Frontiers in Sustainability (Oct 2022)
Satellite Data Applications for Sustainable Energy Transitions
- Morgan R. Edwards,
- Morgan R. Edwards,
- Tracey Holloway,
- Tracey Holloway,
- R. Bradley Pierce,
- R. Bradley Pierce,
- Lew Blank,
- Madison Broddle,
- Eric Choi,
- Bryan N. Duncan,
- Ángel Esparza,
- Giacomo Falchetta,
- Giacomo Falchetta,
- Giacomo Falchetta,
- Meredith Fritz,
- Holly K. Gibbs,
- Holly K. Gibbs,
- Holly K. Gibbs,
- Henry Hundt,
- Tyler Lark,
- Tyler Lark,
- Amy Leibrand,
- Amy Leibrand,
- Fei Liu,
- Fei Liu,
- Becca Madsen,
- Tanya Maslak,
- Bhartendu Pandey,
- Karen C. Seto,
- Paul W. Stackhouse
Affiliations
- Morgan R. Edwards
- La Follette School of Public Affairs, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI, United States
- Morgan R. Edwards
- Nelson Institute Center for Sustainability and the Global Environment, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI, United States
- Tracey Holloway
- Nelson Institute Center for Sustainability and the Global Environment, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI, United States
- Tracey Holloway
- Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI, United States
- R. Bradley Pierce
- Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI, United States
- R. Bradley Pierce
- Space Science and Engineering Center, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI, United States
- Lew Blank
- La Follette School of Public Affairs, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI, United States
- Madison Broddle
- Booz Allen Hamilton, Inc., at NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton, VA, United States
- Eric Choi
- GHGSat Inc., Houston, TX, United States
- Bryan N. Duncan
- Atmospheric Chemistry and Dynamics Laboratory, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, United States
- Ángel Esparza
- GHGSat Inc., Houston, TX, United States
- Giacomo Falchetta
- International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, Laxenburg, Austria
- Giacomo Falchetta
- Centro Euro-Mediterraneo sui Cambiamenti Climatici, Università Ca'Foscari, Venice, Italy
- Giacomo Falchetta
- 0RFF-CMCC European Institute on Economics and the Environment, Venice, Italy
- Meredith Fritz
- 1Battelle Memorial Institute, Columbus, OH, United States
- Holly K. Gibbs
- Nelson Institute Center for Sustainability and the Global Environment, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI, United States
- Holly K. Gibbs
- 2Department of Geography, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI, United States
- Holly K. Gibbs
- 3DOE Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI, United States
- Henry Hundt
- La Follette School of Public Affairs, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI, United States
- Tyler Lark
- Nelson Institute Center for Sustainability and the Global Environment, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI, United States
- Tyler Lark
- 3DOE Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI, United States
- Amy Leibrand
- 1Battelle Memorial Institute, Columbus, OH, United States
- Amy Leibrand
- 4Science and Technology Corporation, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, United States
- Fei Liu
- Atmospheric Chemistry and Dynamics Laboratory, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, United States
- Fei Liu
- 5Goddard Earth Sciences Technology and Research (GESTAR) II, Morgan State University, Baltimore, MD, United States
- Becca Madsen
- 6Electric Power Research Institute, Palo Alto, CA, United States
- Tanya Maslak
- 1Battelle Memorial Institute, Columbus, OH, United States
- Bhartendu Pandey
- 7Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, United States
- Karen C. Seto
- 8Yale School of the Environment, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States
- Paul W. Stackhouse
- 9NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton, VA, United States
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.3389/frsus.2022.910924
- Journal volume & issue
-
Vol. 3
Abstract
Transitioning to a sustainable energy system poses a massive challenge to communities, nations, and the global economy in the next decade and beyond. A growing portfolio of satellite data products is available to support this transition. Satellite data complement other information sources to provide a more complete picture of the global energy system, often with continuous spatial coverage over targeted areas or even the entire Earth. We find that satellite data are already being applied to a wide range of energy issues with varying information needs, from planning and operation of renewable energy projects, to tracking changing patterns in energy access and use, to monitoring environmental impacts and verifying the effectiveness of emissions reduction efforts. While satellite data could play a larger role throughout the policy and planning lifecycle, there are technical, social, and structural barriers to their increased use. We conclude with a discussion of opportunities for satellite data applications to energy and recommendations for research to maximize the value of satellite data for sustainable energy transitions.
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