The Future of Heat Pumps in China

Map and related table: Chinese climate zones

Map of Chinese climate zones, heating degree days and distribution of selected Chinese cities with more than 1 million inhabitants

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Map, Future Of Heat Pumps In China
Map of Chinese climate zones, heating degree days and distribution of selected Chinese cities with more than 1 million inhabitants
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Map, Future Of Heat Pumps In China
Sources

IEA based on data from China, Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development (2016), Thermal Design Code for Civil Buildings (GB50176-2016) (http://222.85.156.250:8081/gyjn/upload/files/20181225091027gU41ehbu.pdf).

Notes

Heating degree days are derived from the IEA Weather for energy tracker (https://www.iea.org/data-and-statistics/data-tools/weather-climate-and-energy-tracker?tab=Weather+for+energy+tracker), calculated with base temperature 20 °C.

Space heating needs, built floor area, and dominant space heating equipment by different climate zone, 2022

 

Severe cold and cold zone

Hot summer and cold winter

Temperate

Hot summer and warm winter

Thermal needs

Heating dominated;

cooling optional/secondary need based on location.

Cooling dominated; heating secondary need.

Heating needed in some parts.

Cooling dominated; heating optional.

Mean monthly temperatures ( °C)

Severe cold: coldest < -10 °C

Cold: coldest -10-0 °C

Coldest: 0-10 °C

Hottest: 25-30 °C

Coldest: 0-13 °C

Hottest: 18-25 °C

Coldest: >10 °C

Hottest: 25-29 °C

Heating equipment (urban areas)

District heating; bulk coal boilers;

various types of electric heaters; gas wall-hung boilers; geothermal/ground-source heat pumps.

Electric heaters (including underfloor heating, radiator, electric blanket, infrared heater, fan heater); air-source heat pumps;

natural gas boilers; oil boilers.

/

Heating equipment (rural areas)

Coal, natural gas and biomass boilers;

air-source heat pumps and electric heaters;

solar thermal.

/

Share of built floor area (%, billion m2)

~34% (23 billion m2)

Of which urban: 66%

~45% (31)

Of which urban: 67%

~9% (4.5)

Of which urban: 55%

~12% (10)

Of which urban: 62%

Building codes targeting heating

since 1986

since 2022

Notes: In some milder climates, air-air heat pumps are often bought with the purpose of air conditioning during the summer period (reversible air conditioners) but are also used during winter to warm up rooms quickly, either independently or coupled with other equipment. In 2022, the General Code for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Application in Buildings (https://www.mohurd.gov.cn/gongkai/zhengce/zhengcefilelib/202110/20211013_762460.html) was introduced in all climate zones. In the cold and severe cold zones, the JGJ 26 was introduced in 1986.
Source: IEA based on data from China, Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development (2022), Urban and Rural Construction Statistical Yearbook (for thermal need) and from National Bureau of Statistics (2022) (https://www.mohurd.gov.cn/gongkai/fdzdgknr/sjfb/tjxx/jstjnj/index.html), China Statistical Yearbook (https://www.stats.gov.cn/sj/ndsj/2022/indexeh.htm) (for split of floor area).

Next Graphic: Policy challenges for heat pump deployment in China