Abstract
In this review paper, the authors identify priority areas and opportunities for electric utilities in developing and emerging economies to incorporate Earth observation (EO) data into rural electrification planning, renewable energy resource assessment, distributed generation, grid operation and reliability, and disaster risk reduction and recovery efforts. Using a methodological framework, the authors conducted a comprehensive literature review of primary and gray literature. This paper reviews the many existing applications for EO data, such as the use of nighttime lights imagery for estimations of rural electrification, EO-derived normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) products for vegetation monitoring for overhead transmission line management, solar radiance data for renewable energy project planning, and nowcasting for extreme weather events and other disaster monitoring. These and other applications can enhance energy security through improved access to modern and reliable electricity, renewable energy management, and disaster risk assessment in developing nations, paving the way for more sustainable social and economic development. Real-world examples of EO data use by utilities in developing and emerging economies, as well as barriers and opportunities for EO technology transfer, are discussed. Recommendations for stakeholder engagement, future EO training opportunities, and human capacity building are also presented.
Highlights
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by the United Nations (UN) Member States in 2015, provides a shared blueprint of action centered around the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and an urgent call for action by all countries—developed and developing—to act in a global partnership to promote peace and prosperity.Earth Observations for Reliable EnergyAs one of the SDGs, UN SDG 71, “Ensuring access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all” and electrification is a priority in many developing regions
The combination of Earth Observation (EO) and geospatial data with demographic and other sector-specific data offers an opportunity to provide the derived information needed by stakeholders to analyze and model potential resource related supply and demand scenarios, evaluate impacts across sectors and geographical regions, create maps and other visualizations to relay information, and otherwise assist end-users in making informed decisions that will contribute toward achieving the SDGs
Results are presented according to four key themes identified through the literature review: rural electrification, renewable energy, grid management, and disaster risk reduction, and response
Summary
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by the United Nations (UN) Member States in 2015, provides a shared blueprint of action centered around the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and an urgent call for action by all countries—developed and developing—to act in a global partnership to promote peace and prosperity.Earth Observations for Reliable EnergyAs one of the SDGs, UN SDG 71, “Ensuring access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all” and electrification is a priority in many developing regions. Satellite-based Earth Observation (EO) data offer opportunities to advance understanding of both natural and human-induced global changes from which forecast models, information products and other tools could improve decisionand policy-making for various societal benefit areas (National Research Council, 2007; National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine, 2015; National Academies of Sciences, 2018). This is important when addressing issues that are regional to global in scale or require resources that may necessitate transboundary cooperation. Applying this framework of EO applications to the energy sector offers a wide range of opportunities for facilitating developing countries’ quest to improve access to reliable electricity and resilience infrastructure, incorporate renewable energy into the electric sector, and improve energy governance
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