A Systems Analysis of the Development Status and Trends of Rural Household Energy in China

Abstract

This paper attempts to present a complete picture of the status quo and future trends of the development of rural household energy in China based on a literature review and a systems analysis. First, a comprehensive literature review was conducted from the perspectives of energy consumption, carbon emissions and pollutants, energy resources, energy technologies, and energy policies. The review revealed the complexities and dynamics of the current system of rural household energy in China, and several key issues were identified for further attention. These issues are further explored by a systems analysis based on the "Integrated strategy of Sustainable development objectives, Decision-making systems, Operation systems, and Physical systems" (I-SDOP) concept. Following this method, a complete picture of the market status and policy targets is presented, by mapping an energy Sankey diagram and by reviewing the behavior of the main players. The results indicate that synergy of various energies, technologies, and players, and a combination of flexible engineering schemes and policy designs, with adequate consideration of temporal variation and regional disparity, are key strategies to promote the sustainable development of rural household energy, especially the distributed utilization of renewable energy, in China.Energies 2018, 11, 1741 2 of 23 confusing situation. The underlying reason is the system complexity involved. First, the problem involves multi-dimensional objectives, involving carbon emission reduction, energy supply security, energy poverty elimination, as well as public concerns about environmental quality and human health. Second, there exists a multi-element theme concerning the environment, technology, markets, and policy. Achieving sustainable development requires coordination among these dynamically changing elements. Third, regarding those objectives and elements, various agents like governmental departments, enterprises, and farmers represent respective and inconsistent interests. Due to these complexities, a comprehensive solution must be based on a system-wide integration of these objectives, elements, and agents. According to the literature review in Section 2, such a study on integrated strategies for rural household energy use in China is still lacking.This paper attempts to present a complete picture of the status quo and future trends in the development of rural household energy in China, thus offering a scientific reference for policy makers and to help promote sustainable development. Based on a literature review in Section 2 and previous studies of energy strategies and energy systems [17][18][19][20], this study develops a systems method of "Integrated strategy of Sustainable development objectives, Decision-making systems, Operation systems and Physical systems" (I-SDOP) to perform a multi-objective, multi-element, and multi-agent analysis to reveal a complete picture. The methodology and data is introduced in Section 3, results and discussion are presented in Section 4, and conclusio...

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