[{"command":"openDialog","selector":"#drupal-modal","settings":null,"data":"\u003Cdiv id=\u0022republish_modal_form\u0022\u003E\u003Cform class=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form ecl-form\u0022 data-drupal-selector=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form\u0022 action=\u0022\/en\/article\/modal\/12278\u0022 method=\u0022post\u0022 id=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form\u0022 accept-charset=\u0022UTF-8\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHorizon articles can be republished for free under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence.\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003EYou must give appropriate credit. We ask you to do this by:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n 1) Using the original journalist\u0027s byline\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n 2) Linking back to our original story\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n 3) Using the following text in the footer: This article was originally published in \u003Ca href=\u0027#\u0027\u003EHorizon, the EU Research and Innovation magazine\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003ESee our full republication guidelines \u003Ca href=\u0027\/horizon-magazine\/republish-our-stories\u0027\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003EHTML for this article, including the attribution and page view counter, is below:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022js-form-item form-item js-form-type-textarea form-item-body-content js-form-item-body-content ecl-form-group ecl-form-group--text-area form-no-label ecl-u-mv-m\u0022\u003E\n \n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n \u003Ctextarea data-drupal-selector=\u0022edit-body-content\u0022 aria-describedby=\u0022edit-body-content--description\u0022 id=\u0022edit-body-content\u0022 name=\u0022body_content\u0022 rows=\u00225\u0022 cols=\u002260\u0022 class=\u0022form-textarea ecl-text-area\u0022\u003E\u003Ch2\u003ESatellite oversight: ensuring Europe\u2019s renewable energy security from above\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESolar panels and wind turbines had to be shut down in Greece for a short period in May this year because the national electricity grid wasn\u2019t able to absorb the amount of energy being produced.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFor electronic engineer Effie Makri, this pointed to one of the main issues with the switch to renewable sources of energy.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018As renewable energy sources are more widely adopted, renewable energy infrastructure shutting down is going to be more widespread,\u2019 said Makri.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EEurope is working towards a\u0026nbsp;massive scaling up in the use of renewable energies, with a target of 45% of energy coming from renewables by 2030 under the EU\u2019s\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/commission.europa.eu\/strategy-and-policy\/priorities-2019-2024\/european-green-deal\/repowereu-affordable-secure-and-sustainable-energy-europe_en\u0022\u003EREPowerEU\u003C\/a\u003E Plan.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOne of the issues with renewable energies, however, is that they\u2019re intermittent. There are times when the sun doesn\u2019t shine or the wind doesn\u2019t blow. Or, as happened in Greece, there are also times when the energy produced is too much for the energy infrastructure to handle \u2013 resulting in a system overload.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPredicting energy production and demand\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMakri is leading a research project called\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cordis.europa.eu\/project\/id\/101082355\u0022\u003ERESPONDENT\u003C\/a\u003E that has received funding from the EU to\u0026nbsp;harness the combined power of AI, machine learning and earth observation (EO) data from European satellites to improve the forecasting and management of energy supply and demand. The project, which is managed by the EU Agency for the Space Programme (\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.euspa.europa.eu\/\u0022\u003EEUSPA\u003C\/a\u003E) on behalf of the European Commission, started in 2022 and will run until April 2025.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBeing able to predict how much energy will be produced and consumed ahead of time could prevent system shutdowns, like the Greek one, from happening in the future.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\u0022tw-text-center tw-text-blue tw-font-bold tw-text-2xl lg:tw-w-1\/2 tw-border-2 tw-border-blue tw-p-12 tw-my-8 lg:tw-m-12 lg:tw--ml-16 tw-float-left\u0022\u003E\n \u003Cspan class=\u0022tw-text-5xl tw-rotate-180\u0022\u003E\u201c\u003C\/span\u003E\n \u003Cp class=\u0022tw-font-serif tw-italic\u0022\u003ERenewable energy infrastructure shutting down is going to be more widespread.\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cfooter\u003E\n \u003Ccite class=\u0022tw-not-italic tw-font-normal tw-text-sm tw-text-black\u0022\u003EEffie Makri, RESPONDENT\u003C\/cite\u003E\n \u003C\/footer\u003E\n\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMakri\u2019s team of researchers at Greek company Future Intelligence, in Athens, has partnered with energy and communications specialists in Greece, Ireland and Spain. They\u2019re exploring ways to harness cutting-edge technologies to address the challenge of providing Europe with an energy supply that is both secure and sustainable.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe approach being developed by the RESPONDENT team draws on\u0026nbsp;data from the Copernicus Programme, the EO component of the EU\u2019s Space programme and Galileo services. Makri says this could help make Europe more energy independent as the models would use European satellites.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EEO adding value\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe work being carried out is funded through \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.euspa.europa.eu\/\u0022\u003EEUSPA\u003C\/a\u003E, which promotes the use of European space EO data in practical value-added services like the one being proposed by RESPONDENT. It is a rapidly expanding market that is expected to grow from \u20ac3.4 billion in 2023 to almost \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.euspa.europa.eu\/sites\/default\/files\/external\/publications\/euspa_market_report_2024.pdf\u0022\u003E\u20ac6 billion in 2033\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECombining this data with new AI and machine learning capabilities is allowing them to build a model that can take account of a wide range of factors impacting energy supply. These include the changing weather patterns and different user profiles based on three distinct kinds of user: residential, industrial and commercial.