Life cycle impact of winter heating in rural China from the perspective of environment, economy, and user experience

Winter heating related carbon emissions is a significant contributor to climate change. Coupled with the soaring energy price, low-carbon transformation of residential heating is being carried out worldwide. China recently introduced a clean heating policy that could impact more than 100 million people living in the countryside. However, a series of issues, such as high economic cost, insufficient fuel supply, and poor heating effect, have seriously hindered its implementation. To help address these issues, this study employs life cycle assessment, equivalent annual cost, and multiple attribute decision-making to evaluate the environmental impact, economic cost, and user experience of the following eight typical rural heating methods: soft coal, hard coal, clean briquette, biomass pellet, natural gas, air conditioner, air source heat pump, and electric boiler. As a result of field tests, three optimal methods are recommended, i.e. biomass pellet, air source heat pump, and air conditioner, depending on the resources, climate, economy, and living habitat in different regions. Although using any one of the optimal heating methods will increase residents’ heating costs by 30%-80%, the total environmental impact of rural winter heating will be reduced by 80% by 2030. And annual carbon dioxide emissions will be cut by 260 million tons in 2030 at 2020 levels. This is of great significance for China in its effort to control air pollution and fight climate change. Findings from the study will provide a useful reference for residential heating problems in other regions of China and the world.