Using Characteristic Energy to Study Rural Ethnic Minorities’ Household Energy Consumption and Its Impact Factors in Chongqing, China

Shuxin Mao,Tao Li,Sha Qiu,Mingfang Tang,Hua Zheng,Hongbing Deng

doi:10.3390/su12176898

Abstract

In the context of general household energy transition, identifying different household energy consumption patterns is of great significance for the formulation of refined energy conservation and emission reduction policies. For historical reasons, the households of ethnic minorities in China tend to face more severe energy poverty problems. In this study, we proposed the concept and research method of characteristic energy, a new method to depict household energy use pattern. Combined with the diversity analysis, the energy use pattern of Tujia and Miao rural households in Chongqing, China, were studied. Households in research area were clustered into four groups with different characteristic energy sources: firewood, electricity, coal and gasoline, representing four types of household energy use pattern. The main impact factors of rural household energy use pattern are electrical appliances and amount of pig raising, indicating that household production and lifestyle play a decisive role in household energy use patterns. In addition, the research depicts the energy consumption characteristics of rural households with different incomes, ethnic groups and in different regions. The study puts forward corresponding energy saving countermeasures for different energy use pattern, helps to identify the heterogeneity of rural household energy use and promote the formulation of refined regional energy conservation and emission reduction policies.

Highlights

Since the reform and opening up, the total energy consumption of households in China has continued to increase, as well as the proportion of commercial energy such as coal and electricity consumption
The following are proposed questions: (1) How do ethnic minority rural households consume energy and what factors would affect their energy use pattern? (2) Is there a method for characterizing household energy structure that combines simplicity and take diversity of household energy use into consideration, and at the same time facilitates further analysis? (3) Are there differences in household energy use among different incomes, ethnic groups, and regions? In this study, we proposed the concept and research method of characteristic energy, a new method to depict household energy use pattern
Families with similar energy consumption structure were clustered into a group based on energy proportion data, and different groups have different energy consumption structures

Summary

Introduction

Since the reform and opening up, the total energy consumption of households in China has continued to increase, as well as the proportion of commercial energy such as coal and electricity consumption. In the context of general household energy transition [2], identifying different household energy consumption patterns is of great significance in the formulation of refined energy conservation and emission reduction management policies. Ethnic minorities in China, especially ethnic minority farmers, tend to inhabit rural areas in less developed regions and face more severe energy poverty problems. For these families, a quantitative study of the impact of its unique living and cultural characteristics on its energy consumption pattern and carbon emissions is rare. An understanding of the energy consumption pattern of ethnic minority households can facilitate energy saving of these families, and the alleviation of ethnic minorities’ energy poverty and the realization of social equity in a rapidly growing but unbalanced developed society

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion