A flotilla of British-built heat-sensing satellites is to be launched into orbit to pinpoint badly insulated buildings across the planet.
Seven thermal-imaging probes are being constructed in Guildford, England, and they are intended to play a key role in the battle against global heating by showing how homes, offices and cities can be made more energy efficient.
British space company Satellite Vu is this week to announce that the first of its heat-sensing satellites is to be carried aloft early next year on a Falcon 9 rocket, the launcher operated by Space Exploration Technologies Corp (SpaceX).
A further six probes would be put into orbit over the next two or three years, and some could be launched from spaceports under construction in Cornwall, Shetland, north Scotland and other parts of the UK.
The aim of Satellite Vu’s program is to create a fleet of probes that would be able to carry out a constant, worldwide survey measuring heat emanating from buildings. This would be achieved using high-definition infrared radiation detectors that would show where buildings are leaking significant levels of energy and wasting power.
“Our satellites are going to be fitted with unique infrared cameras that can measure heat emissions from any building on the planet,” Satellite Vu chief executive officer Anthony Baker said.
“At present, it is only possible to make broad surveys of heat being emitted in a neighborhood. Our satellites will be fitted with super-high-resolution detectors, which will allow them to study individual buildings and show how much heat is escaping from them,” Baker said.
“The crucial point is that a lot of people want to get to the stage where we can achieve net-zero emissions of greenhouse gases,” he added.
However, they face a lot of problems, not just in generating power cleanly, but in preventing heat being wasted from badly insulated offices, homes and factories.
“We will provide the data that will show companies, governments and local authorities across the world where they need to act and how they can cut their energy bills,” Baker said.
Satellite Vu has raised ￡20 million (US$27.19 million) in venture capital to fund its program, and has received grants from the UK Space Agency and the European Space Agency.
The company expects to make money by selling its data to organizations and companies that are looking for ways to cut power bills as pressure increases on nations to cut their carbon emissions.
The satellites are being constructed by Surrey Satellite Technology. Each one would be able to operate night and day while measuring heat output on the ground with an accuracy of 2°C.
This data should have a wide range of applications, Baker said.
It should help alleviate the effect of heat islands in cities, which can heat up far more severely than surrounding rural areas because of the prevalence of dense materials such as concrete and metal.
It should also help monitor river pollution from factories, cut heating bills by ensuring buildings are energy efficient, assess the activity status of solar panels and monitor wildfire outbreaks in open land.
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