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Abstract: The pulp and paper industry is one of the most energy-intensive industries worldwide. In 2007, it accounted for 5% of total global industrial energy consumption and 2% of direct industrial carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. An energy audit is a primary step toward improving energy efficiency at the facility level. This paper describes a plant-wide energy audit aimed at identifying energy conservation and CO2 mitigation opportunities at a paper mill in Guangdong province, China. We describe the energy audit methods, relevant Chinese standards, methods of calculating energy and carbon indicators, baseline energy consumption and CO2 emissions of the audited paper mill, and nine energy-efficiency improvement opportunities identified by the audit. For each of the nine options, we evaluate the energy conservation and associated CO2 mitigation potential. The total technical energy conservation potential for these nine opportunities is 967.8terajoules (TJ), and the total CO2 mitigation potential is equal to 93,453tonnes CO2 annually, representing 14.4% and 14.7%, respectively, of the mill’s total energy consumption and CO2 emissions during the audit period. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

[Display omitted] • PCM energy storage and PV/T coupled multi-source heat pump systems were combined. • The thermal performance, energy efficiency, and economy of the system were analyzed. • The performance of paraffin C17 and water as energy storage materials were compared. • The performance of six low-temperature PCMs applied to the system were analyzed. • Compared to the existing system, it saves 56 % of energy and 27.7 % of operating costs. To improve the application of renewable energy in the heating zone, as well as to address the limitations of air and water source heat pump. The study presents a PV/T (photovoltaic/thermal) coupled air–water source heat pump system integrated with phase change energy storage. A theoretical analytical model and TRNSYS simulation model of the system were developed to evaluate the thermal performance, energy efficiency and economics of the system. The performance of phase change energy storage was compared with that of water storage, and the effect of different phase change materials on the system characteristics. The results show that the coupled system achieves a seasonal performance factor of 2.3, a 56 % reduction in energy consumption, and a 27.7 % reduction in operating costs compared to a conventional gas boiler system. Comparative analysis with the water storage system showed that the system equipped with phase change materials performed well in terms of energy consumption, operating costs and heating stability. In addition, the density of the phase change material has a biased effect on the overall performance of the system. This paper can provide a reference value for the study of renewable energy heating systems in cold zone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Whilst a plethora of literature has viewed technological progress as one of the critical influencing factors in relation to energy consumption and CO 2 emissions, little effort has been made to identify the sectoral differences in the relationship between technological progress and CO 2 emissions. Thereby, this paper remedies the inadequacies in the extant literature by empirically investigating the impact of technological progress on CO 2 emissions, specifically taking into account its heterogeneous effect in various economic sectors. This paper first decomposes the effect of technological progress as taking place in heavy industry, in light industry, in construction industry, and in service industry. A panel quantile regression approach and a balanced city panel data model are then applied, covering the period 2001–2013 in China. The empirical results show that technological progress in heavy industry and light industry surprisingly facilitates a higher level of CO 2 emissions, despite its prominent contribution to energy efficiency improvement. Meanwhile, as distinct from the effect it shows in the heavy and light industries, technological progress in construction and service industries exerts a negative effect on CO 2 emissions. Additionally, this paper further discovers that the strength of the multiple impacts of technological progress also varies with the level of emitters. By studying the heterogeneous effect brought about by technological progress in different economic sectors and emitters, this paper provides a comprehensive understanding of the relationship between CO 2 emissions and technological progress. Highlights • The study considers the sectoral and scale heterogeneity of technological progress in relation to CO 2 emissions. • We apply a panel quantile regression approach to balanced city-level panel data. • Technological progress within different economic sectors exerts different effects on CO 2 emissions. • The role of technological progress in moderating energy intensity varies across emitters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract In 2017 about 37% of the world's wind turbines and 50% of the world's photovoltaic (PV) panels are installed in China. But at the same time a huge amount of wind power and PV power is wasted mainly because of insufficient flexibility of thermal power which is the dominant source in China's electricity system. This paper aims to assess the flexibility requirements for thermal power plants to accommodate large-scale variable renewable energies (VREs). This paper constructs three scenarios for the reference year of 2030, where VREs account for 16%, 19% and 22% in the electricity system respectively, and simulates corresponding residual load time series (residual load = load − hydropower − nuclear power − wind power − PV power). We find that the current average 1%/min ramp rate of thermal power plants is basically sufficient to deal with ramps in residual load in the future. But the current average 60% minimum load level of thermal power plants has to be improved to 40% or even 30%, otherwise the economic losses of VREs curtailment will be as high as 947.2 × 10 8 – 1632.0 × 10 8 CNY per year in the future. It is necessary and beneficial for the central authority to invest in retrofitting the existing huge thermal power plants to improve their minimum load level. Highlights • This paper simulates the future VREs scenarios for the year of 2030. • 1%/min ramp rate of thermal power is sufficient to follow ramps in residual load. • Minimum load level of thermal power has to be improved to 40% or even 30%. • It is a huge economic benefit to improve minimum load level of thermal power. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the field of energy economics, the concept of "green premium" refers to the cost difference between zero-emission or emission-reducing technologies and emission-emitting technologies. This cost difference plays a crucial role in the adoption and commercialization of renewable energy technologies, which is essential for addressing climate change. However, the green premium, as an abstract concept, is often used qualitatively, and research on quantifying the green premium is very limited. This has significant adverse effects on both the formulation of business strategies for companies and the planning of government policies. The Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) method is a widely used cost analysis approach in businesses and organizations. It can quantitatively assess and understand the overall costs associated with specific products, assets, or services, thereby assisting decision-makers in making informed choices and managing resources. Therefore, this study introduces, for the first time, a TCO-based green premium modeling model to address the challenge of quantifying the green premium. Considering that China's Electric Vehicles (EVs) industry has successfully overcome the green premium barrier and entered the commercialization phase, it is an appropriate domain for studying the green premium. To further demonstrate the effectiveness and scalability of the modeling, this paper enhances the classic Bass model for sales forecasting of electric vehicles. It innovatively incorporates the influence of the green premium in the generalized Bass model. Additionally, the study uses primary data from industry research to construct a multi-factor green premium model for EVs based on TCO analysis. It also develops a generalized Bass diffusion model that considers the green premium and selects time-series data on EV diffusion in the Chinese market from 2010 to 2021. A genetic algorithm is employed to fit the model parameters, and different scenarios are considered to forecast EV market penetration over the next decade. Experimental results validate that incorporating the green premium in the generalized Bass model leads to better forecasting performance compared to methods that do not consider the premium which proved these related green premium modeling approaches exhibit good accuracy and scalability. • Economic Model of Green Premium : Developed an economic model comparing emissions-emitting and zero-emissions technology. • Data on Automotive Industry : Gathered primary data for calculating the green premium