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To pinpoint poorly insulated buildings on the planet, a flotilla from Britain-built heat-sensing satellites will be launched into Earth orbit. Seven thermal-imaging probes, which are being built in Guildford are expected to play a crucial role in the future. Global heating: We must fightdemonstrating how homes, offices, and cities can become more energy-efficient.
Satellite Vu, a British space company, will announce this week that the first heat-sensing satellite it has built will be launched on a Falcon 9 rocket. The launcher was operated by Elon Musk’s SpaceX company.
A further six probes will be put into orbit over the next two or three years – and some may be launched from Spaceports are currently under constructionIn Cornwall, Shetland and north Scotland, as well as other parts of the UK.
The aim of Satellite Vu’s programme is to create a fleet of probes that will be able to carry out a constant, worldwide survey measuring heat emanating from buildings. This will be accomplished using high-definition Infrared radiation detectors, which will reveal where buildings are leaking significant amounts and which are wasting electricity.
“Our satellites are going to be fitted with unique infrared cameras that can measure heat emissions from any building on the planet,” said Anthony Baker, Satellite Vu’s chief executive.
“At present, it is only possible to make broad surveys of heat being emitted in a neighbourhood. 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.”
He added: “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.
However, they have to be careful not only in generating power cleanly, but also in preventing heat from being lost from homes, offices, or factories that are poorly insulated.
“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.”
Satellite Vu has raised £20m in venture capital to fund its programme and has received grants from the UK SpaceAgency and the European Space Agency.
The company hopes to make money selling its data to companies and organisations that are looking to reduce power bills, as there is increasing pressure on nations to reduce their carbon emissions.
Surrey Satellite Technology Limited is building the spacecraft to carry out this monitoring. It is based at Guildford. Each one will be capable to operate nightly while measuring heat output on ground with a accuracy of 2C (3.61F).
Baker stated that this data should be used in a variety of applications. It will help reduce heat islands in cities which can heat up much more than the surrounding rural areas due to the presence of dense materials like concrete and metal.
These data will also be used to monitor river pollution from factories, reduce heating bills by making buildings more energy efficient, assess solar panel activity, and monitor wildfire outbreaks on open land. The company has not yet chosen a name to its satellite programme.
“A lot of companies and authorities want to make improvements in the way we use energy and generate heat,” said Baker. “But they need to know exactly where to direct their efforts. By giving them precise data about where heat is being allowed to spill out of buildings into the open, we believe we can help them make a real difference and save energy.”
