In November 2020, Shenzhen Institute of Building Research completed this report on the electrification of buildings, with support from Energy Foundation China.

Building electrification is pivotal for deploying renewables in buildings and accelerating carbon peaking and neutrality in the sector. This research focuses on the evaluation of building electrification level in China and pathways toward electrification for different types of energy end use. The research finds that building electrification rate in China is currently at 48 percent. Through the “solar-storage-flexibility-low voltage direct current power system,” together with energy substitution on the end use side, it is estimated that building electrification rate in China could reach 75 percent by 2035, and 90 percent by 2050—both vital for China’s ambition of going carbon neutral by 2060. An comprehensive analysis on technology, policy, and the market, the research aims to help the ongoing building energy transformation in urban and rural China.