168 Lei Song et al.
buildings in the peri- urban areas (e.g. fringe areas) have poor insulation performance and the homes are often larger than city apartments. Heating in the
peri- urban residential buildings should consume electricity five times more than
the city. Additionally, the indoor temperature may not be comfortable for children and the elderly. Greening the heating system needs to consider indoor
comfort of inhabitants and their perceived norms, and should also be supplemented with actions from other components of the energy efficiency pathway
and the electricity system supplying buildings.
Green electricity
Integrating renewable energy sources into buildings can transform the building
sector from an energy consumer to a power generator that supplies energy to the
grid (IEA, 2013). Renewable energy generated by the building itself, or from its
surroundings, can be used to supply thermal and/or electrical energy where technically feasible and economically viable. For instance, electricity can be generated via photovoltaic (PV) systems and mini wind turbines on the roofs of
certain buildings or in neighbourhoods. This could be used for water heating
and powering heat pumps, and surplus electricity can be transferred to the
power grid.
The 13th Five- Year Plan will help to trigger the long- term development of
decentralised renewable energy systems in buildings. By 2020 the building areas
that allow for solar hot water installations should have increased to 30 million
square metres of construction area, with heating from grounded- thermal supplying 20 million square metres. This national target is enhanced in some cities, for
instance in Beijing where buildings with renewable energy should account for
16% of the city’s total buildings by 2020.
In China, due to the limited roof access of residential apartments, the main
focus of the renewable energy component of the pathway will be on installations in public and commercial buildings. Notice on Related Policies to Further
Implement Distributed PV, released by the National Energy Administration in
2014, encouraged the development of various forms of distributed photovoltaic
power generation applications and making full use of qualified building roof
(including affiliated free site) resources. Furthermore, local governments at all
levels have been required to support the installation of PV power generation
applications via financial subsidy policies, paying special attention to combing
these projects with poverty alleviation to ensure an income increase of ¥3000
per household per year in poor areas.
In addition, micro- grid and renewable energy power projects have also been
mentioned in 13th Five- Year Plan for Solar Power Development. It would be
useful to construct micro grids for renewable energy in the areas where the distributed renewable energy penetration rate is higher and building conditions
suitable for the utilisation of solar resources.
Considering these components of energy efficiency in the building sector and
promoting renewable energy in the building sector and the electricity system,
buildings in the peri- urban areas (e.g. fringe areas) have poor insulation performance and the homes are often larger than city apartments. Heating in the
peri- urban residential buildings should consume electricity five times more than
the city. Additionally, the indoor temperature may not be comfortable for children and the elderly. Greening the heating system needs to consider indoor
comfort of inhabitants and their perceived norms, and should also be supplemented with actions from other components of the energy efficiency pathway
and the electricity system supplying buildings.
Green electricity
Integrating renewable energy sources into buildings can transform the building
sector from an energy consumer to a power generator that supplies energy to the
grid (IEA, 2013). Renewable energy generated by the building itself, or from its
surroundings, can be used to supply thermal and/or electrical energy where technically feasible and economically viable. For instance, electricity can be generated via photovoltaic (PV) systems and mini wind turbines on the roofs of
certain buildings or in neighbourhoods. This could be used for water heating
and powering heat pumps, and surplus electricity can be transferred to the
power grid.
The 13th Five- Year Plan will help to trigger the long- term development of
decentralised renewable energy systems in buildings. By 2020 the building areas
that allow for solar hot water installations should have increased to 30 million
square metres of construction area, with heating from grounded- thermal supplying 20 million square metres. This national target is enhanced in some cities, for
instance in Beijing where buildings with renewable energy should account for
16% of the city’s total buildings by 2020.
In China, due to the limited roof access of residential apartments, the main
focus of the renewable energy component of the pathway will be on installations in public and commercial buildings. Notice on Related Policies to Further
Implement Distributed PV, released by the National Energy Administration in
2014, encouraged the development of various forms of distributed photovoltaic
power generation applications and making full use of qualified building roof
(including affiliated free site) resources. Furthermore, local governments at all
levels have been required to support the installation of PV power generation
applications via financial subsidy policies, paying special attention to combing
these projects with poverty alleviation to ensure an income increase of ¥3000
per household per year in poor areas.
In addition, micro- grid and renewable energy power projects have also been
mentioned in 13th Five- Year Plan for Solar Power Development. It would be
useful to construct micro grids for renewable energy in the areas where the distributed renewable energy penetration rate is higher and building conditions
suitable for the utilisation of solar resources.
Considering these components of energy efficiency in the building sector and
promoting renewable energy in the building sector and the electricity system,