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018Each of these types of users have their own consumption patterns,\u2019 said Makri.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis information can be used to better distribute electricity around the grid. For example, on a cold day, it might be better to move more electricity towards homes that have higher heating demands.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhat\u2019s important, however, is the relation of the distributed energy and the power produced \u2013 efficient distribution might look different on a sunny or a cloudy day.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EPilot demonstrations of the solutions proposed are due to take place at a solar park in Athens, Greece, and at a distribution system operator in Greater Barcelona, Spain, later this year and in 2025.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EExtreme weather forecast\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EDuring their research, Makri and her team realised that extreme weather events can also impact the results of their calculations. Although it wasn\u2019t initially planned, they decided to incorporate this factor into their model.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn this, they join the concerns of Francesco Parisio, a software engineer from Italy. He led a two-year EU-funded research project at Berlin-based start-up company LiveEO that specialises in harnessing EO data to provide actionable insights to businesses, policy makers and managers of vital infrastructure, including energy providers.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018Extreme weather events are becoming more frequent and more intense with medium- and long-term forecasts expecting this trend to get even worse,\u2019 he said. \u2018It puts a lot of stress on our critical infrastructure.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\u0022tw-text-center tw-text-blue tw-font-bold tw-text-2xl lg:tw-w-1\/2 tw-border-2 tw-border-blue tw-p-12 tw-my-8 lg:tw-m-12 lg:tw--ml-16 tw-float-left\u0022\u003E\n \u003Cspan class=\u0022tw-text-5xl tw-rotate-180\u0022\u003E\u201c\u003C\/span\u003E\n \u003Cp class=\u0022tw-font-serif tw-italic\u0022\u003EAny downtime is expensive, dangerous and has a big impact on society.\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cfooter\u003E\n \u003Ccite class=\u0022tw-not-italic tw-font-normal tw-text-sm tw-text-black\u0022\u003EFrancesco Parisio, EOinTime\u003C\/cite\u003E\n \u003C\/footer\u003E\n\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn 2022, LiveEO was one of 74 companies awarded a\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/eic.ec.europa.eu\/about-european-innovation-council_en\u0022\u003EEuropean Innovation Council\u003C\/a\u003E Accelerator grant to develop a real-time monitoring service for infrastructure networks using a combination of satellite data, AI and machine learning algorithms.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECalled\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cordis.europa.eu\/project\/id\/190100375\u0022\u003EEOinTime\u003C\/a\u003E, their research project concluded successfully in March this year, resulting in an advanced monitoring\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.live-eo.com\/solution\/rapid-response-insights\u0022\u003Eservice\u003C\/a\u003E that is able to\u0026nbsp;rapidly assess infrastructure damage after a storm, and even predict areas of potential future weakness.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESeeing through the clouds\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe service uses\u0026nbsp;a special type of satellite data called synthetic aperture radar (SAR) that is able to pick up detailed surface information such as structure and moisture.\u0026nbsp;One of the main advantages of\u0026nbsp;SAR imagery is that, unlike optical technology, it can \u201csee\u201d through the darkness, clouds and rain, detecting changes that may otherwise be difficult to spot.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETypically, a human would have to manually assess the integrity of the energy infrastructure, either on foot or in the air using a helicopter or plane. Satellites can give better results, according to Parisio.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018We were able to spot damage that a helicopter couldn\u2019t,\u2019 he said. Beyond rapid analysis of storm damage, they can also look at how vegetation might impact infrastructure, such as detecting tree health issues that could endanger power lines in the future.\u0026nbsp;To validate their models, they sent experts to assess trees identified as problematic by the system and found their predictions to be correct.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe system can also cover an extensive range, with EOinTime already monitoring over 100\u0026nbsp;000\u0026nbsp;km of infrastructure for vegetation risks, across all European countries, for German multinational energy company E.ON.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHaving run pilots across most continents in countries like Germany, Australia, the USA and Indonesia, LiveEO was able to cut down the response time of detecting a problem and informing their clients from days to hours.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe next steps are to reduce that even further, working alongside big industry partners like Deutsche Bahn and E.ON.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018Any downtime is expensive, dangerous, and has a big impact on society,\u2019 said Parisio. \u2018In a blackout, every minute counts.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EResearch in this article was funded by the EU\u2019s Horizon Programme including, in the case of EOinTime, via the European Innovation Council (EIC). The views of the interviewees don\u2019t necessarily reflect those of the European Commission. If you liked this article, please consider sharing it on social media.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/textarea\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n \u003Cdiv id=\u0022edit-body-content--description\u0022 class=\u0022ecl-help-block description\u0022\u003E\n Please copy the above code and embed it onto your website to republish.\n \u003C\/div\u003E\n \u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cinput autocomplete=\u0022off\u0022 data-drupal-selector=\u0022form-y8ovurozvew0x8-c4nv1gkynmjqciaor-smbzavnpy\u0022 type=\u0022hidden\u0022 name=\u0022form_build_id\u0022 value=\u0022form-y8ovurozVeW0X8_C4NV1gKYNMJqCIaOr-_smbZavnpY\u0022 \/\u003E\n\u003Cinput data-drupal-selector=\u0022edit-modal-form-example-modal-form\u0022 type=\u0022hidden\u0022 name=\u0022form_id\u0022 value=\u0022modal_form_example_modal_form\u0022 \/\u003E\n\u003C\/form\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E","dialogOptions":{"width":"800","modal":true,"title":"Republish this content"}}]