Transformative pathway for Chinese buildings by 2050 (6-301-15)
Nan Zhou, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, USAWei Feng, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, USA
Nina Zheng Khanna, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, USA
Lixuan Hong, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, USA
David Fridley, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, USA
Ellen Franconi, Rocky Mountain Institute, USA
This is a peer-reviewed paper.
Keywords
scenarios, passive houses, energy saving potential, energy efficient technologies, bottom-up analysis, building envelope, cost-effective measures, China, pathwaysAbstract
As China’s urbanization and economic growth continue, rising energy use in the building sector – which already accounts for over 20% of national energy use - poses significant challenges to national energy and carbon goals. While various policies have been introduced over the years to improve building efficiency, total building energy use is still expected to more than double through 2050 and contribute to a larger share of national energy and emissions.
This study aims to quantify China’s maximum technically feasible and cost-effective energy efficiency opportunity through 2050. We use a bottom-up model with building stock turnover to identify and evaluate the savings potential of a transformative yet cost-effective vision for Chinese residential and commercial buildings. This transformative pathway of development considers the individual and combined energy savings potential of high efficiency and passive buildings, integrated design, super efficient appliances, smart controls, prefabricated buildings, and building-integrated renewables, microgrids and demand response. On the basis of a comprehensive baseline scenario, we developed a transformative scenario that encompasses the latest building technologies and best practice case studies of high performing buildings, and potential for adoption in China. The results show that the transformative and cost-effective pathway can significantly reduce China’s baseline building energy consumption by nearly 50% by 2050 to levels comparable with current total building energy use. The largest savings potential lie in passive building measures on heating and cooling energy use and building equipment efficiency improvements. With renewable energy incorporated, a reasonable share of Net Zero Energy Buildings can also be achieved. The results also reveals that although the current policy focus targeted mostly on new construction, existing building retrofit will become very important. The results of this study have significant policy implications for Chinese policymakers, and offers important insights and perspectives on China’s rapidly evolving building sector.
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Panels of the eceee 2015 Summer Study on energy efficiency:
Panel 1. Foundations of future energy policy
Panel 2. Energy efficiency policies – how do we get it right?
Panel 4. Mobility, transport, and smart and sustainable cities
Panel 5. Energy use in buildings: projects, technologies and innovation
Panel 6. Policies and programmes towards a zero-energy building stock
Panel 7. Appliances, product policy and the ICT supply chain
Panel 8. Monitoring and evaluation: building confidence and enhancing practices
Panel 9. Dynamics of consumption
