China's Energy Efficient Home Appliances Drive

China – considered the world’s number one CO2 emission producer - has unveiled major plans to reduce its carbon footprint.   As expressed by the National Development and Reform Commission at the start of June 2009, the country’s goal is to implement annual power savings of 75 TW-h (Terawatt hours – one terawatt equating to a trillion watts) - the same as if 75 million metric tons of CO2 were prevented from entering the atmosphere.

In order to achieve these savings, China intends to promote energy-efficient home appliances such as air conditioning units, microwaves, computer screens, televisions, washing machines, fridges and rice cookers.  Through a sales subsidisation scheme, the Chinese government wants these energy-efficient appliances to have about a one-third share of the market within three years.

China’s Carbon Emissions

China’s carbon emissions stem from activities including industrial fossil fuel incineration and intensive farming, with the result that higher levels of solar radiation are being trapped and, with them, the prospect of intense global warming increasing.,

This latest energy-efficiency drive forms one part of a wider Chinese environmental campaign that – although still at planning stage – is expected to include creating more forest areas to act as carbon sinks and developing ‘clean’ fossil fuel burning sites.

Although no details have yet emerged on the extent to which China will subsidise most of the appliances covered by the new scheme, we do know about the air conditioners.  These – according to the National Development and Reform Commission – will be available to consumers at a 300 Yuan ($44 dollar) reduction, taking them down to 850 Yuan a piece. 

Energy-Efficient Air Conditioners

Sales of energy-efficient air conditioners in China currently represent five per cent of general air conditioner sales, but if these rose to 30 per cent, a six TW-h saving per annum could be achieved from these units alone.

Air conditioning units draw on a massive one-fifth of China’s overall electricity capacity, rising to two-fifths during the summer months.  In 2008, the country manufactured in excess of 70 million units, of which over 28 million joined the export market. 

Enviro-News recently reported on another facet of China’s environmental drive – the super energy efficient skyscraper, Pearl River Tower.  Expected to be finished in 2010, Pearl River Tower will feature a whole host of photovoltaic devices, intelligent lighting and wind turbines – all of which are meant to reduce its carbon footprint to about that half of similar, existing structures.