Temporal and Spatial Characteristics of Energy Saving and Emission Reduction of Electric Energy Replacing Civil Coal

Civil coal is the main energy source in rural areas of China and a key factor for substituting electricity. It is essential to clarify the patterns of energy consumption and carbon emissions from civil coal use in order to achieve carbon reduction in rural areas. This paper quantifies the energy savings and reduction in carbon emissions, considering the incomplete combustion characteristics of civil coal, different sources of electricity, and grid line loss rate. It also builds an energy substitution model for reducing energy consumption and carbon emissions from the perspective of the entire energy consumption process. Using Tangshan City as an example, the paper uses a distribution coefficient to depict the characteristics of energy consumption and carbon emissions before and after substitution. The results show that after substitution, there is about 88% reduction in both energy consumption and emissions, with the most significant effects observed in Yutian County, Fengrun District, and Zunhua City. The peak value of hourly distribution coefficient for energy consumption and carbon emissions after substitution decreases due to differences in operating characteristics of electrical equipment during reporting period, resulting in a relatively flat trend.