Acta Geographica Sinica ›› 2014, Vol. 69 ›› Issue (4): 520-530.

### Spatial patterns and coupling relations between energy efficiency and industrial structure in Liaoning Province

GUAN Wei1,2, XU Shuting1

1. 1. School of Urban and Environment, Liaoning Normal University, Dalian 116029, Liaoning, China;
2. Research Center for Marine Economy and Sustainable Development, Liaoning Normal University, Dalian 116029, Liaoning, China
• Received:2013-06-27 Revised:2014-02-19 Online:2014-04-20 Published:2014-04-20
• Supported by:
The National Key Technology R&D Program, No.2008BAH31B06；Science and Technology Research Program Supported by the Education Department of Liaoning Province, No.L2013411

Abstract: Taking 14 prefecture-level cities in Liaoning Province as the source of samples in the study area, this paper first explored the spatial hierarchy and structural characteristics of energy efficiency from the following three aspects: comprehensive energy efficiency by means of DEA, energy consumption per unit of GDP, and the energy efficiency in combination of the former two indexes. After measuring and analyzing the degrees of advancement, rationality and concentration of industrial structure in each city, we generalized the coupling features between energy efficiency and industrial structure in Liaoning by using the coupling degree rating model. Some conclusions can be drawn as follows. (1) The 14 cities differ significantly in their energy efficiency, among which, four cities (Shenyang, Dalian, Anshan and Jinzhou) enjoy the highest energy efficiency, but the northwestern part and other heavy industry cities such as Fushun and Benxi belong to low efficiency and high consumption area. (2) In areas with higher efficiency, the spatial patterns of the comprehensive energy efficiency, the energy consumption for GDP per unit, and the energy utilization efficiency present patterns of ‘π’, ‘II’, and ‘H’, respectively. Geographically, from east to west and from north to south, the energy utilization efficiency shows different trend; the binuclear structure of economic development and other factors have a major effect on the formation of this kind of spatial pattern of energy efficiency. (3) The southeastern part of Liaoning enjoys higher degree of advancement of industrial structure. With Shenyang and Dalian holding two ends, the areas with higher degree of rationality of industrial structure presents an‘H’-shaped pattern. The urban agglomerations in the central and southern Liaoning enjoy higher degree of concentration of industrial structure. (4) The overall coupling degree between energy efficiency and industrial structure is low in the province, but at both ends of Shenyang and Dalian, the coupling degree between the advancement of industrial structure and energy efficiency is relatively high than that of other cities.