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Renewable energy is an important factor in achieving a low-carbon economic development path in China. This paper investigates the factors influencing renewable electricity consumption in China. Specifically, the factors that influence the share of renewable electricity in total electricity consumption in China is investigated using data from 1980 to 2011 and employing the Johansen cointegration technique and vector error correction model. The result of the analysis shows that there is a long run relationship between renewable electricity consumption and GDP per capita, trade openness, foreign direct investment, financial development and share of fossil fuel in energy consumption. Economic development and financial development promotes renewable electricity consumption while foreign direct investment, trade openness and the lobby of conventional energy sources undermine the share of renewables in total electricity consumption in China. While the effects of shocks to the other variables appear to die out over time, the “lobby effect” is persistent and explosive. The results also show that there is a uni-directional short run causality from financial development to renewable electricity consumption and from renewable electricity consumption to trade openness. The Chinese government should pursue policies that not only increase the amount of renewable electricity, but also increase the share of renewables in total electricity consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Renewable energy is believed to be the central issue in sustainable development. Literatures on renewables׳ costs are rather sparse, especially on costs of integration and system balancing. The objective of this paper is to fill the research gap by providing an assessment for the cost of China׳s grid-connected renewable energy development and analyze its sharing between different stakeholders. Due to China׳s pricing mechanism of renewable energy and their cost decreasing potential, the pricing model of feed-in tariff and dynamic technological learning processes are employed. In the estimation of purchasing cost, the positive bias is overcome by considering China׳s energy-saving dispatching policy. The results suggest that purchasing cost would be 32.57–40.80 billion Yuan over 2012–2020, and peak in 2017. Grid integration costs which further involve costs of grid infrastructure and system balancing are also investigated. We find that grid infrastructure will cost 27.88 billion Yuan by 2015 and soar to 45.32 billion by 2020, while system balancing will cost 31.49 billion Yuan in 2015 and 63.97 billion Yuan in 2020 among which a substantial part (over 60%) comes from electricity loss in energy transfer. The different parts of these costs are underwritten by disparate participants due to China׳s renewable energy policies and its institutional arrangement. Purchasing cost is shared by power consumers through RES; the cost of grid infrastructure is mainly covered by grid enterprises; and there is no mechanism to specify how to share the cost electricity loss during system balancing which might become a major obstacle for system balancing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reviewed the application of renewable energy in buildings (REIB) in China in the last decade. Based on the statistics during the 10th and 11th Five-year Plan period, the application of solar thermal, photovoltaic (PV) and ground-source heat pumps (GSHPs) in buildings for the next decade was forecasted via a transformed grey prediction model under three different development scenarios (Baseline, Reference and Aggressive Scenario). The results showed that, under Reference Scenario, 26.50 million tce (tons of standard coal equivalent) energy consumption in buildings could be replaced by renewable energy in 2015, and the share of renewable energy in building energy consumption would rise to 12.06% in 2020. However, according to domestic medium-term and long-term plans for renewable energy development, there would be some difficulties to achieve the 2015 and 2020 targets with current development trend in the construction sector. Therefore, the detailed technology roadmap of “improving the performance efficiency, expanding the technique scope and controlling the total amount of energy consumption” was thus proposed to evaluate the contribution of different technologies for achieving the medium-term and long-term targets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Small hydropower is a green and renewable energy resource. China has very rich small hydropower resources with a total technically utilizable installed capacity of 128 gigawatts (GW). Developing small hydropower is of great importance to speed up the economic growth of rural areas and alleviate the environmental pollution in China in the 21st century. This paper provides a survey of small hydropower exploitation in China. Over the last six decades, China’s small hydropower has developed rapidly. The installed capacity of small hydropower exceeds 59.24 GW at the present time. Fifteen large-scale small hydropower bases have been completed, and more bases are still under construction. The small hydropower for fuel project has been in operation. It not only provides cooking fuel for peasants, but also protects the eco-logical environment. The rural electrification construction based on small hydropower has lasted for 25 years, and 412 counties had realized rural electrification by 2010. The reasonable exploitation of small hydropower will accelerate the harmonic development of resources and the environment in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Distributed PV (DPV) has become the policy priority of renewable energy development in China since 2012 and ambitious planning for it has been formulated and updated. In 2013 a national unified subsidy policy was put into implementation. However, the actual progress is far below expectation. In this paper, the analytical framework of levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) is employed to estimate the generation cost of DPV in China. We find that under existing tariff and subsidy policies, with ideal conditions of most favorable financial arrangement and maximum annual operation hours, DPV projects located in regions with best solar resource or high commercial/industrial retail electricity prices are able to break even; but with practical conditions DPV projects are economically unfeasible at most cases. We further find that, difficulty in obtaining roof space, complicated grid integration procedure, barriers in obtaining bank loan, and unattractive and rigid subsidy policy, lead to high investment risks, which largely explains why DPV can't take off in China. A series of policy packages are proposed to address these issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to investigate the relationship between renewable energy consumption and economic growth in China for the period 1977–2011. Autoregressive Distributed Lag approach (ARDL) to cointegration and Johansen cointegration techniques are employed by including intermittent variables namely carbon dioxide emissions and labor. We also employed Granger causality test in order to determine the direction of the causality among the variables. The results show that there is a bi-directional long term causality between renewable energy consumption and economic growth. This finding implies that growing economy in China is propitious for the development of renewable energy sector which in turn helps to boost economic growth. We also