in the EV market. • Genetic Algorithm for Bass Model : Used a genetic algorithm on the modified Bass model, improving forecasting accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chinese electricity market has undergone twice reforms since 2002. However, the current electricity market is still partially irrational in electricity pricing mechanism. Furthermore, the utilization of renewable energy is inefficient in western regions. From the perspective of market participants, electricity retailers are new entrants in deregulated electricity market. In this spot electricity market, they are faced with various challenges and opportunities. Thus, this paper introduces an inter-regional power transaction model based on bottom-up modeling. There are mainly three parts in this paper: ⑴ It examines the existing problems and achievements in the twice reforms, and introduces the participants of cooperative game in a spot market. ⑵It proposes an inter-regional electricity transaction model to illustrate the new pricing mechanism. ⑶ Based on cooperative game theory, it quantifies how costs, electricity prices and benefits affect the behavior of retailers in a spot market with some reasonable economic assumptions. What is novel about this research is that the proposed transaction model analyzes electricity retailers' behaviors in a spot market. The cooperative game model improves electricity retailer's competitiveness in a spot market, and is of great theoretical and practical significance for the reform and development of China's electricity market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Among the regulatory policies, feed-in tariffs (FIT) and renewable portfolio standards (RPS) are the most popular to promote the development of renewable energy power industry. This paper uses system dynamics (SD) to establish models of long-term development of the renewable energy power industry under FIT and RPS schemes, and provides a case study of China's wind power industry by using scenario analysis method. The model, on the one hand, not only clearly shows the complex logical relationship between the factors but also reveals the process of coordination between the two policy tools in the development of the renewable energy power industry. On the other hand, it provides a reference for scholars to study similar problems in different countries, thereby facilitating an understanding of the renewable energy power's long-term sustainable development pattern under FIT and RPS schemes, and helping to provide references for policy-making institutions. The results show that the integrate implementation of FIT and RPS can promote long-term and rapid development of China's wind power industry given the constraints and actions of the mechanisms of RPS quota proportion, the tradable green certificates (TGC) valid period, and fines. In addition, in the period of the construction of the TGC market, RPS quota growth rate and fine have a no significant effect on industrial development, however, with TGC market game becoming more and more fierce, both of them have a significant positive impact on the long-term development of the industry. TGC valid period has little effect on industrial development in our study. At the end of the paper, policy implications are offered as references for the government. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As an important energy base of China, Xinjiang is the key part of the “Silk Road” economic belt development strategy and is in an superior position. This paper analyzes the problems exist in the sustainable energy industry based on the distribution status of sustainable resources of Xinjiang. The evaluation index system of the application level of Renewable Energy Systems (RESs) is discussed using the wind farm as an example. Besides it investigates the advantages and disadvantages of the development process of each node in the “Silk Road” economic belt areas according to the current situation of the resources, economic and social development. Suggestions for the development of each area are proposed in the end. This paper will contribute to the sustainable development of renewable energy industry and economy in Xinjiang. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This review paper examines pathways towards solar energy in China by examining two different solar energy technologies, namely solar photovoltaic (PV) and solar water heaters (SWH). The paper investigates these two case studies to understand how different pathways for low carbon innovation are promoted and challenged by China's changing financing and policy-making, and how they relate to changing practices among producers and consumers. The paper finds two distinct approaches to solar energy. Chinese solar PV is predominantly produced for the export market, relies on intellectual property-intensive technology and has received much financial and political support from the central and provincial governments. On the other side, solar water heaters are an indigenous Chinese technology that is found everywhere across China, especially in rural areas. They have developed from grass-roots levels to mass products with very little central government support. Although being largely absent from high-level discussions and policies, solar water heaters could contribute a lot to China's low carbon transitions that are driven at the local level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With important implications for global climate change mitigation, the development of a cap-and-trade emission trading scheme (ETS) in China is embedded in distinctive political, economic, and institutional contexts and has been attracting increasing attention in recent years. To offer a clear perspective on current research progress, this paper systematically reviews the recent literature on China’s ETS from three main aspects: mechanism design, policy and regional linkages, as well as impact assessment. The current research consensuses are summarized based upon detailed literature analyses and commentaries, and together with observations of international experience and China’s actual condition, the paper provides policy proposals for the development of China’s national ETS during 2016–2020. Finally, several important controversies in the current literature are discussed with regard to the practical demands of China’s ETS development. Five pressing topics that need to be further studied in the coming years are highlighted, including cap setting, allowance allocation among sectors and enterprises, carbon pricing, policy package and unified carbon market construction, as well as ex-ante and ex-post impact assessments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recognizing the industrial sector's high energy use and vast potential for energy saving, many national governments have established voluntary or negotiated agreements that set quantitative energy-saving targets for individual industrial enterprises. The most commonly used energy-saving targets worldwide are volume and energy intensity targets. Since 2006, the Chinese government has set mandatory, enterprise-level energy-saving targets in terms of the “amount of energy saved”; this represents a unique category that differs from both volume and energy intensity targets. Based on first-hand data collected at ten case enterprises, this paper represents one of the first attempts to verify the reliability of the amount of energy saved data reported by the Chinese government and to rigorously and systematically investigate the inherent weaknesses of the amount of energy saved targets through a comparison with the mainstream categories of energy-saving targets. The ten case enterprises reported four different types of amount of energy saved. While all of the case enterprises claimed full achievement of their amount of energy saved targets, four enterprises exaggerated their performance by violating the National Standard for Calculating the Amount of Energy Saved of Enterprises. The paper thus hypothesizes that the National Top-1000 Enterprise Program's alleged achievement of performance 65% higher relative to its amount of energy saved target is likely an overestimation. Although amount of energy saved targets constitute an innovative energy-saving indicator, they do not represent a step forward from conventional volume and intensity targets because of the following four weaknesses: 1) amount of energy saved targets provide limited potential for comparison given the different types of amount of energy saved and the different calculation methods, 2) they generate uncertain environmental outcomes as it is possible to meet a portion of an amount of energy saved target through production volume expansion, 3) they are difficult to enforce due to the complexity of data verification on the part of local government agencies, and 4) they are poorly correlated with the national target for reducing energy intensity. Amount of energy saved targets should therefore be replaced with “double-control” targets that impose both volume and intensity targets on industrial enterprises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction of the fractional order accumulation has made significant contributions to the development of forecasting methods, and fractional grey models play a key role in