Current situation of energy consumption in rural areas of Beijing and suggestions for implementing clean heating

This study investigates rural household energy consumption in Beijing through literature review and field surveys. The research finds that rural energy use is transitioning towards cleaner, electrified, and low-carbon patterns, with average comprehensive energy consumption reaching 27.7 kg/m2. For coal-to-electricity converted households, domestic energy primarily consists of electricity and liquefied petroleum gas. Electricity usage accounts for approximately 96%. After considering clean heating subsidies, per person energy costs range between 340 to 5 600 yuan. For coal-to-gas converted households, energy consumption mainly involves electricity and natural gas. Natural gas usage accounts for about 65.9%. With clean heating subsidies, per person energy costs range between 515 to 7 243 yuan. Based on current conditions, the paper recommends: enhancing building envelope retrofits, developing “PV+” and “solar thermal+” integration models with clean energy transitions, and implementing regionalized subsidy policies to reduce household expenses. Furthermore, it suggests promoting distributed PV systems, regulating rural PV markets/policies to increase incomes, strengthening policy communication to improve renewable energy acceptance, and establishing long-term mechanisms for clean heating-based energy systems.