| cover-image | date | theme | tags | official |
|---|---|---|---|---|
2025-09-06 |
Sustainable Cities |
remote sensing, surface temperature, Sentinel-3 |
true |
Europe’s building stock is central to the energy transition. Buildings account for around 40 percent of energy consumption in the EU and more than one third of greenhouse gas emissions [1] [2]. Three quarters of the European building stock is energy inefficient and 85 percent was built before the year 2000 [1]. At the current renovation rate of only about one percent per year, modernisation is far too slow to meet the European Union’s target of climate neutrality by 2050 [1] [2].
The EU Buildings Climate Tracker provides a useful overall indicator at European level but does not reveal how energy performance varies between cities, neighbourhoods or groups of buildings [3]. Municipalities are the actors that need to plan renovation strategies and heating transition pathways, yet they often lack reliable and detailed information that would help them to direct these efforts to the right places.
Figure 1 – The EU BCT represents a global index for the whole of the EU. However, conclusions about local settings, trends and forecasts cannot be derived from it. Geographical disaggregation of such an index and of related evidence data would therefore be desirable for supporting more granular policies and a monitoring of their implementation.
Furthermore, Energy Performance Certificates are an important source of information, but their coverage is inconsistent, their quality uneven, and their data frequently outdated [4]. According to the revised Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD), Member States must achieve binding renovation trajectories for residential buildings and meet minimum efficiency standards for non-residential buildings by 2030 and 2033 [6][7]. Without new approaches to screening and monitoring, municipalities risk falling behind in identifying where the least efficient parts of their building stock are located and how to address them most effectively.
The Urban Energy Performance Monitor (UEPM) has been developed by OHB-DS to provide the missing layer of information. It delivers independent and spatially detailed insights into the relative energy performance of urban districts, neighbourhoods and groups of buildings. By combining Earth Observation data from satellites with contextual information such as climate and cadastral data, the service highlights where renovation needs are highest and makes it possible to monitor progress over time.
At the heart of the UEPM service is the Energy Performance Index. It is created by downscaling Copernicus Sentinel-3 thermal data to 30 meter resolution and fusing it with with climate and cadastral data. The resulting index can be compared across neighbourhoods or entire districts. By using time-series, the service shows whether performance is improving for example after renovation programmes, or deteriorating due to ageing building stock.
UEPM is not intended to replace audits or official certificates but to complement them. It functions as a large scale screening tool that municipalities can use to detect inefficiency hotspots, to shape renovation strategies, and to design policies that deliver the strongest results in energy savings, emission reductions and reduced energy poverty.
Figure 2 – Comparison of Sentinel-3 Original LST (1km resolution) and Sentinel-3 Downscaled LST (30m resolution)
UEPM is designed to fit the needs of municipalities. The municipality starts by defining an Area of Interest which may be a district, a neighbourhood or an entire city. Satellite data is then processed and combined with urban indices and climate information. This generates the performance index and related analyses.
The results can be delivered in several formats: An interactive web dashboard allows explorative browsing of maps. Application programming interfaces are planned to provide access for integration into municipal planning and geographic information systems. Standard file formats can also be provided for sharing and documentation.
Figure 3 – Mockup of the analysis map
The Baltic GTIF activity is part of the Green Transition Information Factory, an initiative supported by the European Space Agency that fosters innovative services based on Earth Observation for climate and energy transition.
UEPM is developed and delivered by OHB Digital Services which is responsible for service design, data processing and analytics. The cloud infrastructure and integration for advanced applications are provided by EOX IT Services. Both partners contribute extensive expertise in Earth Observation, geospatial analytics and user focused digital services.
The Urban Energy Performance Monitor is offered as a subscription service with flexible conditions depending on the size of the area, the update frequency and the preferred mode of delivery. Municipalities can subscribe to dashboard access, to API integration, or to regular report delivery according to their requirements.
A free demonstration version of the UEPM service is available for selected pilot cities. Further pre-commercial demonstration projects may apply for sponsorship through the ESA Network of Resources. This enables municipalities to evaluate the service without or reduced initial investments.
Optional features include custom dashboards adjusted to municipal key performance indicators, automated reporting routines, and advanced visualization tools to support communication with stakeholders and citizens.