such new methods. However, the fractional grey models may also be inaccurate in some cases as they do not consider the time delayed effect. To further improve the applicability of the existing fractional grey models, a novel fractional grey model called the fractional time delayed grey model is proposed in this paper. The essence of the fractional time delayed term is discussed, revealing that the fractional time delayed term is essentially a function between the polynomial functions with integer order, which can be more flexible to improve the modelling accuracy. The cutting-edge Grey Wolf Optimizer is introduced to find the optimal value of fractional order. Detailed modelling procedures, including the computational steps and the intelligent optimization algorithm, have been clearly presented. Four real world case studies are used to validate the effectiveness of the proposed model, in comparison with 8 existing grey models. Finally the proposed model is applied to forecast the coal and natural gas consumption of Chongqing China, the results show that the proposed model significantly outperforms the other 8 existing grey models. • A novel fractional time delayed grey model is proposed. • Essence of fractional time delayed term is revealed. • Grey Wolf Optimizer is used to find the optimal fractional order. • The proposed model outperforms 8 models in 6 real world cases. • The new model is efficient in energy forecasting for complex energy systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract With the increase in energy consumption in China, the influential factors and contributions to such increase have received more attention. In this paper, the decomposition of energy consumption and energy intensity in China from 1995 to 2015 was conducted by using a complete decomposition model. This study focuses on regional difference, which is not in line with the existing studies. The decomposition results indicate that the economic growth has a significant driving effect on the energy consumption, while the energy intensity effect reduces the growth of the total energy consumption. The structural effect plays a negative role but has less effect on the growth of the energy consumption. The contribution rate on the growth of the energy consumption in the eastern region gradually decreases. However, in the western region it grows fast and even exceeds that of the eastern region to become the highest energy consumption area in China in 2010–2015. The energy intensity declines substantially in China. It is mainly due to the improvement of regional energy efficiency and negligible contribution from the structural effect. In conclusion, the energy consumption and energy intensity in China follow different forms in different regions. Therefore, the application of differentiated regional energy policies is preferable over a single national energy policy. Highlights • The changes in energy consumption at the regional level were decomposed. • The influential factors of energy consumption variation and energy intensity variation in China was studied. • The coupling relationship between China's economic growth and energy consumption growth has gradually weakened. • We find that the western region become the area of China with the highest energy consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract A full understand of the influential mechanism concerning electricity consumption has a crucial political reference significance for the implementation of energy conservation and consumption reduction policies. To solve the lack of correlation between the empirical results of the research regions in present researches, this paper takes China's electricity consumption from 1995 to 2016 as the research subject, uses Multi-period ST-LMDI model by setting a unified reference province as a benchmark for different regions in China to completely decompose the changes in China's electricity consumption, and further analyzes the influence mechanism of China's electricity consumption changes by combining the characteristics of the departments and regions. As the result, it's found that the economic growth has a strong impetus for power consumption while the technological progress can effectively curb it. Meanwhile, results of studying electricity consumption from the perspective of industry and region show that the economic structure and consumption intensity have obviously different influences in the eastern, central and western regions. So when it comes to formulate the policy for electricity development and reform, the characteristics of industrial structure as well as the regional differences must be taken into consideration. Highlights • We apply Multi-period ST-LMDI to decompose China's electricity consumption. • The expansion of the economy is the main factor for the growth of electricity consumption. • Decline in electricity consumption intensity restrain the growth of power consumption. • All industrial sectors basically had positive effects on electricity consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Using the trans -log cost function and elasticity model, this paper pioneered the analysis of the elasticity and characteristics of the substitution between energy consumption and capital in China's manufacturing industry between 1995 and 2014. Firstly, the research revealed significant differences in the magnitude and direction of the substitution between coal, electricity, petroleum, and capital, thus demonstrating heterogeneity in the substitution. Secondly, the analysis, based on the Morishima Elasticity of Substitution (MES) model showed that: 1) depending on what triggers changes in factor prices, the manufacturing sector shows a reverse asymmetry whereby capital substituted energy and energy complemented capital 2) a significant asymmetry exists in the direction and magnitude of substitution in capital- and labor-intensive sectors. This asymmetric effect indicates that China can attain overall energy conservation and apply energy-saving technologies in the manufacturing industry by implementing the substitution of capital for energy. However, the differences with regards to the forms of energy consumption among sectors, as well as the heterogeneity and asymmetry in capital–energy substitution should be considered in research on energy policies for the manufacturing industry. This should also involve the integration of energy sources to ensure that such policies are targeted and effective. Highlights • It evaluates the substitution between energy and capital in China's manufacturing industry. • MES model and translog cost function are used to investigate the heterogeneity and asymmetry of substitution. • It shows a reverse asymmetry whereby capital substitutes energy and energy complements capital. • It demonstrates the heterogeneity of substitution result from the difference of energy use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The trilemma of economic growth, energy sustainability and environmental protection is facing China's urban sustainable development. In this paper, the ecological network analysis is applied to evaluate the whole metabolic processes of urban energy system. Then, a hierarchy analysis is conducted to diagnose and describe the energy's impacts on the whole energy metabolic processes, and reflect the dynamics and evolution of urban energy metabolic system. Using Beijing as a case study, results suggest that Beijing's strongest energy metabolic flows are electricity→service and electricity→ industrial energy use. Meanwhile, the main inflow to electricity has switched from raw coal in 2008 to natural gas in 2016. The hierarchy analysis indicates that the impacts of Natural gas and other energy are increasing while that of raw coal is decreasing. These results also suggest that Beijing's current achievements on urban energy system optimization mainly rely on structural variation in industries. It is considered that the future optimization should concentrate on promoting clean energy utilization in Beijing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Based on the autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) bounds testing approach and vector error correction model (VECM) Granger causality approach, this paper explores the relationships among per capita carbon dioxide (CO 2) emissions, gross domestic product (GDP), renewable, non-renewable energy production and foreign trade for China covering the period 1980–2014. One finding is that there is a long-run relationship among those variables. Another important finding is that China does not have the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) of CO 2 emissions under the influence of economic growth, non-renewable energy production and foreign trade. However, after the addition of renewable energy production variable, it is found that the inverted U-shaped EKC hypothesis is supported in the long-run. Our long-run estimates show that increasing non-renewable energy and GDP increases CO 2 emission, whereas renewable energy and foreign trade have a negatively impact on CO 2 emissions. The short-run Granger causality tests show that there are bidirectional causalities running from foreign trade, CO 2 emission and non-renewable energy to renewable energy. Furthermore, the finding indicates that renewable