Household Energy Consumption Patterns and Carbon Emissions for the Megacities—Evidence from Guangzhou, China

Lu Jiang, Bowenpeng Ding, Xiaonan Shi, Chunhua Li and Yamei Chen
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Lu Jiang: Academy of Plateau Science and Sustainability, People’s Government of Qinghai Province and Beijing Normal University, Xining 810016, China
Bowenpeng Ding: College of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
Xiaonan Shi: Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology, CAS, Jilin 130102, China
Chunhua Li: Academy of Plateau Science and Sustainability, People’s Government of Qinghai Province and Beijing Normal University, Xining 810016, China
Yamei Chen: Academy of Plateau Science and Sustainability, People’s Government of Qinghai Province and Beijing Normal University, Xining 810016, China

Energies, 2022, vol. 15, issue 8, 1-21

Abstract: Over the last 20 years, energy consumption in the residential sector in China has grown rapidly, and the growth is faster than that of any other energy form. To assess the limitations of the spatial characteristics of household energy consumption in urban areas, this paper selected Guangzhou as the research area. Specifically, the old town, core area, central area and peri-urban areas, which best reflect the evolutionary characteristics and spatial differentiation of households, were assessed. Based on the surveyed database of community-scale household energy consumption (N = 1097), the spatial heterogeneity of household energy consumption and carbon emissions at the community scale were assessed through exploratory spatial data analysis and the standard deviation ellipse method. The results report that (1) the main sources of energy consumption in Guangzhou households were water heating equipment, kitchen equipment and refrigeration equipment, which were related to the climatic conditions and cultural traditions of the city. (2) There was significant spatial heterogeneity in the carbon emissions from household domestic energy use in Guangzhou. (3) The economic level, the effects of the Lingnan culture and the characteristics of residents are the main drivers influencing the spatial characteristics of household energy consumption and carbon emissions in Guangzhou. We propose that policy development should actively promote energy-efficient equipment, such as water heating and cooling equipment, in urban households and take full account of the basic household energy needs of residents in old urban and suburban areas while promoting the development of low-carbon buildings.

Keywords: household energy consumption; spatial differentiation; community scale; mega cites; carbon emission (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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