Locked-in Cooking Energy in Chinese Households: Evidence from Two Longitudinal Case Reports

Abstract China’s rapid urbanization and industrialization have expanded building floorspace and contributed to rising carbon emissions in the building sector. An often overlooked aspect of residential energy use is cooking energy consumption, which this study examines through two longitudinal household case studies. We observed a pronounced “cooking energy lock-in effect” whereby ingrained culinary habits and family life cycle (FLC) stages keep daily cooking energy use within a consistent range for similar family types. We define and apply the metric of Cooking Energy Use Intensity (CookEUI) (in kWh/day) to characterize these patterns. A young three-generation family and an elderly couple household were monitored over extended periods, and a survey revealing that cooking energy consumption correlates more strongly with FLC stage and habitual cooking practices than with family size per se. Using the empirical energy data, we calculated the associated greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, finding that traditional cooking practices can translate into a significant carbon footprint for each household. Our findings suggest potential strategies to reduce cooking energy use and emissions – such as adopting alternative cooking methods or energy sources and utilizing community dining options – while respecting cultural preferences. These case reports provide valuable insights for sustainable residential building operation, highlighting the importance of accounting for cooking energy patterns in efforts to reduce household carbon emissions.