A comparison of nighttime lights data for urban energy research: Insights from scaling analysis in the US system of cities

2016 ◽  
Vol 44 (6) ◽  
pp. 1077-1096 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michail Fragkias ◽  
José Lobo ◽  
Karen C Seto
Keyword(s):  
Satellite Data ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Electricity Consumption ◽  
Scaling Analysis ◽  
Electricity Use ◽  
The Us ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Urban Energy ◽  
Nighttime Light

Urban areas contribute to about 75% of global fossil fuel CO2 emissions and are a primary driver of climate change. If greenhouse gas emissions for the top 20 emitting urban areas were aggregated into a one country, it would rank third behind China and the US. With urban areas forecasted to triple between 2010 and 2030 and urban population expected to increase by more than 2.5 billion, sustainable development will require a better understanding of how different types of urbanization affect energy use. However, there is a scarcity of data on energy use at the urban level that are available globally. Nighttime light satellite data have been shown to be related to energy use, but to date there has not been a systematic comparison of how well different sources of nighttime light data and their derived products can proxy electricity use. This paper fills this gap. First, we perform a comparative analysis of different types of nighttime light satellite data to proxy for electricity use for US cities. Second, we examine how the different types of nighttime light satellite data scale with the size of urban settlements and connect these findings to recent theoretical advances in scaling. We find that (1) all measures of nighttime light and urban electricity use in the US are strongly correlated and (2) different nighttime light-derived data can measure distinct urban energy characteristics such as energy infrastructure volume versus energy use. Our results do not show a clear best nighttime light proxy for total electricity consumption, despite of the use of higher spatial and temporal resolution data.

scholarly journals Study on Household Energy Usage Patterns in Urban and Rural Areas of Nepal

2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 402-410
Author(s):  
Dinesh Kumar Shahi ◽  
Hom Bahadur Rijal ◽  
Masanori Shukuya
Keyword(s):  
Rural Area ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Energy Demand ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Family Income ◽  
Electricity Consumption ◽  
Income Level ◽  
Electricity Production ◽  
Electricity Use

In the last decades, the household’s energy demand has increased significantly in various countries including Nepal. In the case ofNepal, 94% of energy use is in the domestic sector. There is a possibility of a huge increase in electricity production, but we are stillsuffering from load shedding due to the high electricity demand. Electricity use is an important factor for the quality of life anddevelopment of a nation. There is not a sufficient number of researches done about electricity consumption in different climaticregions of Nepal which are analyzed by the income level of residents. This study gives descriptive information on the household’senergy uses patterns and investigates the electricity use rate, using electrical appliances in households. This study also identifies themajor source of energy use and awareness of energy use. The data were collected from 442 households in three regions in the winterseason of 2018. Kalikot is a rural area, Chitwan is a semi-urban, and Kathmandu is an urban area. We have collected electricity bills,family income, and family size, electricity using appliances, expenditure for energy and energy use for heating/cooling, cooking, andlighting. The electricity was used only for lighting purposes in the rural area, but other electrical appliances were used in semi-urbanand urban areas. The amount of electricity use has not affected by household income level in the rural area, but it has affected in semi-urban and urban areas. The level of education affects the use of the LED significantly. This study would be helpful to know theelectricity use patterns which is useful for energy saving and energy management of the rural and urban areas of Nepal.

A method for energy efficiency assessment during urban energy planning

2014 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 132-152 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karin Regina de Casas Castro Marins
Keyword(s):  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Urban Morphology ◽  
Pollutant Emissions ◽  
Energy Planning ◽  
Bottom Up ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Urban Energy

Purpose – Energy use in urban areas has turned a subject of local and worldwide interest over the last few years, especially emphasized by the correlated greenhouse gases emissions. The purpose of this paper is to analyse the overall energy efficiency potential and emissions resulting from integrated solutions in urban energy planning, in the scale of districts and neighbourhoods in Brazil. Design/methodology/approach – The approach is based on the description and the application of a method to analyse energy performance of urban areas and support their planning. It is a quantitative bottom-up method and involves urban morphology, urban mobility, buildings and energy supply systems. Procedures are applied to the case study of Agua Branca urban development area, located in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Findings – In the case of Agua Branca area, energy efficiency measures in buildings have shown to be very important mostly for the buildings economies themselves. For the area as a whole, strategies in promoting public transport are more effective in terms of energy efficiency and also to decrease pollutant emissions. Originality/value – Literature review has shown there is a lack of approaches and procedures able to support urban energy planning at a community scale. The bottom-up method presented in this paper integrates a plenty of disaggregated and multisectoral parameters at the same stage in urban planning and shows that is possible to identify the most promising actions by building overall performance indexes.

