The Impact of Building Clean Energy Consumption on Residents’ Subjective Well-Being: Evidence from China

Abstract

This study used micro data from the Chinese General Social Survey (CGSS) in 2018 to explore the impact of China’s residential clean energy consumption on residents’ subjective well-being. Our research results show that: the more clean energy consumption is present in housing, the stronger the residents’ sense of happiness; furthermore, it can be seen from the results of marginal effects that the increase in residential clean energy consumption increases the probability of residents choosing “relatively happy” and “extremely happy”. Moreover, the heterogeneity analysis found that the increase in residential clean energy consumption increased the happiness of people with housing and low education, and also increased the happiness of residents in central China and middle-aged and elderly residents; the intermediary analysis shows that the use of clean energy in housing improves the health of residents, and improves their quality of life while increasing their expenditure. In addition, central heating affects the relationship between residential clean energy consumption and residents’ well-being. Further analysis shows that there is no non-linear relationship between the increase in residential clean energy consumption and residents’ happiness. This study enriches the research on residential clean energy and provides policy suggestions for improving residents’ living standards and welfare.