IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/enepol/v39y2011i10p5909-5919.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

China's transition to green energy systems: The economics of home solar water heaters and their popularization in Dezhou city

Author

Listed:
  • Li, Wei
  • Song, Guojun
  • Beresford, Melanie
  • Ma, Ben

Abstract

Studying the popularization of solar water heaters (SWHs) is significant for understanding China's transition to green energy systems. Using Dezhou as a case study, this paper presents new angles on analyzing SWH deployment in China by addressing both the economic potential and the institutional dimensions at the local level. Using estimates from the demand-side of hot water for a typical three-person household in Dezhou, the paper evaluates the economic potential of a SWH in saving electricity and reducing carbon dioxide emissions. Then, expanding the analysis beyond economics, we take an institutionalist approach to study the institutional factors that contribute to Dezhou's success in SWH adoptions. By examining the five main actors in Dezhou's energy regime, we find that Dezhou's SWH deployment is driven by an urge to develop businesses and the local economy, and its success results from at least five unique factors, including the development of SWH industrial clusters in Dezhou, big manufacturers' market leadership in SWH innovations, a tight private enterprise-local government relation, geographic location within the SWH industrial belt, and the adaptive attitude of Dezhou's households towards natural resource scarcity.

Suggested Citation

  • Li, Wei & Song, Guojun & Beresford, Melanie & Ma, Ben, 2011. "China's transition to green energy systems: The economics of home solar water heaters and their popularization in Dezhou city," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 39(10), pages 5909-5919, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:enepol:v:39:y:2011:i:10:p:5909-5919
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301421511005003
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Williamson, Oliver E, 1979. "Transaction-Cost Economics: The Governance of Contractural Relations," Journal of Law and Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 22(2), pages 233-261, October.
    2. Taylor, Margaret, 2008. "Beyond technology-push and demand-pull: Lessons from California's solar policy," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 30(6), pages 2829-2854, November.
    3. Rundle-Thiele, Sharyn & Paladino, Angela & Apostol Jr., Sergio Antonio G., 2008. "Lessons learned from renewable electricity marketing attempts: A case study," Business Horizons, Elsevier, vol. 51(3), pages 181-190.
    4. Karsten Neuhoff, 2005. "Large-Scale Deployment of Renewables for Electricity Generation," Oxford Review of Economic Policy, Oxford University Press and Oxford Review of Economic Policy Limited, vol. 21(1), pages 88-110, Spring.
    5. Han, Jingyi & Mol, Arthur P.J. & Lu, Yonglong, 2010. "Solar water heaters in China: A new day dawning," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 38(1), pages 383-391, January.
    6. O'Brien, Geoff & Hope, Alex, 2010. "Localism and energy: Negotiating approaches to embedding resilience in energy systems," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 38(12), pages 7550-7558, December.
    7. Li, Xianguo, 2005. "Diversification and localization of energy systems for sustainable development and energy security," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 33(17), pages 2237-2243, November.
    8. Faiers, Adam & Neame, Charles, 2006. "Consumer attitudes towards domestic solar power systems," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 34(14), pages 1797-1806, September.
    9. Travis Bradford, 2006. "Solar Revolution: The Economic Transformation of the Global Energy Industry," MIT Press Books, The MIT Press, edition 1, volume 1, number 026202604x, April.
    10. Young, Allyn A., 1928. "Increasing Returns and Economic Progress," History of Economic Thought Articles, McMaster University Archive for the History of Economic Thought, vol. 38, pages 527-542.
    11. Sidiras, Dimitrios K. & Koukios, Emmanuel G., 2004. "Solar systems diffusion in local markets," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 32(18), pages 2007-2018, December.
    12. Murray, David, 1978. "Export Earnings Instability: Price, Quantity, Supply, Demand?," Economic Development and Cultural Change, University of Chicago Press, vol. 27(1), pages 61-73, October.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Acaroğlu, Hakan & Baykul, M. Celalettin, 2018. "Economic guideline about financial utilization of flat-plate solar collectors (FPSCs) for the consumer segment in the city of Eskisehir," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 81(P2), pages 2045-2058.
    2. Ma, Ben & Song, Guojun & Smardon, Richard C. & Chen, Jing, 2014. "Diffusion of solar water heaters in regional China: Economic feasibility and policy effectiveness evaluation," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 72(C), pages 23-34.