energy consumption is a key solution in reducing CO 2 emissions over time. Finally on the basis of this study, we put forward the corresponding countermeasures and suggestions on China's carbon emission reduction strategy. Highlights • Examine the relationships among CO 2 emissions, renewable energy and trade. • It is found that the inverted U-shaped EKC hypothesis is supported. • Renewable energy and trade have a negative impact on CO 2 emissions in the long-run. • There is bidirectional causality running from CO 2 emission to renewable energy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract This paper examines the relationship between hydroelectricity consumption and economic growth in China, while controlling for fossil fuel consumption, financial development, capital, institutional quality and globalization and its components for the period, 1970–2014. We have employed the Bayer and Hanck, (2013) combined cointegration test to examine the long-run relationships between those variables as well as the autoregressive distributed lag method with structural breaks as a robustness check. The empirical findings demonstrate a long-run relationship between those variables. Hydroelectricity consumption, fossil fuel consumption, capital, financial development and globalization and its components have a positive influence on GDP in China. The findings also provide predominant evidence on the long-run feedback hypothesis between the variables. The findings suggest that policies should be implemented to increase the role hydropower in the energy mix for sustainable economic growth in the country. Highlights • We examine the relationship between hydropower consumption and economic growth in China. • We control for fossil fuel consumption, financial development, capital, institutions and globalization. • We employ the Bayer and Hanck, (2013) cointegration test and ARDL bounds-testing method with structural breaks. • The findings demonstrate a long-run relationship between those variables. • The explanatory and control variables have positive influence on GDP in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Theses on China's low-carbon economy focus on the driving forces of carbon emissions, energy–carbon efficiency, and the carbon–economy nexus. Meanwhile, comprehensive frameworks that assess China's green economy and also analyze its driving forces are lacking. This paper constructs a green productivity index based on the Global Malmquist–Luenberger productivity index to evaluate the development of the low-carbon economy in China. A panel vector auto-regression model is adopted to further analyze the endogenous interactions and dynamic relationships among aspects of the green economy and its influencing factors. Empirical results show that China has seen a balanced development of green economic growth in 2000–2016, achieved in a series of clear stages. To maintain the sustainable growth of the low-carbon economy in the future, China must rely more on technological progress. This research also makes some important discoveries that have not been found in previous studies: the impact of China's industrial structure and energy consumption structure on the green economy are short term, having a duration of impact of approximately four years. Finally, we provide an assessment of provincial green economy development and describe the corresponding policy implications. Graphical abstract Image Highlights • A comprehensive analysis of China's green economy. • A slack-based Global Malmquist–Luenberger index is adopted to calculate the Green Productivity Index in China. • The stage characteristics of green economic development are identified. • A panel vector autoregressive model is used to analyze the interactions among aspects of the environmental economic system. • The findings that the impact duration of energy structure, industry structure, and urbanization on the green economy is about four years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The aim of this paper is to evaluate and compare the techno-economic performance of grid-connected photovoltaic (PV) power systems for a rooftop solar PV building containing 14 families in five climate zones in China. The techno-economic performance of grid-connected PV system in the five regions was evaluated using the HOMER software. Monthly average electric production, economic and environmental considerations, and sensitivity analyses were all considered. The results show that the pollutants from grid-only, grid/PV, and grid/PV/battery systems come mainly in the form of CO 2 emissions. In addition, this study concludes that grid/PV systems are technically, economically and environmentally feasible for all five climate zones. The excess electricity, NPC, and COE values of the grid/PV systems for all five climate zones increased with PV penetration increased, whereas the CO 2 emissions for these climate zones decreased due to the increasing PV sizes. For the grid/PV systems of five climate zones, Kunming is the most economical with the least NPC ($113,382) and COE ($0.073/kWh). The lowest CO 2 (38,975 kg/yr), SO 2 (35.4 kg/yr), and NO x (165 kg/yr) emissions of grid/PV systems occurred in Kunming. From an economic and environmental perspective, Kunming, with its mild climate conditions, may be especially suitable for grid/PV power generation. Highlights • The techno-economic performance of grid/PV system is evaluated using HOMER in five climate zones. • The grid/PV systems are feasible in five climate zones, China. • Kunming is the most economical with the least NPC ($113,382) and COE ($0.073/kWh). • Kunming may be especially suitable for grid/PV power generation. • The grid/PV system is a better choice for all five regions than the other studied systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Encouraging residential electricity consumers switch from the flat-rate electricity tariff to the peak and off-peak pricing is an important task for demand response management. But are consumers willing to accept the peak and off-peak pricing?-This paper presents the results of a national survey with a sample size of 3863 residential electricity consumers throughout China. The result reveals that nearly two-third of the residential electricity consumers are willing to accept the peak and off-peak pricing. Consumer knowledge is the key driver for consumer acceptance. In addition, the influences of households' electricity consumption and consumers’ socio-economic background profiles on consumer acceptance were also examined. Four barriers to consumer acceptance were identified. Among which, lack of the economic benefit is the primary hurdle. Finally, the managerial implications of this research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The imbalance between the distribution of coal resources and electricity demand makes the transport of energy a significant challenge for China’s electricity system. Moreover, with China’s air pollution control policies, more clean energy resources will be used to generate electricity, which will change regional power generation structures and influence the energy transport among regions. In this paper, a multi-regional model is developed to optimize the long-term generation and transmission structure of China’s electricity system by minimizing the accumulative system cost and considering regional resource endowments and air pollution control polices in four key areas. Results indicate that 1) the share of power generation from clean energy will increase from 24% in 2015 to 62% in 2050, 2) the structure of power generation in each region will be influenced by local water resource availability, and the total CO 2 emission will be reduced by around 16% in 2030 owing to the air pollution control policies, and 3) by 2050, coal will be mainly transported from the North to the Central, the South, the East and the Northeast, while the electricity will be transmitted to the Central, the South and the East from the Northwest, the North, the Southwest and the Central. Highlights • A multi-regional optimization model of China’s electricity system is developed. • The share of clean energy generation will increase from 24% in 2015 to 62% in 2050. • Resource endowment and environmental policy will affect regional energy structure. • The energy transport between regions are mapped from 2020 to 2050. