Energy Technology for Sustainable Development in China

Abstract

This chapter focuses on the development of sustainable energy technologies in China. The main challenges faced in the renewable energy development and application in China are cost reduction and nurturing of the market. Although many small, relatively isolated research and design institutes and companies are doing research and development and manufacturing work in this field, the institutional fragmentation and uncoordinated efforts hinder their technological progress, quality enhancement, service improvement, and accumulation of commercial experience. Due to the high cost, small market demand, and lack of economic competition, the application of sustainable energy technologies are small in scale and thus incapable of achieving economic scale. Although the Chinese government has taken some favorable steps to promote the development of renewable energy industry, it is still insufficient, especially as the funding for research and development is inadequate and the credit and venture capital are too small. Thus, the R&D and demonstration work should be further strengthened to improve the performance and quality of the corresponding equipment and systems, to increase their life, and to reduce their cost. As the transportation industry is the biggest oil consumer, measures such as developing city public transportation to slow down the rapid increase of private transport, increasing the operational speed of railroads, and development of new technologies for electrification of transportation, such as electric cars and Maglev are being considered. High temperature and low temperature heat recovery technology has also received considerable attention, where certain achievements have also been obtained.