A Case Study of Campus Building End Use of a University in Norway

2014 ◽  
Vol 1073-1076 ◽  
pp. 1259-1262 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jun Guan ◽  
Natasa Nord ◽  
Shu Qin Chen
Keyword(s):  
Energy Use ◽  
Small Towns ◽  
University Campus ◽  
Building Energy Management ◽  
Electricity Use ◽  
Urban Energy ◽  
Seasonal Factor ◽  
End Use ◽  
Working Day ◽  
The Individual

Energy use in university campus plays an important role in energy use of the society, because universities are complex infrastructure and they are similar to small towns. A university campus consisted of 35 buildings, with total area of approximately 300 000 m2 was analyzed. Six-year energy uses of electricity and heating of 24 buildings in one university campus in Norway were selected as case objects monitored by Building Energy Management System and web-based Energy Monitoring System. Descriptive statistics were applied to analyze energy use and influencing factors on energy use. The coincidence factors for both heating and electricity were calculated. The results indicate that the energy use of the whole campus were obtained as101 kWh/(m2a) for heating and 200 kWh/(m2a) for electricity, respectively. Regarding the individual buildings, the electricity use was 170± 89 kWh/(m2 a) and the heating use was 169± 115 kWh/(m2 a) for heating with a few exceptions of over 300 kWh/(m2 a). The influence of seasonal factor on heating was much higher than on electricity. The coincidence factors of heating were 0.96 in working day and 0.87 in weekend. The coincidence factors of electricity were 0.99 and 0.98, respectively. The results from the study could be used for energy planning of cities and other urban energy systems.

scholarly journals Greenhouse Gas Pollution Based on Energy use and its Mitigation Potential in the City of Surakarta, Indonesia

2020 ◽  
Vol 52 (1) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Prabang Setyono ◽  
Widhi Himawan ◽  
Cynthia Permata Sari ◽  
Totok Gunawan ◽  
Sigit Heru Murti
Keyword(s):  
Energy Consumption ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Carbon Sink ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Electricity Consumption ◽  
Vegetation Density ◽  
Rate Of Increase ◽  
The City

Considered as a trigger of climate change, greenhouse gas (GHG) is a global environmental issue. The City of Surakarta in Indonesia consists mainly of urban areas with high intensities of anthropogenic fossil energy consumption and, potentially, GHG emission. It is topographically a basin area and most likely prompts a Thermal Inversion, creating a risk of accumulation and entrapment of air pollutants or GHGs at low altitudes. Vegetation has been reported to mitigate the rate of increase in emissions because it acts as a natural carbon sink. This study aimed to mitigate the GHG emissions from energy consumption in Surakarta and formulate recommendations for control. It commenced with calculating the emission factors based on the IPCC formula and determining the key categories using the Level Assessment approach. It also involved computing the vegetation density according to the NDVI values of the interpretation of Sentinel 2A imagery. The estimation results showed that in 2018, the emission loads from the energy consumption in Surakarta reached 1,217,385.05 (tons of CO2e). The key categories of these emissions were electricity consumption, transportation on highways, and the domestic sector, with transportation on highways being the top priority. These loads have exceeded the local carrying capacity because they create an imbalance between emission and natural GHG sequestration by vegetations.

scholarly journals Creation of Zero CO2 Emission Plants Due to Energy Use: A Case Study in Crete, Greece

2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 55
Author(s):  
John Vourdoubas
Keyword(s):  
Co2 Emissions ◽  
Carbon Emissions ◽  
Co2 Emission ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Energy Intensity ◽  
Electricity Consumption ◽  
Photovoltaic System ◽  
Tree Plantation ◽  
Electricity Use ◽  
Solar Photovoltaic System

Creation of zero CO2 emission enterprises due to energy use in Crete, Greece has been examined with reference to an orange juice producing plant (Viochym). Energy intensity at Viochym has been estimated at 1.66 KWh per € of annual sales. Oil used for heat generation has been replaced with solid biomass produced locally in Crete and resulting in zero CO2 emissions due to the use of heat. Offsetting CO2 emissions due to grid electricity use has been proposed with two options. The first includes the installation of a solar photovoltaic system with nominal power of 417 KWp, according to net metering regulations, generating annually 625 MWh equal to annual grid electricity consumption in the plant. Its capital cost has been estimated at 0.5 mil € which corresponds to 1.07 € per kg of CO2 saved annually.The second option includes the creation of a tree plantation in an area of 107 hectare resulting in carbon sequestration equal to carbon emissions in the plant due to electricity use. Both options for offsetting CO2 emissions in Viochym have various advantages and drawbacks and they are considered realistic and feasible, resulting in the elimination of its carbon emissions due to energy use. Improvement of the energy intensity of various processes in Viochym could result in lower CO2 emissions and smaller sizing of the required renewable energy systems for eliminating them.

Evaluating the Energy Intensity of the US Public Water System

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kelly M. Twomey ◽  
Michael E. Webber
Keyword(s):  
Energy Use ◽  
Energy Intensity ◽  
Water System ◽  
Electricity Consumption ◽  
Water Systems ◽  
Treatment Facility ◽  
The Us ◽  
Water And Wastewater ◽  
End Use ◽  
Regional Water

Previous analyses have concluded that the United State’s water sector uses over 3% of national electricity consumption for the production, conveyance, and treatment of water and wastewater and as much as 10% when considering the energy required for on-site heating, cooling, pumping, and softening of water for end-use. The energy intensity of water is influenced by factors such as source water quality, its proximity to a water treatment facility and end-use, its intended end-use and sanitation level, as well as its conveyance to and treatment at a wastewater treatment facility. Since these requirements differ by geographic location, climate, season, and local water quality standards, the energy consumption of regional water systems vary significantly. While national studies have aggregated averages for the energy use and energy intensity of various stages of the of the US water system, these estimates do not capture the wide disparity between regional water systems. For instance, 19 percent of California’s total electricity generation is used to withdraw, collect, convey, treat, distribute, and prepare water for end-use, nearly doubling the national average. Much of this electricity is used to move water over high elevations and across long distances from water-rich to water-stressed regions of the state. Potable water received by users in Southern California has typically been pumped as far as 450 miles, and lifted nearly 2000ft over the system’s highest point in the Tehachapi Mountains. Consequently, the energy intensity of San Diego County’s water is approximately 11,000 kWh per million gallons for pumping treatment and distribution, as compared to the US average which is estimated to be in the vicinity of 1,500–2,000 kWh per million gallons. With added pressures on the state’s long-haul transfer systems from population growth and growing interest in energy-intensive desalination, this margin will likely increase. This manuscript consists of a first-order analysis to quantify the energy embedded in the US public water supply, which is the primary water source to residential, commercial, and municipal users. Our analysis finds that energy use associated with the public water supply is 4.7% of the nation’s annual primary energy and 6.1% of national electricity consumption, respectively. Public water and wastewater pumping, treatment, and distribution, as well as commercial and residential water-heating were considered in this preliminary work. End-use energy requirements associated with water for municipal, industrial, and self-supplied sectors (i.e. agriculture, thermoelectric, mining, etc.) were not included in this analysis.

scholarly journals Direct measurement of the contribution of street lighting to satellite observations of nighttime light emissions from urban areas

2020 ◽  
pp. 147715352095846
Author(s):  
CCM Kyba ◽  
A Ruby ◽  
HU Kuechly ◽  
B Kinzey ◽  
N Miller ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Confidence Interval ◽  
Satellite Imagery ◽  
Smart City ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Satellite Observations ◽  
Light Sources ◽  
Street Lighting ◽  
Nighttime Light ◽  
The City

Nighttime light emissions are increasing in most countries worldwide, but which types of lighting are responsible for the increase remains unknown. Also unknown is what fraction of outdoor light emissions and associated energy use are due to public light sources (i.e. streetlights) or various types of private light sources (e.g. advertising). Here we show that it is possible to measure the contribution of street lighting to nighttime satellite imagery using ‘smart city’ lighting infrastructure. The city of Tucson, USA, intentionally altered its streetlight output over 10 days, and we examined the change in emissions observed by satellite. We find that streetlights operated by the city are responsible for only 13% of the total radiance (in the 500–900 nm band) observed from Tucson from space after midnight (95% confidence interval 10–16%). If Tucson did not dim their streetlights after midnight, the contribution would be 18% (95% confidence interval 15–23%). When streetlights operated by other actors are included, the best estimates rise to 16% and 21%, respectively. Existing energy and lighting policy related to the sustainability of outdoor light use has mainly focused on street lighting. These results suggest an urgent need for consideration of other types of light sources in outdoor lighting policy.

scholarly journals Energy Transition toward Cleaner Energy Resources in Nepal

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. 4243
Author(s):  
Pokharel Tika Ram ◽  
Rijal Hom Bahadur
Keyword(s):  
Rural Areas ◽  
Socioeconomic Development ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Electricity Consumption ◽  
Energy Transition ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Energy Resources ◽  
Electricity Use ◽  
Per Capita ◽  
Cooking Fuels

