An Analysis On The Differences Of Regional Energy Efficiency In China

Nowadays, energy efficiency is an important impact variable on economic growth and energy consumption, and the research on energy efficiency are getting a widespread concern. Due to the level of economic development in China showing a certain regional characteristic affected by geographical location, resource endowments, policy orientation and other factors, the energy efficiency have shown a certain spatial dependence as well. Therefore, the study on the characteristics and variations of the energy efficiency in different regions will exert a great value on the grasp of spatial characteristics as well as the development of a regional energy policy scientifically and rationally.The single factor and the total factor energy efficiency from1995to2010in China are calculated in this paper via three different methods of zoning division (Three regions:Eastern region, Central region, Western region; Six regions:North China region, Northeast China region, East China region, South-central China region, Southwest China region, Northwest China region; Seven regions:Circum-Bohai Sea economic zone, Northeast China economic zone, Yangtze River Delta economic zone, Central China economic zone, Southeast Coastal economic zone, Southwest China economic zone, Northwest China economic zone), which is to analyze the trend of regional energy efficiency. Among them, the single factor energy efficiency is measured as energy intensity and the total factor energy efficiency is measured in a total factor energy efficiency model which is based on DEA approach, putting the capital stock, labor and energy consumption as a inputs element whereas GDP as an output element by DEAP2.1software. The results indicates that from1995to2010via three methods of zoning division, the single factor energy efficiency overall the regions is constantly improving as a whole and total factor energy efficiency is in the presence of different levels of volatility. To specific, under three region law, the Central region is the most obvious in the development of the single factor energy efficiency and the Western region is in the most obvious fluctuations in total factor energy efficiency; Under six region law, the Northeast China region not only shows the greatest improvements in single factor energy efficiency but the maximum fluctuation in total factor energy efficiency; Under seven region law, the Southeast Coastal economic zone and the Yangtze River Delta economic zone are always at a high level both in single factor and total factor energy efficiency.In addition, the Theil index method is used to research energy efficiency differences overall China, energy efficiency differences between regions and inner regional energy efficiency differences through the three different methods of zoning division. Furthermore, this paper analyzes the energy efficiency differences within each region, and compares the results from the single factor and the total factor. The research illustrates that energy efficiency differences overall China, energy efficiency differences between regions and inner regional energy efficiency differences through the three methods of zoning division show different changes and considerably differentiate in the constitution of the whole difference. At the same time, according to different zoning division within each region, the single factor energy efficiency differences and the total factor energy efficiency differences differ from one another, showing a different convergence. Including that, under three region law the single factor energy efficiency in each region has a better convergence; Under seven region law the total factor energy efficiency in each region has a better convergence.Through the above research, the single factor analysis of energy efficiency is suggested in terms of geographic location as the basis for zoning while the total factor analysis of energy efficiency is proposed in economic zones as the basis for zoning.