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • The input–output model and ecological network analysis (ENA) are integrated. • The control and dependence conditions of economic sectors in China are analyzed. • The key regions and sectors for carbon mitigation of China are identified. Abstract In this paper, multi-regional input–output analysis (MRIO) and ecological network analysis (ENA) are combined to assess carbon flows within China and identify key regions and sectors in the context of spatial heterogeneity for effective carbon mitigation. An interregional carbon network model is established by articulating the directions and magnitudes of carbon flows based on MRIO. ENA is then used to unveil indirect carbon flows and mutual relationships among regions. The results show that the northwest is the largest controller for most regions in China. Most carbon emissions in the rest of China are induced by the east’s final demand and substantial consumption. In addition, at sectoral level, the control and dependence abilities vary by region in China. This study provides an integrated framework to investigate interregional carbon emission structure, identify efficient pathways for coordinated emission mitigation, and reduce global carbon inequality across regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • The empirical analysis was conducted from regional and provincial perspectives. • Industrial output growth contributed the most to China’s industrial CO 2 emissions. • Energy intensity was the decisive factor in controlling industrial CO 2 emissions. • Most provinces exhibited weak decoupling effect. • The factors effects and decoupling progress show distinct spatial characteristics. Abstract This paper utilizes the Logarithmic Mean Divisia Index (LMDI) to quantify the contributions of various factors on industrial CO 2 emissions (ICE) at both the regional and provincial levels, and then analyzes the decoupling index and its components. The main results include: (1) Industrial activity was the leading promoting factor in ICE, while energy intensity was the decisive factor for controlling ICE in most provinces. (2) Energy structure change only had a marginal impact on ICE and varied considerably across provinces. (3) The effects of various factors are distinctly diverse in different provinces; generally, the inhibiting effects only partly offset the promoting effects. (4) Most provinces exhibited weak decoupling effect, energy intensity decline was the crucial factor in their decoupling progress, while energy structure switch only played a negligible role in decoupling progress, even exerted an opposite effect in emission mitigation in some provinces, and therefore dragged down their decoupling progress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nuclear power has gradually become one of the key parts in power supply structure due to its environmental benefits, effective productivity and steady operation. However, complicated system, high investment and derivative security issues make it difficult to develop in a large scale. Nowadays, faced with serious challenges from environment protection, fossil fuel lacking and upgrading of industrial structure, China are taking measures to promote nuclear power industry to realize sustainable development. China׳s nuclear power industry has achieved large achievements in industrial policy, technical and economic condition during the last three decades. However, there still exist problems impeding its future development. Therefore, this paper first analyzes the external environment and historical stages of nuclear power industry in China. Then, it summarizes its current situation and points out the existing problems. In the end, to deal with the above problems, this paper proposes relative solutions from the aspects of industrial distribution optimization, regional resources integration, technical standard system, industrial organization mode and so on. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since 2010 China has faced a worrying phenomenon “wind curtailment” in the development and operation of the wind power industry. This phenomenon has resulted in sharp decline of the utilization hours of the wind power equipment, seriously affected the economic benefits of the wind farms and caused serious energy waste. The wind curtailment in China is seemingly caused by the volatility of the wind power technical characteristics. However, judging from a deep level, the planning, networking management and policies play a critical role. With analysis this paper makes such a conclusion: it is not practical to solve the wind curtailment of China solely with the technical solutions and comprehensive measures must be taken. The paper offers strategies from the planning, policy and technical levels to solve the wind curtailment problem according to the actual situation of China and by referring to experiences of developed countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a global consensus on making full use of renewable energy because of human concern for energy security and environmental deterioration. Power generation with large-scale renewable energy such as solar and wind energy has become the trend of modern power systems, and the resulting impacts on power systems are more and more prominent. Therefore, there is great concern from academic and engineering areas of all countries. In China, as the fastest growing country in the photovoltaic (PV) industry in the world, these problems are particularly outstanding. This paper extensively reviews the present research and application status of large-scale PV (LSPV) power generation in China, discusses the modelling and simulation techniques of LSPV, explores impacts of LSPV integration on dynamic and static characteristics of power systems, and describes key technologies about LSPV power generation delivery and consumption from the perspective of power system planning, simulation, dispatching and control. Additionally, this paper also refines academic and engineering problems, and recommendations are proposed for future research and development of LSPV power generation in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the conventional energy resources are limited and environmental problems are becoming increasingly prominent, new energy resources, being environmental friendly and renewable, are paid more and more attention by all the countries. At present, the development and utilization of new energy resources in China has made progress. However, due to the factors such as the international energy competition situation, China׳s productivity level and its development phase, and the lagging of related system and mechanism reforms, China׳s new energy has been faced with constraints in the aspects of the system, efficiency, supply, region and technology. If related reforms were not implemented, the development of new energy in China would be severely hindered for a long period of time in the future. In view of this, this paper reviewed the development status of China׳s new energy industry, and analyzed five aspects of constraints. Moreover, a discussion was carried out from four aspects of the system, consumption, production, technology reforms in order to break the corresponding constraints. Finally the future development planning of new energy was presented. All in all, the deep investigation into China׳s new energy development status, constraints, reforms and planning in this paper is aimed at promoting the reform of new energy resources production and utilization modes, improving the policy system continuously, addressing the deep-rooted institutional contradictions of the new energy industry, and providing the reference and advice for the transformation of China׳s energy structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Green and renewable, wind is one of the major ways to produce power. However, natural wind used for tunnel ventilation is often neglected. Natural wind is usually regarded as resistance. Every year, unchanging ventilation mode and unreasonable control strategy lead to huge energy consumption and economic loss In China. This paper mainly discusses and analyzes the current situation of energy consumption in extra-long tunnel operation ventilation in China. It proposes the natural wind utilization in extra-long segmented tunnels. Therefore, a scientific and theoretical calculation method for extra-long tunnels located in climate separation zone is presented in this paper. Principles of natural wind in each tunnel section are obtained based on long-term monitored meteorological factors. A feasible optimized energy-saving ventilation strategy is put forward, which utilizes natural wind and will minimize the operation energy consumption. It is concluded that, the results about operation energy consumption from this paper can provide useful technical supports in design, operation and management for tunnels all over the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a good power supplement form of super power and large-scale energy base, distributed energy has the characteristics of less investment and flexible power generation. Facing with the double pressure of the sustainable development of energy use and environmental protection, it has become an efficient solution to meet the demand of load growth, reduce environmental pollution and improve the comprehensive utilization of energy and the reliability of power supply. However, the development of distributed energy starts relatively late in China and confronts many difficulties. So this paper analyzes the present development situation and existing problems of the distributed energy in China. Then it elaborates from the aspects of policies and regulations, technical specifications, price policy and grid-interconnection codes. At last, this paper puts forward relevant policy suggestions of the guarantee mechanism of distributed energy. This paper argues that, with the attention of the development of distributed energy increasing, a series of policies to promote the construction and interconnection of distributed energy will be introduced, and distributed energy will get scaled development in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The oil crisis and the