AUTHOR=Edwards Morgan R. , Holloway Tracey , Pierce R. Bradley , Blank Lew , Broddle Madison , Choi Eric , Duncan Bryan N. , Esparza Ángel , Falchetta Giacomo , Fritz Meredith , Gibbs Holly K. , Hundt Henry , Lark Tyler , Leibrand Amy , Liu Fei , Madsen Becca , Maslak Tanya , Pandey Bhartendu , Seto Karen C. , Stackhouse Paul W. TITLE=Satellite Data Applications for Sustainable Energy Transitions JOURNAL=Frontiers in Sustainability VOLUME=Volume 3 - 2022 YEAR=2022 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/sustainability/articles/10.3389/frsus.2022.910924 DOI=10.3389/frsus.2022.910924 ISSN=2673-4524 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.