find that labor influences renewable energy consumption in the short term. However, there is no evidence of long or short run causality between carbon emissions and renewable energy consumption. This implies that actual level of renewable energy in China is still insignificant and not considerably exploited in order to contribute to the mitigation of carbon dioxide emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays, renewable energy plays a vital role in the sustainable development of a society. In China, renewable energy power has developed rapidly since the implementation of Renewable Energy Act. Through a series of specific incentive measures, especially subsidy policies, China's renewable energy power has made great achievements both in technology and application. Based on the state-of-the-art of renewable energy power, this paper comprehensively analyzed the costs and benefits of renewable energy power subsidy in China. The analysis results show the cost of renewable energy power subsidy was 0.248 CNY/kWh between 2006 and April 2011, which was distributed among different renewable energy power types (including wind power, biomass power, and solar PV power) or categories (including electricity price, accessing-grid projects, and public independent renewable energy power system). On the other hand, the renewable energy power subsidy also brings benefits to different aspects of the society. Specifically, the environmental benefit amounted to 17.88 billion CNY, and the benefits of guaranteeing energy security, advancing technology innovation and promoting economic development were also noteworthy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Wind power is one of the world׳s major renewable energy sources, and its utilization provides an important contribution in helping solve the energy problems of many countries. After nearly 40 years of development, China׳s wind power industry now not only manufactures its own massive six MW turbines but also has the largest capacity in the world with a national output of 50millionMWh in 2010 and set to rise by eight times of that amount by 2020. This paper investigates this development route by analyzing relevant academic literature, statistics, laws and regulations, policies and research and industry reports. The main drivers of the development in the industry are identified as technologies, turbines, wind farm construction, pricing mechanism and government support systems, each of which is also divided into different stages with distinctive features. A systematic review of these aspects provides academics and practitioners with a better understanding of the history of the wind power industry in China and reasons for its rapid development with a view to enhancing progress in wind power development both in China and the world generally. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Micro-grids are effective concepts and systems to interface renewable and sustainable energy resources into utility, which has been paid significant attention. In this paper, the policies and demonstrations of micro-grids for researches and developments, as well as practical applications in China have been comprehensively reviewed. Many recent policies on renewable energy and micro-grids are summarized, which have been guiding and contributing the development of micro-grids in China. Additionally, the available micro-grids demonstrations in China are also introduced in detail. Finally, the emergency necessaries and trends of micro-grid applications in China have been concluded. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Renewable energy and energy efficiency (REEE) policies have far-reaching implications for energy security, climate change, economic competitiveness, pollution, and human livelihood. For these reasons, REEE has become a national priority for the Chinese government, particularly since 2005. This paper aims to critically review China's REEE policies in six sectors: electricity, industry, transportation, buildings, and local government. In addition to examining the progress China has made in the development and implementation of REEE policies, this review also identifies limitations and room for improvement. Finally, five policy recommendations are presented. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

As a clean, renewable energy source with low carbon content, geothermal energy has the advantages of wide resource availability coverage, low environmental impact, low operating costs, and high reliability. For the development and production of more sustainable energy, geothermal energy has become one of the key areas of development in many countries. Geothermal resources are abundant in China and mainly distributed in the eastern region where the energy demand is the highest; therefore, the resources have the advantage of local development and consumption, which can alleviate the mismatch between resource distribution and demand in China's eastern and western regions. However, the development of geothermal energy started relatively late in China and has confronted many difficulties. This paper summarizes the status of geothermal energy in China and analyzes the existing problems with respect to policies and regulations, technological development, financial investment, and environmental protection. Some policy recommendations are put forward for promoting geothermal energy in China. This paper argues that the period of the "13th Five-Year Plan" is the opportunity for geothermal energy development. With the attention increasing, a series of policies to promote the development and utilization of geothermal energy could be introduced, and this resource could experience scaled development in China. • A review of China's geothermal energy reserves and development status is proposed. • Related policies and regulations, development goals and trends of geothermal energy are summarized. • The main problems of geothermal energy development and utilization in China are analyzed. • The policy recommendations aimed to solve the problem are proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, China has successively issued relevant policies to support the development of distributed renewable energy sources such as dispersed wind power (DWP) and distributed photovoltaic (DPV). The capacity of DPV grows fast, but the progress of DWP deployment is limited. In this paper, the improved levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) model and the internal rate of return (IRR) are employed to evaluate the economics of DWP and DPV for case regions. We find that, under current market regime, the IRR of DWP in eastern and central regions is 8.81%–10.34% for the grid side, and which of DPV is 9.08%–12.8% for the user side. When the power market is restructured, the IRR of DWP for industrial and commercial user side increases to 12.73%–14.86%, higher than that the return of DPV. Policy implications on grid-connection, land expropriation, and financial support, planning and approval procedure are proposed to promote the development of DWP. Overall, this paper covers the research gap on the development of DWP in China with a technical/institutional economics perspective and a comparison with DPV. Furthermore, our efforts make a significant contribution to DWP policy by identifying the institutional factors that hinder the development of DWP. • Explore the technical & institutional factors around DWP deployment in China. • DWP and DPV gain comparable economic returns under current planning regime. • DWP can have better economic returns than DPV with electricity market