Rural household coal use survey, emission estimation and policy implications.

The frequent occurrence of heavy haze coinciding with the intensive coal-burning winter season in northern China has raised concerns about the pollution contribution of rural raw coal burning. However,relevant on-site information is not available. A survey of rural household energy use was carried out in Baoding,a city in North China,in September 2014. In total,543 households from five villages were investigated. Analysis of the data points to a few important findings. First,raw coal,electricity,and gas were used by97%,100%,and 94% of rural families,respectively,whereas families using firewood and farm stalks were just 13% and 11%,respectively,of the total questioned families. This reflects a profound change in energy use by rural households from traditional dependence on wood and stalks to commercial energy for household purposes. Second,coal accounted for nearly 80% of total household energy( raw coal 76% and coal briquettes 2%),followed by electricity( 10%) and LPG( 5%); farm stalks and firewood both accounted for less than 5%. Third,raw coal consumption in the 2013 heating season( November 2013 to March 2014) in Baoding was found to be higher than 500 × 104 t,which exceeded the value of rural raw coal for the entire Hebei province given in the China Energy Statistical Yearbook 2013( 2012 energy data,467 × 104t),suggesting a need to improve the existing statistical system.Finally,the smoke-dust( PM) and SO2 emissions from rural raw coal burning calculated in this study were 5. 4 × 104 and 11. 2 ×104t,respectively,both higher than the emissions from the industrial sector and urban residential sector( higher than even the sum of the two sectors) for Baoding reported in the 2013 Annual Statistic Report on Environment in China,indicating the need for special attention to rural raw coal emissions. Given the lower emission height and higher pollution intensity of household raw coal burning as compared to elevated emission sources,the top priority for the current energy restructuring program is proposed to be rural areas both nationally and locally. Together with some integrated measures to curb raw coal-caused air pollution,this may be a key step to solve the winter haze problems.