    3. Armstrong, P. & Ager, D. & Thompson, I. & McCulloch, M., 2014. "Domestic hot water storage: Balancing thermal and sanitary performance," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 68(C), pages 334-339.
    4. Victoria Kihlström & Jörgen Elbe, 2021. "Constructing Markets for Solar Energy—A Review of Literature about Market Barriers and Government Responses," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(6), pages 1-20, March.
    5. Ma, Ben & Yu, Yihua & Urban, Frauke, 2018. "Green transition of energy systems in rural China: National survey evidence of households’ discrete choices on water heaters," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 113(C), pages 559-570.
    6. Sovacool, Benjamin K. & Martiskainen, Mari, 2020. "Hot transformations: Governing rapid and deep household heating transitions in China, Denmark, Finland and the United Kingdom," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 139(C).
    7. Deng, Yuechao & Wang, Wei & Zhao, Yaohua & Yao, Liang & Wang, Xinyue, 2013. "Experimental study of the performance for a novel kind of MHPA-FPC solar water heater," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 112(C), pages 719-726.
    8. Yurtsev, Arif & Jenkins, Glenn P., 2016. "Cost-effectiveness analysis of alternative water heater systems operating with unreliable water supplies," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 54(C), pages 174-183.
    9. Huang, Junpeng & Tian, Zhiyong & Fan, Jianhua, 2019. "A comprehensive analysis on development and transition of the solar thermal market in China with more than 70% market share worldwide," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 174(C), pages 611-624.
    10. Gill, Nicholas & Osman, Peter & Head, Lesley & Voyer, Michelle & Harada, Theresa & Waitt, Gordon & Gibson, Chris, 2015. "Looking beyond installation: Why households struggle to make the most of solar hot water systems," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 87(C), pages 83-94.
    11. Yu, Zhen & Gibbs, David, 2018. "Encircling cities from rural areas? Barriers to the diffusion of solar water heaters in China's urban market," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 115(C), pages 366-373.
    12. Bessa, Vanessa M.T. & Prado, Racine T.A., 2015. "Reduction of carbon dioxide emissions by solar water heating systems and passive technologies in social housing," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 83(C), pages 138-150.
    13. Wei, Haokun & Liu, Jian & Yang, Biao, 2014. "Cost-benefit comparison between Domestic Solar Water Heater (DSHW) and Building Integrated Photovoltaic (BIPV) systems for households in urban China," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 126(C), pages 47-55.
    14. Huang, Ping, 2019. "The verticality of policy mixes for sustainability transitions: A case study of solar water heating in China," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 48(10).
    15. Gautam, Abhishek & Chamoli, Sunil & Kumar, Alok & Singh, Satyendra, 2017. "A review on technical improvements, economic feasibility and world scenario of solar water heating system," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 68(P1), pages 541-562.
    16. Ouyang, Xiaoling & Lin, Boqiang, 2014. "Levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) of renewable energies and required subsidies in China," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 70(C), pages 64-73.
    17. Goess, Simon & de Jong, Martin & Ravesteijn, Wim, 2015. "What makes renewable energy successful in China? The case of the Shandong province solar water heater innovation system," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 86(C), pages 684-696.
    18. Zhen Yu & David Gibbs, 2020. "Unravelling the role of green entrepreneurs in urban sustainability transitions: A case study of China’s Solar City," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 57(14), pages 2901-2917, November.
    19. Acaroğlu, Hakan & Baykul, M. Celalettin, 2016. "Economic analysis of flat-plate solar collectors (FPSCs): A solution to the unemployment problem in the city of Eskisehir," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 64(C), pages 607-617.
    20. Sinethemba Peter & Njabulo Kambule & Stephen Tangwe & Kowiyou Yessoufou, 2022. "Quantification of the Impact of Solar Water Heating and Influence of Its Potential Utilization through Strategic Campaign: Case Study in Dimbaza, South Africa," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(21), pages 1-14, November.
    21. Urban, Frauke & Geall, Sam & Wang, Yu, 2016. "Solar PV and solar water heaters in China: Different pathways to low carbon energy," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 64(C), pages 531-542.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Yu, Zhen & Gibbs, David, 2018. "Encircling cities from rural areas? Barriers to the diffusion of solar water heaters in China's urban market," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 115(C), pages 366-373.