reform. • Identify institutional factors that hinder DWP and propose policy implications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The world has witnessed a surge in renewable power installed capacity in recent years, and there is an emerging trend of renewable penetration in electricity production. However, there is a lack of quantitative comparative study on disaggregated renewable power sources concerning their generation efficiency performance, regional heterogeneity, development potential, and influencing mechanism in the existing literature. In the case of China's 30 provinces, this paper evaluates the hydropower, solar power, and wind power generation efficiency by stochastic frontier analysis method, and then reveals the distribution characteristics and deployment potential of different renewable sources. Furthermore, from the perspective of spatial heterogeneity, geographical detector model is utilized to study the influence mechanism of the generation efficiency of different renewable sources. The main results are as follows. Firstly, production inefficiency prevails in hydropower, solar power, and wind power generation industries. The installed capacity, utilized hours, and auxiliary power consumption have positive impacts on the three renewable energy sources. Every 1% increase in auxiliary power consumption leads to 0.16% increase in solar power generation, which is quite larger than the increase in hydropower and wind power. Secondly, on average, hydropower has the highest level of generation efficiency, followed by wind power and solar power. Kernel density curves indicate the generation efficiency of hydropower, solar power, and wind power displays distinct aggregation characteristics. Different energy types show significant regional differences in deployment potential. Thirdly, annual precipitation accounts for 76% of the spatial heterogeneity in hydropower generation efficiency, followed by hydropower technology innovation and power structure. As for solar power generation efficiency, the most important influencing factors are electricity investment and economic development. By contrast, wind power generation efficiency is primarily affected by power structure, electricity investment, and urbanization. Additionally, there exist distinct synergistic effects among different variables. These results provide insightful policy support for the improvement of renewable power generation efficiency. The study can be extended to the global scale using country-level data. • Stochastic frontier analysis is performed to study renewable generation efficiency. • Production inefficiency prevails in three renewable power generation industries. • Hydropower generation efficiency is higher than wind power and solar power in China. • Different energy types show significant regional differences in deployment potential. • The driving factors of generation efficiency are examined by geographical detector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Climate change has become the most globally concerned environmental issue. As the world's largest carbon dioxide emitter and primary energy consumer, China has strong incentives to change its coal-dominated electricity structure. Various renewable powers such as wind and solar are suitable and necessary options for carbon emission reduction. The 12th Five-Year (2011–2015) and the mid-term until 2020 are critical periods for the development of Chinese renewable powers. In this paper individual renewable electricity sources were introduced based on their characteristics. Based on the introduction, the targets as well as their effects in the medium and long-term were presented and explained; challenges China has to face in the periods were discussed in detail, and emphasis was put on hydro, solar and wind power, which is highlighted in the plans. Also solutions against these challenges were recommended. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Renewable energy is one of the possible solutions when addressing climate change. Today, large-scale renewable energy integration needs to include the experience to balance the discrepancy between electricity demand and supply. The electrification of transportation may have the potential to deal with this imbalance and to reduce its high dependence on oil production. For this reason, it is interesting to analyse the extent to which transport electrification can further the renewable energy integration. This paper quantifies this issue in Inner Mongolia, where the share of wind power in the electricity supply was 6.5% in 2009 and which has the plan to develop large-scale wind power. The results show that electric vehicles (EVs) have the ability to balance the electricity demand and supply and to further the wind power integration. In the best case, the energy system with EV can increase wind power integration by 8%. The application of EVs benefits from saving both energy system cost and fuel cost. However, the negative consequences of decreasing energy system efficiency and increasing the CO2 emission should be noted when applying the hydrogen fuel cell vehicle (HFCV). The results also indicate that developing renewable energy is crucial for transportation electrification. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: China is facing a number of challenges such as electricity supply shortages, excessive consumption of fossil fuels and environmental pollution. As a renewable energy, wind power plays a vital role in mitigating these issues. With its unique geographical location and rich resources, China has produced a wind power industry that has achieved rapid growth. However, the complex Chinese market environment presents significant challenges to the industry. This research has adopted a strength, weakness, opportunity and threat analysis approach to examine both the internal and external factors that affect the competitiveness of the wind power industry in China. An extensive and critical review of a wide range of literature (including academic papers, industry reports, statistical data, relevant regulations and policy documents) was conducted. As a result, 19 factors were identified. These factors form part of an integrated framework that provides a useful tool for both policy makers and industry to gain a better understanding of what affects the sustainable development of the wind power industry in China. The results also provide a useful reference for foreign firms that intend to explore the Chinese wind power market. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: To increase the supply of electricity and reduce environmental pollution, China has made an effort to boost the renewable energy. As a renewable energy, wind energy has been maintaining a rapid growth over the last ten years. China has the largest construction market for wind power in the world, so it attracts many local and foreign investors. However, because of the lack of a full understanding of China''s complicated administrative procedure for wind power projects, many foreign investors have encountered difficulties when trying to enter the Chinese wind power market. According to the relevant laws, regulations, policies and project practices, this paper puts forward a main management procedure model for Chinese wind power projects as well as four subdivided process models, including the Project Approval Process, the Land Application Process, the Design Process and the Licensing and Construction Process. And then the administrative requirements, milestones and main points of works are identified and analyzed within the framework of the four processes. The results open a window through which both the local and foreign investors can perceive a panoramic procedure for wind power project construction in China. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: China has set ambitious goals to increase the use of renewable energy. Developing renewables in rural areas is also one of the most important energy strategies. This paper examines rural social acceptance of renewable energy deployment taking Shandong as a case study via a field questionnaire survey. Theory of planned behavior is adopted to establish an analytical framework, and a logit model is used to examine possible determinants of local social acceptance. The results show that rural residents are generally supportive renewable energy development given its positive impacts on environment. A stated willingness to pay more for renewable electricity is taken as a variable representing an individual’s behavioral intention. The probability of occurrence of positive intention is found to increase with household income, individual knowledge level and belief about costs of renewable energy use but decrease with individual age. Residents with higher level of income are more likely to be willing to pay more for green electricity, so are the younger people. Enhancive knowledge and understanding about renewable energy (for instance, the cost) would be conducive to win public acceptance of renewable energy deployment. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: With the critical worldwide energy shortage and global environment concern, lignocellulosic biomass is regarded as one of the potential renewable energy resources to substitute conventional fossil fuels. Among various thermo-chemical conversion technologies, gasification is now regarded as an advanced and efficient method. Based on the mechanism of biomass gasification, this paper outlines different types of gasifiers that have been developed in China. Air gasification technology has been employed in the rural areas or forestry/agricultural processing entities. Obviously, the product gas for cooking and heating can significantly upgrade the living standard of rural residents. The product gas for heating boiler and generating electricity benefits the forest or agricultural processing enterprises. For China’s sustainable development of energy and environment, multi-cogeneration of heat, electricity and liquid fuels together with chemical feedstock will be a potential direction for efficiently utilizing product gas from lignocellulosic biomass. This means oxygen (including oxygen-enriched air) gasification and steam gasification should be taken into more consideration. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Even though China''s wind power industry has experienced a rapid growth since the beginning of this century, the utilization of wind power is still worrisome. In 2010, about 30% of China''s total installed capacity could not get access to the grid. And about 10% of China''s total wind power generation was curtailed. The problem of wind power curtailment is more prominent in Northeast-China region. The main particularity of Northeast China Grid is as follows: during the long heating period in winter, combined heat and power thermal plants need to modify the turbine generator''s output to meet the heating demand and thus the thermal power peak regulation capacity is reduced, as a result the barriers of wind power consumption are increased. This paper provides a new perspective of the constraints on the effective utilization of wind power in the Northeast China Grid. We argue that there are two categories of constrained factors: structural factor and operational factor. The former includes grid structure, wind source structure, power source structure, and market structure. The latter includes power price mechanism, dispatch mode arrangement, wind power integration codes, and wind power forecast. At last, we make policy recommendations: promote the coordination between wind farm investment and grid construction, strengthen interprovincial power trade mechanism, implement flexible pricing mechanisms as well as improve current dispatch mode, etc. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The Chinese government has made an important effort to diversify the country’s energy mix and exploit different sources of renewable energy. Although China’s installed wind power capacity has experienced a dramatic expansion over the past five years, electricity generation from wind power has not increased as expected. This paper aims to present the current status of wind generation in China and analyze the causes of the large discrepancy between installed capacity and generation. We find that this is mainly caused by the inadequacy of the power transmission grid, the absence of economic incentives to transmission and backup generation providers, and the lack of a generation-based renewable portfolio standard. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Wind energy, as a reliable, natural and renewable electrical power supply, produces no emissions and so it is an excellent alternative to conventional, more heavily polluting fuels in the long term based on the worldwide concern about the environment and energy supply. Wind energy resources in China are affluent, but its distribution are uneven, centralized, and far from both the utility and the high electricity demand markets. This made China''s onshore wind power development have such characteristics as large scale, high centralization and far transmission, which is different with that in Europe, where the characteristics are even distribution, decentralized. In past two decades, considering the economic, technical and environmental benefits of wind power, China has given priority to its development. Besides the dramatic growth of large scale grid-connected wind power, household-scale wind power has been used most successfully in remote rural regions in China. Therefore, the development of wind power will be of great importance to alleviate the energy crisis and environmental pollution resulting from the rapid economic growth of China in the future. In this paper, the current development of wind energy utilization in China is investigated, and some critical barriers are discussed. Finally, the perspective of wind energy utilization is presented, where focuses are placed on seven wind power bases. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: China is facing a number of energy-related challenges such as the shortage of electricity supply and environmental pollution. Renewable energy is encouraged and will play more important role in the power generation components of China. As a renewable energy, biomass power has a rapid growth in the past decade in China. In line with this development, the biomass power industry faces opportunities for development as well as challenges. Using SWOT analysis method, this paper reviews and assesses the factors of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of biomass power generation industry of China. Data used in the analysis stem from multiple sources including statistical reports, literature, regulations, policies, and case studies. These findings not only help to understand the status quo of the industry, but also provide valuable information to master the future development and potential risks of the industry in China. