Analysis of carbon reduction potential based on carbon flow theory

Abstract. As the severity of global climate change and energy crises continues to escalate, reducing carbon emissions and transitioning to a low-carbon power system have become shared objectives within the international community. To thoroughly understand the effectiveness and complexity of emission reduction strategies within the power sector, this paper delves into the carbon reduction potential of power systems, covering three key areas: generation, transmission, and consumption. It explores how systemic improvements in these sectors can drive large-scale low-carbon transformations of power networks, and elucidates the carbon reduction strategies and potentials of each sector. This paper examines and analyzes significant data and scholarly research from the power industry, as well as relevant policies, to measure the impact of various technological and policy approaches on carbon emission reduction. It also compares differences and synergies between different studies. The research findings indicate that the cornerstone for achieving a low-carbon power system lies in systematically promoting the low-carbon transformation across three dimensions based on carbon flow theory: power generation, electrical grid distribution, and consumer-side practices. In terms of power generation, integrating clean energies like wind and solar, coupled with improvements in low-carbon generation technologies, can significantly reduce carbon emissions. For the electrical grid, carbon reduction is mainly achieved through optimizing grid infrastructure, including minimizing transmission and distribution losses and SF6 emissions, as well as promoting distributed grids and storage technologies to enhance system flexibility. On the consumer side, optimizing industries with high carbon emissions, advancing the integration of electric vehicles with Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) systems, and implementing low-carbon demand response is crucial for carbon reduction. Furthermore, policy support, incentive measures, and technological innovation are extremely vital in enhancing the effectiveness of these measures.