Government ministries and agencies introduced a series of plans, including the 12th
Five-Year Plan for Developing Green Buildings
and Eco-Cities (2012–17). However, further
improvements in green building systems and
standards and increased R&D of green building
technologies and life cycle management of green
buildings are required. Technology innovation in
green buildings is currently focused on lighting
and heating. Energy- efficient lighting is one of
the most effective ways to reduce greenhouse gas
emissions from buildings in almost all countries.
The Roadmap for the Phase-out of Incandescent
Lamps in China, issued by the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), banned the import and sale of incandescent lamps of
15 W or more from October 2016. If all existing
incandescent lamps are replaced with energyefficient lamps, 48,000 GWh of power would be
saved annually, equivalent to a reduction in CO 2
emissions of 48 Mt. It is estimated that China’s
cumulative newly built urban residential areas
will exceed 5 billion square metres by 2020, and
that the newly added energy consumption from
heating in north China (the coldest part of the
country) will be about 125 Mtce. If heating from
renewable sources is deployed in all these new
residential areas, the resulting reductions in CO 2
emissions would be 375 Mt.
Centralised coal-fired power generation and
coal-fired
combined
heat
and
power
(CHP) should be increased to save energy and
reduce emissions. Currently, centralised coalfired power generation at large power plants
accounts for only 48% of total coal consumption
in China, compared to 99% in the USA. The
extremely large number of distributed,
small-scale coal-fired facilities in China, which
do not have the capability to treat pollutants,
offers great potential for energy saving and
emissions reduction. China needs to take several
measures to significantly shift coal use from
small-scale to large-scale centralised generation.
This will reduce pollutant emissions from coal
combustion and improve the heat to electricity
conversion efficiency of coal.
3.1.3 Introduce Carbon Pricing
to Improve Energy
Consumption Efficiency
Carbon pricing can have a significant energy saving
effect as it increases the cost offossil fuels and causes
a shift in the energy mix towards lower-carbon fuels.
The increase in the price of energy will also drive
energy efficiency and reduce total energy consumption—as the carbon price goes up, total energy
consumption will decrease. In the policy scenarios of
$30 per tonne CO 2 equivalent (tCO 2 e), $60/tCO 2 e
and $90/tCO 2 e, total energy consumption will be
7.4%, 14.0% and 19.4% lower respectively than in
the zero-carbon-tax scenario. Furthermore, the
effects of carbon pricing policy will become significant over time.
3.2 Enable Cleaner Energy
Consumption by Using Less
Scattered Coal
and by Increasing
Electrification
3.2.1 Substitute Electricity and Gas
for Scattered Coal
In 2015, China’s scattered coal consumption reached
617 million tonnes (Mt), mainly used in coal mining
(120 Mt), household heating (93 Mt) and chemical
production (90 Mt). A further 260 Mt of scattered
coal was used by light industries—food, textiles,
equipment manufacturing and services.
To replace scattered coal in residential heating, China will encourage central heating
(gas-fired boilers, geothermal heating and waste
heat recovery) and increasingly substitute electricity and gas for scattered coal (such as
wall-mounted gas-fired heaters) in areas where
central heating is not possible. The measures for
substituting electricity and gas for scattered coal
in the industrial and commercial sectors include
replacing small coal-fired boilers with gas-fired
boilers or installing waste heat recovery or other
intensive heating methods. According to the
Energy Production and Consumption Revolution
Strategy (2016–30), more than 35% of scattered
18
X. Zhaoyuan and M. Ishwaran
Five-Year Plan for Developing Green Buildings
and Eco-Cities (2012–17). However, further
improvements in green building systems and
standards and increased R&D of green building
technologies and life cycle management of green
buildings are required. Technology innovation in
green buildings is currently focused on lighting
and heating. Energy- efficient lighting is one of
the most effective ways to reduce greenhouse gas
emissions from buildings in almost all countries.
The Roadmap for the Phase-out of Incandescent
Lamps in China, issued by the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), banned the import and sale of incandescent lamps of
15 W or more from October 2016. If all existing
incandescent lamps are replaced with energyefficient lamps, 48,000 GWh of power would be
saved annually, equivalent to a reduction in CO 2
emissions of 48 Mt. It is estimated that China’s
cumulative newly built urban residential areas
will exceed 5 billion square metres by 2020, and
that the newly added energy consumption from
heating in north China (the coldest part of the
country) will be about 125 Mtce. If heating from
renewable sources is deployed in all these new
residential areas, the resulting reductions in CO 2
emissions would be 375 Mt.
Centralised coal-fired power generation and
coal-fired
combined
heat
and
power
(CHP) should be increased to save energy and
reduce emissions. Currently, centralised coalfired power generation at large power plants
accounts for only 48% of total coal consumption
in China, compared to 99% in the USA. The
extremely large number of distributed,
small-scale coal-fired facilities in China, which
do not have the capability to treat pollutants,
offers great potential for energy saving and
emissions reduction. China needs to take several
measures to significantly shift coal use from
small-scale to large-scale centralised generation.
This will reduce pollutant emissions from coal
combustion and improve the heat to electricity
conversion efficiency of coal.
3.1.3 Introduce Carbon Pricing
to Improve Energy
Consumption Efficiency
Carbon pricing can have a significant energy saving
effect as it increases the cost offossil fuels and causes
a shift in the energy mix towards lower-carbon fuels.
The increase in the price of energy will also drive
energy efficiency and reduce total energy consumption—as the carbon price goes up, total energy
consumption will decrease. In the policy scenarios of
$30 per tonne CO 2 equivalent (tCO 2 e), $60/tCO 2 e
and $90/tCO 2 e, total energy consumption will be
7.4%, 14.0% and 19.4% lower respectively than in
the zero-carbon-tax scenario. Furthermore, the
effects of carbon pricing policy will become significant over time.
3.2 Enable Cleaner Energy
Consumption by Using Less
Scattered Coal
and by Increasing
Electrification
3.2.1 Substitute Electricity and Gas
for Scattered Coal
In 2015, China’s scattered coal consumption reached
617 million tonnes (Mt), mainly used in coal mining
(120 Mt), household heating (93 Mt) and chemical
production (90 Mt). A further 260 Mt of scattered
coal was used by light industries—food, textiles,
equipment manufacturing and services.
To replace scattered coal in residential heating, China will encourage central heating
(gas-fired boilers, geothermal heating and waste
heat recovery) and increasingly substitute electricity and gas for scattered coal (such as
wall-mounted gas-fired heaters) in areas where
central heating is not possible. The measures for
substituting electricity and gas for scattered coal
in the industrial and commercial sectors include
replacing small coal-fired boilers with gas-fired
boilers or installing waste heat recovery or other
intensive heating methods. According to the
Energy Production and Consumption Revolution
Strategy (2016–30), more than 35% of scattered
18
X. Zhaoyuan and M. Ishwaran