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The interplays among economy and energy and environment have been widely concerned. This paper put forward several indicators to quantify the relationships among economic growth and energy consumption and CO2 emission. As an example, these indicators were applied to evaluate the comprehensive performances of China during 1990–2007. The results show that Chinese people has been living a better life with Chinese rapid economic growth but not synchronously in urban and rural areas. Non-carbon energy resources share has increased; however, fossil energy resources have still acted as the main driver for Chinese economic growth during this period. Technical progress has improved the fossil energy efficiency of Chinese economic activity, which leads to CO2 emission per unit GDP and CO2 emission per capita unit GDP dropping simultaneously; however, the two indicators’ annual decline rates become smaller and smaller, which reflects that technical progress’ role is dropping and economic scale''s effect is climbing. People''s survival has a rising contribution to CO2 emission. CO2 emission per capita has increased, which shows that economic scale has greater impact on CO2 emission than technical progress does. Relatively speaking, Chinese development patterns have become more and more sustainable during this period. Finally, based on the related issues being discussed, some corresponding suggestions are put forward for Chinese government to further coordinate the relationship among economic development and energy consumption and CO2 emission. The proposed indicators can form a set of useful tool for policy-makers to promote the harmonious development of economy and energy and environment in different regions and countries. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Facing the growing energy demand and the requirement of low-carbon development, China is making great efforts to fulfill the international cooperation on renewable energy aimed at protecting the security of energy and economy. Whereas, energy problems in various countries have become increasingly prominent, and the lack of a multilateral cooperation mechanism has become the key obstacle to the cooperation. This paper analyzes current situation and existing problems of international cooperation on renewable energy in China, and then puts forward the establishment of three cooperation mechanisms: the regional mechanism, the developing countries mechanism and the developing-developed countries mechanism, followed by a summary and analysis of the participants. The principles and steps of mechanisms making and the cooperation institution for mechanism operation will be discussed as well as making some policy recommendations on the cooperation methods. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Over the last years renewable energy sources have increased their share on electricity generation of China due to environmental and security of supply concerns. In this work author assesses the role of both the amount and share of renewable energy consumption in economic welfare using Cobb–Douglas type production functions. This assessment is carried out by multivariate OLS and SPSS software for China from 1978 to 2008. Results indicate that a 1% increase in renewable energy consumption (REC) increases real GDP by 0.120%, GDP per capita by 0.162%, per capita annual income of rural households by 0.444%, and per capita annual income of urban households by 0.368% respectively; the impact of renewable energy consumption share (SREC) on economic welfare is insignificant, and an increasing share of REC negatively affects economic welfare growth to a certain extent. In this paper, the cost, structural demand, accounting mechanism and policy reasons of renewable energy development are interpreted. Marginal effects analysis show that the shape of sound and robust renewable energy institutions and policies would matter for increasing the standards of economic welfare in the context of speeding up renewable energy development and increasing share of renewable energy consumption, especially the goal-oriented policy refinement should be addressed efficiently in improvement households income while increasing share of renewable energy consumption. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: China has strived to develop new and renewable energy resources to meet its energy demands due to issues of pollution, sustainability, and climate change related to the consumption of fossil fuels. Offshore wind power development in coastal China has attracted more and more attention because it can not only utilize the abundant natural resources but also relieve power constraint in coastal China. This paper studies the development of offshore wind power in China, providing information including the wind resources in China''s coastal areas, policies promulgated by the central government to favor the sound development of offshore wind power, regional planning and progress of offshore wind power, R&D of offshore wind power technology and theory, as well as the pilot projects set up in Shanghai and Jiangsu. In addition, challenges related to offshore wind power development are depicted, and recommendations are provided. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Year 2010 is the significant year of offshore wind power development in China. The first national offshore wind power project is connected to the grid, and the first round of concession projects marks the strong support from central government. It is foreseeable that offshore wind power capacity in China will expand rapidly, and play a notable role in the transition to a sustainable energy system, therefore, the understanding pattern of it is crucial for analyzing the overall wind market in China and global offshore wind power development. This paper firstly provides an overview of global offshore wind power development, then in China, including historical installation, potential of resources, demonstration and concession projects, and target of development. Furthermore, a comprehensive overview of advantages and challenges for developing offshore wind in China is presented. Based on this, analysis on current policies related to offshore wind power and their implementation, current wind farm developers and turbine manufacturers as well as technology transfer and development of China''s offshore wind industry is done. All the previous analysis generates complete evaluation of current status and future perspectives of China offshore wind power development, based on which some policy recommendations for sustainable development of offshore wind power are made. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The use of groundwater for cooling and heating purposes is of interest from both the economical and the ecological perspective. The groundwater heat pump (GWHP) system utilizes groundwater as alternative renewable and clean energy source for space heating and/or cooling, withdraws water from a production well, passes it through a heat exchanger and discharges the water into an injection well. By utilizing the relatively stable temperature of groundwater, GWHP system can achieve a higher coefficient of performance. Due to the utilization of groundwater stored in the aquifer, the assessment of the hydraulic capacity of the aquifer based on numerical groundwater models is always needed for the optimum design and the efficient performance of GWHP. In this paper, numerical methods of underground heat-water transfer, energy balance method and thermal storage method were presented to calculate the capacity of unit area of shallow groundwater aquifer. The model results indicate that the numerical method, which is based on performance efficiency of GWHP, represents the behaviour of groundwater pumping/recharging processes, and serves better than energy balance method and thermal storage method, in addition it has been proven itself that this method has the advantages of energy saving and environmental protection. The calculated capacity is positively related to aquifer thickness. It is found that it is easy for ground water recharge in alluvial and pluvial fan located at the piedmont, while the calculated capacity is relatively smaller compared with that of south-east plain where it is not easy for groundwater recharge. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Along with high-speed economic development and increasing energy consumption, the Chinese Government faces a growing pressure to maintain the balance between energy supply and demand. In 2009, China has become both the largest energy consumer and CO2 emitting country in the world. In this case, the inappropriate energy consumption structure should be changed. As an alternative, a suitable infrastructure for the implementation of renewable energy may serve as a long-term sustainable solution. The perspective of a 100% renewable energy system has been analyzed and discussed in some countries previously. In this process, assessment of domestic renewable energy sources is the first step. Then appropriate methodologies are needed to perform energy system analyses involving the integration of more sustainable strategies. Denmark may serve as an example of how sustainable strategies can be implemented. The Danish system has demonstrated the possibility of converting into a 100% renewable energy system. This paper discusses the perspective of renewable energy in China firstly, and then analyses whether it is suitable to adopt similar methodologies applied in other countries as China approaches a renewable energy system. The conclusion is that China’s domestic renewable energy sources are abundant and show the possibility to cover future energy demand; the methodologies used to analyse a 100% renewable energy system are applicable in China. Therefore, proposing an analysis of a 100% renewable energy system in China is not unreasonable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: China is facing a number of energy-related challenges such as shortage of electricity supply and environmental pollution. The Government recognized the important role the renewable energy plays in the power generation structure. As a result, a series of supporting policies, laws and regulations have been issued to boost the renewable energies in China. This paper provides a critical analysis of the policy framework for the renewable energy in China and its impacts on the power generation structure. The relevant policy documents, including the most recent government work report delivered by Premier Wen Jia-bao during the Third Session of the 11th National People’s Congress (NPC) in March 2010 are analyzed. The patterns of renewable energy developments are found strongly correlated with the promulgation of relevant policies. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The world has been suffering dramatically increasing energy consumption during recent years. As the biggest developing country, China has a more urgent situation. To highlight the promising potential of renewable energy may be the only solution. Due to the vast sea area and continuous coast line of 18,000km, China has an excellent tidal current energy resource, which has good prospect for development. In this paper, the development of tidal current in China is briefly reviewed. The description is focused on the tidal current energy resource and the status of conversion technologies in China. Finally, the opportunities of the development of tidal current in China, including the urgent energy situation, the increasing pressure on reducing emissions, national policies for tidal current energy development and the increase of investment, are discussed in detail. A conclusion is made that the tidal current energy ought to be an important option for China in terms of renewable energy. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper identifies the main features of CO2 emission from fossil energy combustion in China. Then it estimates China''s future energy requirements and projects its CO2 emission from 2010 to 2020 based on the scenario analysis approach. China''s rate of carbon productivity growth is estimated to be 5.4% in the period 2005–2020, while the CO2 intensity of GDP will reduce by about 50% but CO2 emission in 2020 will still be about 40% higher than prevailing in 2005 because of rapid growth of GDP. This estimation is based on the assumption that China will implement a sustainable development strategy in consideration of climate change issues. The main objectives of the strategy are to implement an “energy conservation first” strategy, to develop renewable energy and advanced nuclear technology actively, to readjust the country''s economic structure, and to formulate and legislate laws and regulations, and to build institutions for energy conservation and development of renewable energy. It concludes that international measures to mitigate CO2 emission will limit world fossil fuel consumption. China is not placed to replicate the modernization model adopted by developed countries and has to coordinate economic development and carbon dioxide emission control while still in the process of industrialization and modernization. China has to evolve a low carbon industrialization model. This is the key to the success of sustainable development initiatives in China. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper first provides an overview of the context of renewable energy development in China, including the country''s recent renewable energy legislation. Further, it summarizes the current status of renewable energy development and the role it plays in the national energy supply. Next it introduces the national indicative targets for renewable energies in 2010 and 2020, and conducts a long term scenario of the role of renewable energies in China''s energy system transition till 2050. It discusses the main risks involved in China''s renewable energy development, and proposes some policy measures for risk management. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: To meet the demand of its fast growing economy, China has become already the second largest buyer of crude oil. China is facing critical problems of energy shortage and environment deterioration. Rational and efficient energy use and environment protection are both getting more attention in China. Biomass energy is renewable energy made from biological sources. China''s biomass resources are abundant, which could provide energy for future social and economic development. However technologies for biomass resource conversion in China are still just beginning. In this paper, current biomass resource distribution and technologies of biomass energy, including power generation, biofuel production and biomass-based chemical production are reviewed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Studying the barriers and opportunities of using clean development mechanism (CDM) to advance renewable energy deployment in China has a practical significance to achieve its ambitious renewable energy plan which affects the global efforts to curb carbon emission. This paper analyses the role of CDM in promoting renewable energy development in China by reviewing the CDM activities, especially renewable energy CDM activities in China. There are three barriers to utilizing CDM for renewable energy deployment, namely the dilemma of additionality, lower proportional certified emission reduction credit revenues on the investment, and the lack of incentive for technology transfer. Whereas the opportunities of using CDM in promoting renewable energy development include the international carbon market redirection to renewable energy, Chinese renewable energy boom driven by a series of effective energy policies, and additional finance from CDM supporting Chinese renewable energy development. Based on the study on the barriers and opportunities, the article considers that CDM is an indispensable incentive and a viable choice to promote renewable energy deployment in China. