China Energy Outlook 2020 - Flipbook - Page 28
rural areas) in China increased on average 14% per year between 1990 and 2014, reaching
4,208 million square meters (m2) in 2014 (Figure 1-10). After 2014, annual completed building
floorspace stayed flat, or slightly decreased, reaching 4,135 million m2 in 2018. Tightening of
financing availability, a surplus of building space in some cities, new policies in some cities
requiring higher down payments on second properties, bans on purchases by non-city
residents, and prohibitions on third property purchases helped to slow the growth of new
construction.
Figure 1-10. Annual Completed Urban Building Floorspace (1990-2018)
Source: NBS, various years (a).
Note: does not include county-level and rural areas.
Energy used to heat, cool, cook, and power appliances and equipment in residential and
commercial buildings increased during this period due to China’s growing middle-class,
improved standard of living, and rapid urbanization. Figure 1-11 shows that major electricityconsuming household appliances, such as air conditioners and color TVs exceeded more than
100% saturation rates in urban households, with both reaching more than 120 units per 100
households in 2018. Other appliances, such as refrigerators and clothes washers were almost
100% saturated in urban households in 2018. In rural households, color TVs already exceeded
100% saturation, reaching 120 units per 100 rural households. The ownership of refrigerators
and clothes washers has been increasing rapidly over the past 20 years, reaching around 90%
saturation rate in 2018. Air conditioners are one of the newly-added major appliances in rural
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