successful commercial exploitation of shale gas in America have made shale gas become the focus of global energy industry. Shale gas industry will be developed mainly in the future. Sichuan has natural geographical advantages and becomes the main battlefield of shale gas in China. So it is necessary and urgent to analyze the current situation of Sichuan shale gas. This paper introduces the status quo of shale gas in Sichuan, and systematically analyzes the industrial environment for developing Sichuan shale gas from four aspects of policy, economy, society, technology. Then the issues facing Sichuan are discussed. Finally, the paper puts forward some corresponding recommendations to provide certain references to the development of shale gas industry in Sichuan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China has surpassed the United States to be the world's largest energy consumer, but a lot of energy was used to produce products for exporting to other countries. Presently, China faces a great challenge in energy security and environmental protection. This paper focuses on the energy embodied in China's foreign trade with a multi-regional input–output approach. Three versions of the GTAP (Global Trade Analysis Project) database were used to capture the trend and distribution of the embodied energy flows for China during 2001–2007. The results indicate that the energy embodied in the global trade is increasing rapidly, growing faster than the total direct energy exported in the same period. China is shown as an energy exporter in terms of embodied energy, and the embodied energy trade surplus increased from 156 million tons of oil equivalents (Mtoe) in 2001 to 514 Mtoe in 2007, with a proportion of domestic energy consumption increased from 14% to 23%. This paper also studies the effects of the energy-intensive industry restrictive export policy of China, and we find that this policy could reduce the national energy consumption and promote industrial structure upgrades effectively. However, the expansion of energy-intensive industries in other countries may reduce China's efforts for global energy saving and global warming alleviation. Our simulation shows that carbon leakage is about 50%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper develops the temporal-spatial distribution of wave energy at the Beibu Gulf at a monthly, seasonal, and annual base using the Simulated WAves Nearshore (SWAN) model, which is called third generation wave prediction model. The model is forced with the ECMWF ERA Interim wind field data covering 34 years at a time interval of 6 h. Wave parameters, including significant wave height ( Hs ), peak wave period ( Tp ), and wave direction (θ) are simulated by SWAN model. Simulated data are validated against the altimeter data using Bias, MSE, and R, and the validation results show that the simulated data can effectively be used to calculate the wave energy in Beibu Gulf. This paper highlights the temporal-spatial distributions of monthly, seasonal, and annual of wave energy. The results reveal that (1) the wave energy propagations in inner waters are dominantly along northeast and west-northwest; (2) the high-energy areas are located at the middle and the southern Beibu Gulf; (3) the biggest monthly wave energy is from January through March with approximately 2.5 kW/m, and the biggest seasonal wave energy is from winter through spring with approximately 1.7 kW/m, and the biggest annual wave energy is about 1.5 kW/m. Additionally, the quantitative analysis, in which the total storage of wave energy vs. the percentage of wave energy greater than 2 kW/m is mapped at a 0.5° × 0.5° grid, identifies those grids used for wave energy convertor deployment. Finally some suggestions are drawn up for decision-makers of the local government. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The chemical process industry is the second largest carbon-emitting sector in China. Therefore, it is extremely urgent and crucial to explore how to reduce carbon emissions in the sector. This paper employs the co-integration method and scenario analysis to investigate how to reduce carbon emissions in the sector. The granger causality test is conducted and the result indicates that all the variables except lnPare granger-causes lnCE. Moreover, comparing the JJ (Johansen-Juselius) co-integration with the EG (Engle-Granger) co-integration based on the squared residual, the fitting effect and the prediction effect, we find that the EG co-integration method is better. Furthermore, we adopt the EG co-integration and scenario analysis and find that the emission reduction potential of the sector will be 63.9 Mt in 2015 and 180 Mt in 2020 under the middle scenario; and 121.4 Mt in 2015 and 327.9 Mt in 2020 under the advanced scenario. Finally, the paper provides some policy implication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main goal of this paper is to argue for the necessity and significance of studying the distributional employment impacts of renewable and new energy development (RNE). Based on the comprehensive review of the methodology and conclusions of existing literatures, this paper builds up an extended input–output model to study RNE’s distributional employment impacts on gender and personnel structure. The case study of China׳s power sector in this paper affirmed earlier doubts that RNE development will indeed aggravate the gender inequality problem and add to the level of mismatch between the structure of labor demand and supply, causing structural unemployment problems. The quantitative analysis in this paper outlined here implies that from 2011 to 2020 the development of RNE will bring about 7 million employment gains, but only 81.8% of which can be realized due to the mismatch problem. The study of China may alert other countries to be less-optimistic about RNE’s employment impacts and reaffirm the need to carry out the distributional employment impacts analysis. This paper concludes with policy suggestions such as providing suitable training and equal promotion opportunities for women, offering courses and vocational trainings to RNE-related majors, in order to reduce the structural unemployment problem and further speed up the development of RNE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China has become a net importer of natural gas as a result of rapidly increasing consumption in recent years. A production peak would exist since natural gas is an exhaustible resource. As conventional natural gas production peak approaches, the development of unconventional natural gas is attracting increasing attention. China׳s unconventional natural gas reserves are abundant, but exploration is still in its infancy stage. Thus, with the increasing quest for low-carbon development and China׳s natural gas price reform, studying the impacts of unconventional gas development on China׳s natural gas supply and price reform under different scenarios has practical significance. In this paper we predict China׳s natural gas production trends in different scenarios and forecast natural gas demand. This paper concludes that the exploitation of unconventional natural gas will greatly improve China׳s annual natural gas production, and delay the production peak year. This is important for China׳s natural gas supply security as it can decrease dependence on imported gas. Furthermore, as the cleanest fossil fuel, it will enable more time and space for renewable energy development given the many costs and controversies surrounding its development in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China faced the greatest challenge in balancing its economic growth, energy and resource security as well as environmental pollution. The energy-intensive industries, which used to be the major force driving China׳s economic growth, had seriously exhausted the countries׳ natural resources and energy, and at the same time polluted the environment because of the severe surplus of low-efficiency production capacities. As a result, the Chinese government had initiated multiple economic and administrative policies to eliminate these low-efficiency production capacities intended to improve the energy efficiency of energy-intensive industries. These policies are summarized in this paper, along with export tax rebating rate, resource tax, administrative audit and approvals, differential electric power pricing and shutting down the low-efficiency production capacities. The paper also evaluates the effects of these policies by analyzing several key indicators about the energy-intensive industries, including fixed asset investment growth rate, energy-intensity of industrial added-value, waste gas emission-intensity of industrial added-value. The VALDEX methodology is selected to examine the improving trends of energy-efficiency for energy-intensive industries. The analyzing results show that firstly the development of low-efficiency capacities tends to be more sensitive to the policies, so the policies that China had enacted really exert very important effects on improving the energy-efficiency of energy-intensive industries. However, the effects of economic policies seem more faster and obvious than the fiscal policies. Besides, the results also show that polices which are designed to reserve energy may not