Rural Energy Systems

Woodfuel Production, Consumption and Development Issues in Rural Areas of China

This paper intentionally separates the two types of energy supply systems which are distinct and prevalent in urban and rural areas of virtually all developing countries in Asia. The urban energy system primarily supports the industrial and commercial activities that are important in terms of a country's economic development, and which together account for the largest share of commercial energy consumption (mostly supplied from the capital intensive centralised production systems such as hydro-, thermo-, nuclear-power, or from imported commercial sources such as coal and petroleum products). The energy demand of the household sector in urban areas, mostly for cooking and, to a lesser extent, for space heating, may be substantial given the population size and the level of household incomes, but its share in total energy consumption may still be insignificant compared to that of the industrial and commercial sectors, depending on a country's level of development. Conversely, in rural areas, the bulk of the energy is consumed at the household level. Its supply is met basically from traditional sources (i.e. woodfuel and other forms of biomass, including residues). Rural energy systems in some areas may include diverse sources such as biogas, micro-hydro, solar and wind power, mostly at a small scale. The energy is primarily used for cooking food for the family and feed for the livestock, and for space heating in cooler places. The energy requirement of other sectors is quite limited or insignificant in most rural areas. Processing of agricultural produce for home consumption and/or for sale are the other important aspects of the rural socio-economy which rely on traditional sources for energy...

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