NEREUS and FEDARENE (European Network of Regional and Local Energy Agencies and Regions) organise the webinar to introduce space-based technologies—such as satellites, Earth observation, and navigation systems—and how they support the transition to cleaner, more efficient energy systems. It will highlight practical applications, real-world case studies, and opportunities for innovation across the energy sector.
📅Thursday, 24th September 2026
🕥 10:30 – 12:00 CET
⏱ Duration: 90 minutes
Background
This webinar introduces space-based technologies—such as satellites, Earth observation, and navigation systems—and how they support the transition to cleaner, more efficient energy systems. It will highlight practical applications, real-world case studies, and opportunities for innovation across the energy sector.
Target group
public authorities in charge of energy (e.g. energy agencies, relevant departments of public administrations) within and outside NEREUS, SMEs, companies, research, academia and all regional stakeholders interested in the use of space technologies in the energy sector
Objectives
▫ Enhance Understanding: Develop a deeper understanding of the challenges and needs faced by public authorities responsible for managing energy infrastructure within their territories.
▫ Leverage Satellite Technologies: Explore how satellite technologies can be employed to monitor and manage energy activities, ensuring efficiency and sustainability. Examine the successful integration of space technologies in energy management to foster innovative solutions.
▫ Showcase Best Practices: Highlight exemplary use cases and projects that demonstrate how space technologies address energy-related challenges, including enhancing resilience, optimizing renewable energy deployment, and supporting decarbonization efforts.
▫ Climate Change Impacts: Discuss the implications of climate change on energy production, distribution, and consumption, with a focus on ensuring adaptation and resilience in the energy sector.
▫ Encourage Knowledge Exchange: Facilitate knowledge-sharing and collaboration to promote innovative and sustainable energy solutions across Europe.
▫ Foster Partnerships: Encourage interregional and European-level partnerships between the space industry, energy sector, and local authorities to implement effective and scalable energy solutions.
▫ Policy and Legislation: Address the role of regional strategies, legislative frameworks, and environmental policies in advancing sustainable energy management and accelerating the transition to green energy.
Best practices
Short abstracts:
Contribution by the Canary Islands:
The Canary Islands will contribute through the ITC (Instituto Tecnológico de Canarias), which will share its extensive expertise in Energy Planning: Strategic roadmaps for regional energy transition, forecasting & prediction. Their experience in managing energy stability and demand, together with regional challenges.
Best Practice by Catalonia:
- SAPIC project
Lobelia Earth has developed this project in collaboration with the company Electra Caldense itself, which conveys electricity to ten municipalities in the Vallès region and six in the Segrià region, using electricity grids that combine underground lines and medium-voltage overhead lines. The Spanish Association for Sustainable Forestry (PEFC), which promotes and disseminates the sustainable management of forests, also participated.
The service proposed by SAPIC is a viewer that provides an advanced fire severity indicator capable of reporting and predicting the risk and severity of fire in any area selected by the user; in this case, the area of influence of the energy transfer operator Electra Caldense, which will be the end-user. These infrastructures represent an added risk factor, as any incident can generate sparks and start high-intensity fires. The SAPIC system addresses the challenge of detecting points that could start a fire with high potential impact by using Earth observation technologies and AI combined with high-resolution climate data adapted to each specific location.
- TIAFA project
MOAI Analytics developed the TIAFA project in partnership with ENEL, the largest hydroelectric company in Spain and Italy.
The channel network spans vast and remote territories, including high-altitude mountain areas that are difficult to access and maintain. These conditions make Earth Observation the ideal solution to monitor this infrastructure at scale, delivering coverage where traditional field inspections and IoT sensors cannot reach.
The TIAFA project provides automated detection of water leaks in both underground and open-air canals, combining satellite image analysis with trained machine learning algorithms. Its main goal is the early identification of leakage indicators — such as anomalous changes in vegetation or soil moisture adjacent to the canal, in order to prevent water losses, reduce safety risks, and improve water management efficiency.
Today, this patented technology is being deployed for new customers including irrigation associations, other hydrological infrastructure operators, and agricultural insurance companies.
Patras University: “Space-based Solar Resource Intelligence for Regional Energy Planning and Forecasting”:
Solar energy planning is no longer only about estimating annual irradiation. Regions now need reliable, high-resolution and actionable solar information: for site selection, PV performance assessment, grid integration, short-term forecasting, climate resilience and policy support. Space-based observations, combined with ground measurements, atmospheric modelling and AI-based forecasting, can provide this information and help public authorities and energy stakeholders make better decisions.
The University of Patras’ contribution will focus on how satellite observations, atmospheric data and forecasting methods can support solar-energy planning and operation at the regional level. The presentation will highlight the importance of reliable solar resource assessment, validation of satellite-based radiation products, and short-term solar forecasting for PV integration, grid flexibility and climate-resilient energy planning. It will also connect this work with the broader international solar-energy community.