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Chinese electric power industry has adopted Build–Operate–Transfer (BOT) approach in a number of projects to alleviate the pressure of sole state-owned investment. The Chinese government has taken enormous efforts to create an environment to facilitate the application of BOT approach in electric power projects. Moreover, the growing attention on the sustainability issues puts the traditional major source of electricity – thermal power project under more strict scrutiny. As a result, various renewable energy projects, particularly the wind power projects have involved private sector funds. Both thermal power and wind power projects via BOT approach have met with a varying degree of success. Therefore, it is imperative to understand the factors contributing towards the success of both types of BOT power projects. Using an extensive literature survey, this paper identifies 31 success factors under 5 categories for Chinese BOT electric power projects. This is followed by a questionnaire survey to exam relative significance of these factors. The results reveal the different levels of significance of success factors for BOT thermal power projects versus wind power projects. Finally, survey results were analyzed to explore the underlying construction and distributions among the identified success factors. This study provides a valuable reference for all involved parties that are interested in developing BOT electric power projects in China. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper examines the current situation of wind industry development, evaluates the potentials of GHG mitigation and identifies the key determinants of scaling up wind power deployment in China. China has doubled its wind capacity every year for the past 4 years, the total installed capacity reached 12 Gigawatts (GW) and surpassed the 10-GW target 2 years ahead of schedule in the national plan for renewable energy development ,and would reach 100–120GW by 2020 according to the government’s new energy plan. It may become the biggest wind power generation and wind turbines manufacturing country of the world in the next years if the abundant wind resources and enormous domestic market can be harnessed with appropriate policies and efficient technology. The recent positive move in vigorous development of wind power in China implies that the total installed capacity will far exceed the targets of the government’s 2007 renewable energy plan. However, the prosperous Chinese wind market has also revealed some worrisome signals and weakness , such as low capacity factor and frequent outage of wind farms, inadequate grid infrastructure, long distance transmission, low quality of turbines, adverse price bidding, nepotism in wind farm developer selection process and regulatory uncertainty and policy inconsistency which all conspire to hinder effective power generation in the massively new installed wind capacities. A coherent policy framework is required for creating enabling environment for accelerating wind energy penetration and state-of-art technology deployment in the country. It is argued that institutional, financial and technical capacity will need to be cemented to exploit the huge potentials of wind resources to meet the rapidly growing demand for electricity in China in the coming decades with minimised environmental implications. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Global warming, increased energy demand, and tremendous air pollution are forcing China to revise its energy structure of electricity generation dominated by coal (80% of total electricity) towards low-carbon electricity. Vigorous development of carbon-free energy resources of electricity is a practical way towards low-carbon electricity in China. In this paper, we shall outline renewable power generation (hydropower, wind power, solar energy, biomass energy, nuclear power, ocean energy and geothermal) together with nuclear power for China, present a reserves assessment, the current status, and barriers for further development, and finish with an outlook towards the future. In our view, China has plenty of free-carbon energy resources to revolutionize its electricity structure and redirect it towards low-carbon electricity systems. Needed are the effective energy policies to get to the way. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper surveys China''s renewable energy economy, focusing particularly on renewable energy laws and programs, the lessons that can be learnt from the current literature, and the implications of that literature. Gaps in the literature on China''s renewable energy economy include the need for more comprehensive econometric studies. The literature may also benefit from more collaboration between renewable energy economists and agricultural economists. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A reliable supply of energy is essential to maintain and to improve human being''s living conditions. Compared to the conventional coal-fired approach, renewable energy (RE) helps to mitigate the impacts of greenhouse gas emissions to a large extent. As a newly developed sector with large resource potential and good commercial prospects, China''s wind power industry is exceeding expectations. By 2008, installed capacity of wind power in China totaled over 12GW, making China the fourth largest wind market in the world. However, China has to admit the gap with foreign leading countries, mainly in technical R&D for large-scale wind turbine generation units. This paper attempts to formulate an analytical model for studying and assessing factors that have significant impacts on the local industry. An improved dynamic Diamond Model is developed to help the international community to understand the status quo of the Chinese wind power industry. In order to build a stronger wind power industry, the elements identified in the model need to be strengthened. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Wind power in China registered a record level of expansion recently, and has doubled its total capacity every year since 2004. Many experts believe that China will be central to the future of the global wind energy market. Consequently, the growth pattern of wind power in China may be crucial to the further development of the global wind market. This paper firstly presented an overview of wind energy potential in China and reviewed the national wind power development course in detail. Based on the installed wind capacity in China over the past 18 years and the technical potential of wind energy resources, the growth pattern was modeled in this study for the purpose of prospect analysis, in order to obtain projections concerning the development potential. The future perspectives of wind energy development in China are predicted and analyzed. This study provides a comprehensive overview of the current status of wind power in China and some insights into the prospects of China''s wind power market, which is emerging as a new superpower in the global wind industry. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Limited fossil resources and severe environmental problems require new sustainable electricity generation options, which utilize renewable energies and are economical in the meantime. Concentrating solar power (CSP) generation is a proven renewable energy technology and has the potential to become cost-effective in the future, for it produces electricity from the solar radiation. In China, the electricity demand is rapidly increasing, while the solar resources and large wasteland areas are widely available in the western and northern part of China. To change the energy-intensive and environment-burdensome economical development way, Chinese government supports the development of this technology strongly. These factors altogether make China a suitable country for utilizing CSP technology. In this paper, the potential of CSP in China was studied and strategies to promote development of this technology were given. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper analyses the present situation of renewables international cooperation in China and India and the reasons, basis and conditions of China-India cooperation for renewable energy and explores China-India cooperation strategies for renewable energy. This study indicates that (1) the two countries have made a lot of progress in the international cooperation of renewable energy, but China-India cooperation for renewable energy is still in its primary stage; (2) there are not only the common benefits but also the solid basis and good conditions for China-India cooperation in the field of renewable energy; (3) there is need to explore and design the cooperation strategies for renewable energy of China and India in order to strengthen renewables cooperation between two countries. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

With the rapid development of the Chinese economy, energy consumption has increased considerably, and this has increased pressure on energy production. On the other hand, this pressure has greatly assisted in the development of the renewable energy in the past two decades. This paper reports the latest developments in the solar thermal utilization in China. A great deal of successful examples of solar thermal utilization are presented. Issues of most concern and interest, which are resisting a further development of solar thermal utilization, have been identified and discussed. A prediction for the prospect of solar energy thermal utilization in China is also presented. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• A modified dynamic recursive CGE model is constructed. • Renewable energy growth is considerable only if ETS revenue is used. • Broader renewable energy subsidies are better than ones with narrow scope. • A small part of ETS revenue should be used to subsidize residents for social stability. Emission Trading Scheme (ETS) and renewable energy generation are emission reduction methods in most countries in the world. However, few studies have focused on the impact of ETS on renewable energy. The question is, can carbon trading promote renewable energy generation? This paper first analyzes different distribution strategies of ETS revenue by applying dynamic recursive computable general equilibrium model with multi-sectors. Practical scenarios and better options of distribution of ETS revenue by a comprehensive evaluation based on entropy weight method are proposed. The results show that ETS with no subsidy to renewable will reduce the demand for energy, increase the cost of renewable energy sources and decrease the generation. ETS will be the spring of renewable energy generation when most of the revenue is used for all kinds of renewable energy sources, instead of some of them. The growth of renewable energy generation is also substantial. It is necessary that a small portion of ETS revenue should be used to subsidize residents to reduce the gap between the rich and the poor. If this income is used for government investment and consumption, it will also help to mitigate economic losses, which is caused by the direction of investment by the Chinese government. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• China's Nationally Determined Contributions do not comply with the Paris Agreement. • Overall coal usage needs to decrease by 60% (2 °C) or even 100% (1.5 °C) by 2050. • 100% Renewable energies are cost-efficient to decarbonize the electricity sector. • Sector coupling increases the electricity demand by 100% (2 °C) to 400% (1.5 °C). • Incentives for local actors are needed for a sustainable low-carbon transformation. Growing prosperity among its population and an inherent increasing demand for energy complicate China's target of combating climate change, while maintaining its economic growth. This paper, therefore, describes three potential decarbonization pathways to analyze different effects for the electricity, transport, heating, and industrial sectors until 2050. Using an enhanced version of the multi-sectoral, open-source Global Energy System Model, enables us to assess the impact of different CO 2 budgets on the upcoming energy system transformation. A detailed provincial resolution allows for the implementation of regional characteristics and disparities within China. Conclusively, we complement the model-based analysis with a quantitative assessment of current barriers for the needed transformation. Results indicate that overall energy system CO 2 emissions and in particular coal usage have to be reduced drastically to meet (inter-) national climate targets. Specifically, coal consumption has to decrease by around 60% in 2050 compared to 2015. The current Nationally Determined Contributions proposed by the Chinese government of peaking emissions in 2030 are, therefore, not sufficient to comply with a global CO 2 budget in line with the Paris Agreement. Renewable energies, in particular photovoltaics and onshore wind, profit from decreasing costs and can provide a more sustainable and cheaper energy source. Furthermore, increased stakeholder interactions and incentives are needed to mitigate the resistance of local actors against a low-carbon transformation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biomass power is one of the most important renewable energy sources in China. In order to provide a reference for China's biomass power planning, this paper builds a power sector-planning model using the Long-range Energy Alternatives Planning System (LEAP). The results show that in the base scenario, the installed capacity of agricultural and forestry residues, municipal solid waste and biogas will increase to 22350 MW, 21150 MW, and 4900 MW, respectively by 2030. From the point of view of total volume, biomass supply is not a constraining factor for biomass power source. However, there are some social and economic factors that impede the development of the biomass power industry, some of which may not be addressed in the short term. Therefore, the development of the biomass power industry in China is a long-term process. Some policy suggestions were proposed, including reasonable planning and more subsidies for biomass supply value chain. • An optimal power-planning model focused on bio-energy in China was developed. • Agricultural and forestry power, waste power and biogas power were all analyzed. • Social and economic factors that impede biomass power were investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]