • Specific infrastructure deployment recommendations are pointed out. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper conducts a global review and a macro-level supply chain analysis focusing on carbon footprint of construction industry worldwide for the period between 2009 and 2020 using the Scopus database. A total of 1833 journal articles are revealed with focus on carbon footprint in the field of construction in general, of which only 115 (6% of the total) studies have a macro-level analysis of the construction sector, providing a more holistic overview of the construction sector from various aspects. These macro-level studies were reviewed and classified based on journal, country, year, method, scope of analysis, type of construction, and period. The findings showed that approximately 60% of these studies focus on the Chinese construction industry and the majority of studies analyzed national-level (75%) and city-level (18%) carbon footprints of construction. On the contrary, global-level analysis has a lower share, which accounted for only 6% of reviewed articles. The review showed that more than 20% of studies use the input-output analysis as the main methodological approach to quantify macro-level carbon emission from construction sector, which is followed by the process-based life cycle assessment with 10% share, where more bottom-up approaches are employed. There are only a handful of articles found in the literature using a hybrid life cycle assessment and global multiregional input-output analysis for carbon footprint accounting of construction. Furthermore, there is also no study found in the literature, which presented a comprehensive regional and global supply chain analysis of construction carbon footprints. The results revealed that the largest portion of carbon emissions stem from the regional and global supply chains of the construction industries. The authors concluded that carbon reduction policies should not only consider the limited regional impacts; however, it must take into account the role of indirect, complex and interconnected global supply chains of construction industries. • 115 macro-level studies are reviewed for the period between 2009 and 2020 using the Scopus database. • The majority of the studies analyze national-level (75%) and city-level (18%) carbon footprints of construction. • Global-level analysis accounted for only 6% of reviewed articles. • More than 20% of studies employed the input-output analysis that is followed by the process-based LCA. • The indirect supply chains of the construction industries are responsible for the largest carbon footprint. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]