Huang, P., Broto, V.C., Liu, Y. et al. (1 more author) (2018) The governance of urban energy transitions: A comparative study of solar water heating systems in two Chinese cities. Journal of Cleaner Production, 180. pp. 222-231. ISSN 0959-6526
Abstract
This paper examines how urban energy transitions are unfolding in China, in relation to the deployment of solar water heating (SWH) systems in two Chinese cities, Rizhao and Shenzhen. Cities play a significant role in the energy transition in China. Scholarly efforts have looked into the translation of top-down visions into locally actionable policy. This article contributes to this body of research with an analysis of the urban governance of urban energy transitions in China, and how low carbon technologies are deployed in particular urban contexts.
The comparative analysis of Rizhao and Shenzhen suggests that specific socio-spatial arrangements shape the evolutionary trajectories of urban energy transitions of SWH systems in both cities. In the case of Rizhao, policy approaches have been erratic. Nevertheless, governmental and civil society actors have worked to forge alignment among political visions, built environment constraints, and social practices. The proximity of an industrial cluster supporting SWH technology and the early uptake of this technology by households are two key factors that explain the rapid spread of SWH systems in Rizhao. In Shenzhen, the local government has promoted SWH systems through regulation and incentives in a top-down and coordinated manner. These programmes have been, however, abandoned, after they did not deliver the expected results.
The two contrasting cases suggest that the urban energy transition in China is the result of the coordinated actions of multiple actors, and success depends on the fit between technologies and the urban development contexts, rather than on aggressive government-sponsored actions.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY license(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). |
Keywords: | Energy transitions; Urban energy governance; Contextual factors; Territorial proximity; Socio-spatial embeddedness; Solar water heating system |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Sheffield |
Academic Units: | The University of Sheffield > Faculty of Social Sciences (Sheffield) |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Sheffield |
Date Deposited: | 27 Apr 2018 11:41 |
Last Modified: | 09 Jun 2020 10:14 |
Published Version: | https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2018.01.053 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | Elsevier |
Refereed: | Yes |
Identification Number: | 10.1016/j.jclepro.2018.01.053 |
Related URLs: | |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:130018 |