Analysis of Flexible Energy Use Behavior of Rural Residents Based on Two-stage Questionnaire: A Case Study in Xi’an, China

Effective use of flexible load has practical significance in promoting energy system reform in rural areas by reducing the mismatch between energy production and consumption. However, the flexible energy consumption behavior of rural residents cannot be fully analyzed by the traditional one-stage questionnaire survey, which is mainly designed to study the fixed energy use behaviors. In this study, a two-stage questionnaire-based survey was developed to analyze the flexible energy use behavior of rural residents in suburban areas of Xi’an in China. We classified the interviewed rural residents into four groups according to their plans for adjusting energy consumption. According to the survey results, residents who chose to use both peak-valley price and photovoltaic systems (11%) were most willing to adjust various devices that use energy, while residents who chose to keep the original fixed electricity prices (33%) were the least willing to adjust their energy use habits. The results also indicate that there exists available flexible load potential in rural areas, but the effects of implementation largely depend on the rationality of technical paths and support policies.