    2. Zhang, Xiaoling & Shen, Liyin & Chan, Sum Yee, 2012. "The diffusion of solar energy use in HK: What are the barriers?," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 41(C), pages 241-249.
    3. Chen, Kee Kuo, 2014. "Assessing the effects of customer innovativeness, environmental value and ecological lifestyles on residential solar power systems install intention," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 67(C), pages 951-961.
    4. Alam, Syed Shah & Nik Hashim, Nik Hazrul & Rashid, Mamunur & Omar, Nor Asiah & Ahsan, Nilufar & Ismail, Md Daud, 2014. "Small-scale households renewable energy usage intention: Theoretical development and empirical settings," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 68(C), pages 255-263.
    5. Qiu, Shoufeng & Ruth, Matthias & Ghosh, Sanchari, 2015. "Evacuated tube collectors: A notable driver behind the solar water heater industry in China," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 47(C), pages 580-588.
    6. Jayaraman, K. & Paramasivan, Lavinsaa & Kiumarsi, Shaian, 2017. "Reasons for low penetration on the purchase of photovoltaic (PV) panel system among Malaysian landed property owners," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 80(C), pages 562-571.
    7. Zheng-Xia He & Shi-Chun Xu & Qin-Bin Li & Bin Zhao, 2018. "Factors That Influence Renewable Energy Technological Innovation in China: A Dynamic Panel Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(1), pages 1-30, January.
    8. Havas, Lisa & Ballweg, Julie & Penna, Chris & Race, Digby, 2015. "Power to change: Analysis of household participation in a renewable energy and energy efficiency programme in Central Australia," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 87(C), pages 325-333.
    9. Barrios-O’Neill, Danielle & Schuitema, Geertje, 2016. "Online engagement for sustainable energy projects: A systematic review and framework for integration," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 54(C), pages 1611-1621.
    10. del Río, Pablo, 2011. "Analysing future trends of renewable electricity in the EU in a low-carbon context," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 15(5), pages 2520-2533, June.
    11. Andrew Cheon & Johannes Urpelainen, 2013. "How do Competing Interest Groups Influence Environmental Policy? The Case of Renewable Electricity in Industrialized Democracies, 1989–2007," Political Studies, Political Studies Association, vol. 61(4), pages 874-897, December.
    12. Massimiliano Vatiero, 2010. "From W. N. Hohfeld to J. R. Commons, and Beyond? A “Law and Economics” Enquiry on Jural Relations," American Journal of Economics and Sociology, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 69(2), pages 840-866, April.
    13. Pi-Chuan Sun & Hsueh-Mei Wang & Hsien-Long Huang & Chien-Wei Ho, 2020. "Consumer attitude and purchase intention toward rooftop photovoltaic installation: The roles of personal trait, psychological benefit, and government incentives," Energy & Environment, , vol. 31(1), pages 21-39, February.
    14. Agozie, Divine Q. & Afful-Dadzie, Anthony & Gyamfi, Bright Akwasi & Bekun, Festus Victor, 2023. "Does psychological empowerment improve renewable energy technology acceptance and recommendation? Evidence from 17 rural communities," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 219(P1).
    15. Li, Ke, 2007. "Transaction cost, corporate governance and division of labor--A general equilibrium analysis of professional managers and its implication to China's practice," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 21(3), pages 447-468, September.
    16. Sara Ghaboulian Zare & Reza Hafezi & Mohammad Alipour & Reza Parsaei Tabar & Rodney A. Stewart, 2021. "Residential Solar Water Heater Adoption Behaviour: A Review of Economic and Technical Predictors and Their Correlation with the Adoption Decision," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(20), pages 1-26, October.
    17. Gill, Nicholas & Osman, Peter & Head, Lesley & Voyer, Michelle & Harada, Theresa & Waitt, Gordon & Gibson, Chris, 2015. "Looking beyond installation: Why households struggle to make the most of solar hot water systems," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 87(C), pages 83-94.
    18. Jain, Amit, 2011. "Connaissance, ressources, concurrence et les frontières de l'entreprise," Economics Thesis from University Paris Dauphine, Paris Dauphine University, number 123456789/6403 edited by Thiétart, Raymond-Alain.
    19. Davis, Lewis S., 2003. "The division of labor and the growth of government," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 27(7), pages 1217-1235, May.
    20. Acaroğlu, Hakan & Baykul, M. Celalettin, 2018. "Economic guideline about financial utilization of flat-plate solar collectors (FPSCs) for the consumer segment in the city of Eskisehir," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 81(P2), pages 2045-2058.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:enepol:v:39:y:2011:i:10:p:5909-5919. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/enpol .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.