necessarily exert the same effects on reducing emissions. There is still large room for improving the energy efficiency of energy-intensive industries, substantial improvement still needs to be done for current policies’ system. Some suggestions for future work are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China׳s wind power industry has achieved tremendous successes in recent years. The country׳s cumulative installed capacity has exceeded that of America and ranked first in the world. The fast development has also been accompanied by inevitable high risks. Wind turbine accidents are happening with increasing frequency. Since insurance is an effective measure and instrument to control risks, it can guarantee healthy development of the wind power industry. So the fast-growing wind power industry in China is in urgent need of insurance services. However, currently the slow-developing insurance does not match the fast-growing wind power industry. Up to now, there have been few correlative studies on such field. Therefore, based on the problems behind development of China׳s wind power industry, this paper emphasizes the importance of insurance for China׳s wind power industry, and also analyzes the challenges that China׳s wind energy insurance companies have to face. The aim of this paper is to let more experts know the status of both the wind power industry and its corresponding insurance market in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study is to trace and quantify the sources of rebound effect for different energy sources in China. This paper decomposes the economy-wide rebound effect into 135 production sector-level rebound effects and five final demand components. The sector-level rebound is further decomposed into output effect and substitution effect. A two-stage decomposition method and a static computable general equilibrium model are developed to achieve this. Five types of energy-specific efficiency improvements are introduced, respectively, in all the production sectors. Results show that improving efficiency of using coal leads to the smallest macro-level rebound. For rebound decomposition, four findings are generalized. First, final consumption shows larger impact on the rebound of secondary energy sources than on primary energy sources. Second, production sectors that are big user of the efficiency-exposed energy source are expected to be key rebound contributor. Third, energy-producing sectors make negative rebound contribution. Results also show that, substitution effect is the predominant mechanism that triggers sector-level rebound. Policy implications are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the past decades, solar heat for industrial processes (SHIP) have been rapidly developed and applied, and also getting more and more attention all over the world. China is the largest energy consumer with industry accounting for almost 70% of its total energy consumption. Low- and medium-temperature heat takes up 45% of process heat, covering 50–70% of industrial energy consumption, which provides a favorable condition for solar application in industrial processes. China has built developed some demonstration projects to make industrial processes well integrated with solar heating systems. This paper briefly summarizes the status of China's energy consumption, integration of SHIP, as well as available matching solar technologies. Ten typical industrial sectors are selected to specifically describe their potential of SHIP. Moreover, 26 SHIP cases covering the selected 10 sectors are presented by field researches, with capacity of energy saving and emission reduction previously investigated according to their own proportion of SHIP. The potential of SHIP in the 10 sectors are further predicted by optimistically and conservatively making their proportion in SHIP 5.5% and 2% respectively during the period of 2016–2020. The results show that at least 39.40 million tons of coal equivalent and 98.22 million tons of CO 2 emission is expected to be reduced in 2020 in China's all industrial sectors although solar can meet different proportions of heat demand in different industrial sectors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the impact of China’s 2005–2020 nuclear expansion policy on the stock prices of nine major economic sectors in China, Japan and the US. Contagion tests based on changes in co-volatility and both forms of co-kurtosis are applied to identify how policy shocks impact markets and sectors. Monte Carlo experiments show that all of these tests perform well in power and that the co-kurtosis test performs better than the co-volatility test. Results for 2011 through 2016 show that China’s nuclear expansion policy has the most impact on sectors in China, with less significance in Japan, and with the least effect in the US. The most significant effects are coincident with major events that occurred in the post-announcement period when the 13th Five Year Plan was implemented. Sectors which are closely related to nuclear power are the most sensitive to policy announcements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Under the global implementation of low-carbon economy, the development of renewable energy becomes an important way of energy saving and emission reduction. Multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) techniques are gaining popularity in renewable power sources (RPS) evaluation since this process involves many conflicting criteria. Classical MCDM techniques assume that decisions are conducted in a deterministic environment and decision-makers (DMs) are completely rational while facing with investment risks. However, these hypotheses are not supported in the RPS selection. Fortunately, fuzzy set theory enables to cope with vagueness of evaluations in decision-making process, and cumulative prospect theory can reflect the risk preference of DMs and describe the actual behavior of them. Therefore, in this paper, a fuzzy MCDM technique based on cumulative prospect theory is proposed for selecting the most appropriate RPS in China. A case study in China is carried out to illustrate the rationality and feasibility of the proposed method. The results show that the solar PV is determined to be the best one in China, but the optimal alternative is sensitive to the prospect parameters. This research provides insightful information for the public investors with different risk preferences to evaluate the RPS and select the most appropriate one under uncertain environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In an effort to address climate change, in 2013 China launched the world’s largest government-driven carbon emission reduction programme, the National Low Carbon Industrial Parks Pilot Programme (LCIPPP). This paper analyses this newly developed pilot program. To deepen our understanding of the causes and the impact of industrial park CO 2 emissions, we use the STIRPAT (Stochastic Impacts by Regression on Population, Affluence and Technology) model and data from 20 pilot industrial parks involved in the LCIPPP for the period 2012–2016. This study quantitatively evaluates the effect of CO 2 emissions on output, energy structure, energy intensity, industrial structure, R&D intensity, and population change in different regions and nationally through an elasticity coefficient method. The results confirm that an increase in output and energy intensity is a dominant contributor to the growth of CO 2 emissions whereas an increase of the share of tertiary industry and R&D intensity has significant effects on reducing CO 2 emissions. The elasticity of energy intensity and renewable energy consumption on CO 2 emissions in the eastern region of China is the highest, indicating that using renewable energy to reduce CO 2 emissions for the industrial parks is more effective in the eastern region as compared to the central and western regions of the country. The elasticity of population is significantly negative in both the central and western areas while it is positive in eastern part of China, thereby illustrating that promoting labour intensive industries will be an effective way to reduce CO 2 emissions for the industrial parks in China’s central and western regions. Our study reveals that differentiated low carbon development pathways should be adopted. Concrete policy implications for reducing CO 2 emissions are also provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The key distinction between production-based and consumption-based accounting lies in the way in which trade-embodied emissions are allocated between producer and consumer regions. Yet, these two regions are not necessarily directly connected to each other in supply chains, due to spatial production fragmentation. To better understand the link from the production-based to the consumption-based regional carbon inventories, this paper defines the economic length of carbon transfer (ELCT) as the number of administrative border-crossing involved in the influence process of a region’s final demand on the carbon emissions of another region. Using a multi-regional input-output analysis framework for China, we propose an approach to calculating the ELCT related to a region’s production or demand for domestic consumption or international export. We find that the average