A Feasibility study on using electric heating in cold rural areas of China

Abstract

Abstract In response to China’s “double carbon” policy, cold, rural areas of the nation are currently upgrading their heating methods. Since rural areas are more dispersed than urban areas, centralized heating is not easy to use. Therefore, electric heating has become one of the major solutions. However, few studies have investigated the performance, suitability, and user impressions of electric heating in rural areas in China. Here, therefore, we used a literature review, questionnaires, and expert consultations to determine the relevant indicators that best reflect the suitability of electric heating usage in cold rural areas in northern China. Then, by using both expert questionnaires and the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) to determine the weights of these indicators, we developed a hybrid model established based on the gray whitening weight clustering method. We then applied this model to two case studies in different provinces, namely 20 households from a village in northern China where electric heating was being uses. Our major findings were 1) the primary indicators were technology, economy, comfort, safety, aesthetic portability, and environmental protection; 2) the weights of these indicators were 16.17%, 31.58%, 23.37%, 18.46%, 5.16%, and 5.25%, respectively, with all indicators passing the consistency test; 3) results of two case studies were consistent with the villagers' actual subjective evaluation results; 4) evaluation software has been developed. Our evaluation method developed can effectively reflect the actual needs of people living in rural areas of China. The government can use evaluation software to get the feasibility of adopting electric heating in villages to achieve reasonable low-carbon promotion in rural areas.