Energy is an important input for socioeconomic development and human well-being. The rationality of energy transitions toward cleaner energy resources is not only to improve individual living conditions, but also to enhance the economic growth of a nation. Nepal is considered to be one of the countries with a low per-capita electricity use, heavily relying on traditional energy resources such as firewood and agricultural residues. The country is rich in hydropower resources. However, various economic and socioeconomic constraints have left the significant potential for hydroelectricity untapped. This study describes the energy transition patterns in Nepal based on a literature review and field survey of household energy use in the winter. We collected data from 516 households in the Solukhumbu, Panchthar, and Jhapa districts of Nepal. The rate of per-capita electricity consumption was 330 kWh/capita/year, which is significantly lower than that of other contemporary global societies such as India 1000 and China 4900 kWh/capita/year. The increasing trend in hydroelectricity production has optimistically transformed the energy sector toward cleaner resources; this correlates with the GDP per capita. Solar home systems, mini- and micro-hydropower plants, biogas technology, and improved cook stoves have been widely used, which has lowered the health and environmental burdens in rural areas. By analysing the survey data, we found that 25% of the households only relied on traditional cooking fuel, while 67% and 8% of the households relied on mixed and commercial cooking fuels, respectively. Moreover, 77% and 48% of traditional and mixed-fuel-using households were unhappy with current cooking fuels while 40% and 66% of these households preferred to use clean cooking fuels. The share of traditional energy resources decreased from 78% to 68%, while that of commercial energy resources increased from 20% to 28% from 2014/15 to 2019/20. This study suggests that future energy policies and programs should acknowledge the reality of energy transition to achieve sustainability by establishing reliable and clean sources of energy.

scholarly journals Analysis of Methodology for Scaling Up Building Retrofits: Is There a Role for Virtual Energy Audits?—A First Step in Hawai’i, USA

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (18) ◽  
pp. 5914
Author(s):  
Mark B. Glick ◽  
Eileen Peppard ◽  
Wendy Meguro
Keyword(s):  
Air Quality ◽  
Indoor Air Quality ◽  
Indoor Air ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Electricity Consumption ◽  
Initial Step ◽  
Existing Building ◽  
Electricity Use ◽  
Energy Audits

Energy audits are a time-consuming and expensive initial step in the building retrofit process. Virtual energy audits purport to be an alternative that remotely identifies energy efficiency measures (EEMs) that may reduce electricity consumption and offset operational costs to businesses operating during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. This case study reviews virtual energy audits as a means to benchmark energy use and estimate cost savings from future EEMs. A novel feature was the estimation of energy costs associated with increasing ventilation to improve indoor air quality. The authors analyzed ten virtual energy audits performed in Honolulu, Hawai’i, over a two-week period that used existing building information and electricity use data to estimate a potential 9% to 41% annual electricity use reduction per building and a 24 MWh to 1195 MWh reduction, respectively. This paper makes a significant contribution through its assessment of virtual energy audits as a step beyond benchmarking, which has merit as an educational tool to motivate business owners to reduce energy use and improve indoor air quality. Further evaluation and improvements are suggested to study how often the virtual energy audits instigate action, how they compare with in-person audits, and their potential for use at a large scale.

scholarly journals An Analysis of Electricity Consumption Patterns in the Water and Wastewater Sectors in South East England, UK

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aman Majid ◽  
Iliana Cardenes ◽  
Conrad Zorn ◽  
Tom Russell ◽  
Keith Colquhoun ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Energy Use ◽  
Energy Intensity ◽  
Electricity Consumption ◽  
Water Flooding ◽  
Published Data ◽  
Electricity Use ◽  
The World ◽  
Water And Wastewater ◽  
South East England ◽  
The Uk

The water and wastewater sectors are energy-intensive, and so a growing number of utility companies are seeking to identify opportunities to reduce energy use. Though England’s water sector is of international interest, in particular due to the early experience with privatisation, for the time being very little published data on energy usage exists. We analyse telemetry data from Thames Water Utilities Ltd. (TWUL), which is the largest water and wastewater company in the UK and serves one of the largest mega-cities in the world, London. In our analysis, we (1) break down sectoral energy use into their components, (2) present a statistical method to analyse the long-term trends in use, as well as the seasonality and irregular effects in the data, (3) derive energy-intensity (kWh m3) figures for the system, and (4) compare the energy-intensity of the network against other regions in the world. Our results show that electricity use grew during the period 2009 to 2014 due to capacity expansions to deal with growing water demand and storm water flooding. The energy-intensity of the system is within the range of reported figures for systems in other OECD countries. Plans to improve the efficiency of the system could yield benefits in lower the energy-intensity, but the overall energy saving would be temporary as external pressures from population and climate change are driving up water and energy use.

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