Early Summer Heat Strains Beijing Power Supply
09 June 2007
People’s Daily. Demand for electricity in Beijing hit 10.51 million kilowatts—the highest so far this year—as more families and businesses switch on the air conditioners in the early summer heat, according to Beijing Electric Power Corporation.
The figure is already close to last year’s peak demand of 10.81 million kilowatts even though the city still has three months of searing heat to come.
The company forecasts Beijing’s maximum demand will hit 13 million kilowatts, up 20 percent on last year. Air conditioners alone will consume 4.9 million kilowatts of electricity, 38 percent of the total consumption, it said.
Beijing’s electricity demand was around 8.4 million kilowatts before June 5 but has climbed sharply ever since as the temperature has hovered around a high of 36 degrees Celsius [97°F] for the last five days. The municipal meteorological station said it saw no sign of immediate temperature drops.
Many other Chinese cities are reporting a summer power crunch.
Do new buildings use energy saving architecture? If not why not? Do they really expect to meet the demand if their whole population demands this kind of energy consumption? Why copy the worst mistakes of the West? I admit I don't know much about the situation in China but on the surface it sounds like they are not using their "central planning" very wisely.
Posted by: marcus | 09 June 2007 at 09:16 AM
I'm heading to Wuhan, China this summer. It's summertime average is 99 degrees, and it's got two million more people than New York City.
Why shouldn't they turn on their air conditioners? We do it all over tUSA and Western Europe. Why should the Chinese be expected to suffer when they have the economic means to be more comfortable? Per capita, the Chinese are still emitting far fewer global warming inducing emissions than Europe or tUSA.
Should they instead bank their money and swelter in the heat so that people in Cleveland Ohio and Barcelona Spain can sleep in comfort? Should they "avoid the West's mistake" and suffer, thereby enabling the West to enjoy their so-called mistake that much longer?
I don't see it. George Bush has successfully demonized China [and to a lesser extent India] for their emissions, and yet they both (a) emit far less per capita than Western nations, and (b) are growing wealthy from Western nations buying absolute junk from them? Want China to use less electricity? Buy less consumer crap. They'll use less in the manufacturing, less in the shipping, and make less money -- including less to spend on autos and AC.
Posted by: stomv | 10 June 2007 at 07:59 AM
Believe me, I am certainly not saying energy use here in the US shouldn't be going down! My point is that China has an opportunity to follow what's going on at the forefront of architecture rather than copying ideas 50 years old.
http://www.weberthompson.com/coverage/psbjterryavenue070209.html
http://construction.com/CE/articles/0705edit-1.asp
http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=17789326&BRD=1680&PAG=461&dept_id=40301&rfi=6
Posted by: marcus | 10 June 2007 at 11:05 AM
Gee that s a new one in BDS. Now its Bush's fault if the communist Chinese build power plants?
Oh well, he sure is credited with some magnificent powers to cause harmful results everywhere...
Geroge Bsuh must be the ultimate boogeyman. I think some people just simply must grow up.
Posted by: Stan Peterson | 10 June 2007 at 01:54 PM