Does integrated efficiency improvement of the heating industry matter for air quality in China?

Residential and industrial heating demand is increasing sharply in China. Coal as the main fuel for the heating industry exerts heavy burdens on China's environment. This paper aims to figure out with constant technological progress, whether the improvement of the total-factor unified integrated efficiency of the heating industry helps improve the air quality in 29 provinces in China over 2003-2014. It is found that the total-factor unified integrated efficiency has no correlation with the air quality. Whether in the north or south, technological catch-up in the heating industry in China is weak. Technical progress of the heating industry in the north is limited in improving the integrated efficiency. Besides, the effects of technological progress and efficiency improvements may be greatly reduced without reasonable energy price.