ELCT in 2010 is 1.34 and that more than a quarter of interregional carbon transfer crosses provincial borders twice or more. The provincial and sectoral analysis of ELCT reveals that spatial production fragmentation is an important challenge to be conquered for successful implementation of consumption-based climate regulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the dynamic behaviour of energy intensity across Chinese cities. It employs a dynamic distribution approach which takes economic size into consideration. The results support the existence of convergence in terms of energy intensity among Chinese cities during the sample period. However, bimodality is the dominant characteristic in the long-term distribution using the full sample. The results also show that the distribution dynamics of energy intensity differ greatly among city groups in terms of geographical location, environmental policy, and population size. Weighting by economic size does not change the convergence trend of energy intensity, but has a significant influence on the long-term distribution. Neglecting economic size may overstate the energy reduction performance in Chinese cities. Furthermore, the results also suggest that geographical location, income level, and city population size have a significant impact on the spatial distribution dynamics of energy intensity. However, the formation of convergence clubs is complicated and thus requires further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In assuming its commitments to the reduction of CO 2 emissions, China is contributing great efforts to mitigate CO 2 emissions across its all economic sectors including construction industry. The Chinese construction industry is one of the main contributors to CO 2 emissions in China. This paper presents an empirical study on the CO 2 emissions in the Chinese construction industry across the period of 1995–2011. The input-output analysis method is employed for conducting the study. The data used for analysis are mainly collected from the world input-output database. The analysis results demonstrate that the CO 2 emissions in the Chinese construction industry increased by 388.7% from 1995 to 2011, reached to 3035.9 Mt in 2011. However, the carbon intensity in the construction industry decreased by 46.9% from 1995 to 2011, recorded as 0.00198 Mt/million dollars in 2011. The indirect CO 2 emissions were the majority of the construction CO 2 emissions, accounting for over 95% during 1995–2011. The process-based CO 2 emissions contributed 8.7%–12.6% of the total construction CO 2 emissions during 1995–2011. The electricity, gas and water supply industry, the other non-metallic mineral industry, and the basic metals and fabricated metal industry were the main contributors to the construction CO 2 emissions during 1995–2009. This study presents a comprehensive picture on the CO 2 emissions in the Chinese construction industry, which provides valuable references both to further study and to formulate more effective policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a significant difference in the performance of waste cooking oil-to-energy companies in China. Most biofuel companies face a loss while a few others have high recovery rates and strong profitability. To shed light on this phenomenon and to aide in formulating policy, this paper constructs a framework from the two dimensions of X-Y and investigates the impact of government intervention on biofuel companies' performance by taking two companies located in the kitchen waste-to-resource pilot cities of Changzhou and Suzhou. Results indicate that: (1) the basic policy instruments of information disclosed and fee and penalty mechanisms in Changzhou are inferior to those of Suzhou. On the other hand, capital investment and cooperation between stakeholders are better in Changzhou. As for the value chain dimension, the policies are similar in both cities. This means that companies involved in the recycling of waste cooking oil and biofuel production equally neglect research and development, preferential loan and product sales by government. (2) In terms of effectiveness, recycling rates and company profits for Changzhou Yueda Kate New Energy Co. Ltd. are far below those of Suzhou Clean Environmental Technology Co. Ltd. Whether the biofuel companies are authorized by government or not, fee and penalty mechanisms and information disclosure are the key determinants affecting performance of biofuel companies. (3) There is still some room to improve the performance of Suzhou Clean Environmental Technology Co. Ltd. Policies can focus on the following: strengthening R & D, which improves the technological supply and diffusion capability of biofuel companies; building the demand-typed policy frame and adjusting policy structure; improving the market structure of biofuel companies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cities contribute to most of the CO 2 emissions. And the economic system at city level is much complex due to various linkaged sectors. This paper aims to analyze the economy-wide contribution of sectors and households to CO 2 emissions in Beijing (China) by utilizing a semi-closed input-output model integrated with a modified hypothetical extraction method. Results show that, compared with 2005, in 2012 (1) interprovincial export caused the largest amount of CO 2 emissions [135.5 Mt] with the main contributions arising from manufacturing (42.1 Mt); transportation, storage, and post (TSP in short, 29.1 Mt); and households (23.6 Mt); (2) across the intermediate input-output system, real estate activities accounted for the largest amount of embodied CO 2 intensity (0.07 kg per yuan) and more sectors outsourced CO 2 ; (3) tracing the integrated sector network, CO 2 linkages pointed to manufacturing and TSP dominating the internal linkages, manufacturing prominent in mixed linkages, secondary industry leading the net forward linkages, and tertiary industry dominant in terms of net backward linkages, helping control CO 2 according to its origin; (4) CO 2 emissions induced by household strikingly affected total CO 2 emissions in Beijing, mainly coming from income-oriented affects, with a large rural-urban disparity and a similar sectoral distribution pattern. Finally, we propose suggestions on carbon reduction in terms of technological interlinkages, final demand and household participation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At present, the unformed market-oriented pricing mechanism has become a great challenge faced by China's electricity pricing. And the unreasonable electricity pricing caused by cross subsidization has become increasingly serious with the economic development and energy shortage. Tiered electricity price (TEP), which was developed and used since 1970s, was introduced into China as a new electricity pricing method for residential electricity consumption. The TEP can also improve the tariffs, the behaviors and the efficiency of residential electricity consumption. In this study, we use the fundamental theory of the Electricity Economics to analyze the pricing methods and the forms of China's power market with the reform of electric power industry. We also point out the characteristics of residential tiered electricity pricing in China, which is also compared with other countries, such as the United States and Japan. The main factors influencing the residential tiered electricity pricing design are discussed in this paper from the perspectives of users, the electric power enterprise and government regulation. Then we point out the main problems of China's existing tiered electricity pricing, including inadequate level of public awareness and acceptance, unreasonable tiered and electricity price standard, insufficient reflection in regional differences, less combination with other electricity pricing forms, and low-level of smart meter application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solar photovoltaic (PV) modules can not only generate electricity but also act as external shading devices of buildings. Solar PV shadings can effectively reduce the solar heat gain through windows, but might have a negative impact on the indoor daylight performance. Therefore, it is worth investigating the optimum design of solar PV shadings since the thermal, daylighting and power generation performance are closely integrated. In this paper, a numerical simulation model was utilized on the basis of EnergyPlus to investigate the energy saving potential of solar PV shadings with various tilt angles and orientations in Hong Kong. The results indicate that the optimum installation position for solar PV shadings is south facade with 30° tilt angle in order to maximize the electricity generation. However, considering the electricity savings from air-conditioning system and the increased electricity consumption for artificial lighting, it is recommended that solar PV shadings should be installed on a south facade with 20° tilt angle. Furthermore, the annual overall electricity benefits of solar PV shadings were compared with the widely used interior blinds. The results show that the well-designed solar PV shadings can achieve much more annual overall electricity benefits than interior blinds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]