Table 8 SWOT analysis table

1. Benefit for environment protection

2. Energy saving

3. Meet fluctuated electricity demand

4. Multiple power phases

5. High power generation quality

6. Job creation

1. High influence on the surroundings

2. Resource restrictions

3. High cost

4. Low efficiency of electricity generation

5. High technical requirements

Opportunities

SO strategies

WO strategies

1. New renewable energy sources

2. Awareness of environment protection

3. Increasing electricity demand

4. Policy support by the Chinese government

5. Advanced techniques support

1. Encouraging the adaption of new energy sources in DESs.

2. Selecting renewable energy resources as the system inputs when applying this technology to the real-time project in China.

3. Selecting DESs as the first priority when electricity demand cannot be supplied by the national network.

4. Emphasizing the advantages, such as energy saving to potential DES users.

5. DESs could be applied more as demonstrative projects

6. Cooperating with educational institutes to further develop DES technology

1. Developing DES technology with new energy sources that can reduce the impacts to the neighbourhood.

2. Enhancing techniques to reduce transmission cost and production cost.

3. The government financially supports DES researchers and owners for green power generation generalization.

Threats

ST Strategies

WT Strategies

1. State Grid Corporation of China.

2. Uncompleted regulation system

1. The green concept should be considered and emphasized when competing with the low price for traditional thermal power generation

2. DES should be used as a back-up power supply for enterprises and public areas.

3. Decentralization of energy controls should be used. The end-users should be allowed to choose their energy sources on an open market.

1. Education and research enable DES technology evolution for reducing transportation and production cost.

2. More supporting projects should be established to accelerate DES technique development.

3. Technology improvement helps to achieve more efficient generation ways. In this case, new renewable energy resources might be adapted as one of DES input.

4. Potential government subsidization helps reduce cost.