URBANFLUXES · Project

Satellite-Based Urban Heat Mapping to Cut City Energy Waste and Plan Smarter

environmentPrototypeTRL 4Thin data (2/5)

Cities generate enormous amounts of waste heat — from buildings, cars, air conditioners, factories — and until now, nobody could actually measure where all that heat goes at a city scale. URBANFLUXES figured out how to use satellite images (specifically the EU's Copernicus Sentinel satellites) to map exactly where cities are leaking heat into the atmosphere. Think of it like a thermal camera for an entire city, shot from space. The result is a heat map that tells urban planners and energy managers where the biggest heat losses are happening, block by block.

By the numbers

countries in validation consortium

EUR 2,346,193

EU research investment

project deliverables produced

consortium partners

demonstration database with Sentinel-derived products

The business problem

What needed solving

Cities worldwide are struggling with urban heat islands and rising energy costs, but they lack reliable, city-wide data on where heat is actually being generated and wasted. Ground-based sensors only cover tiny areas, leaving planners and energy managers making decisions with incomplete information. Without accurate heat mapping at city scale, billions are spent on poorly targeted climate adaptation and energy efficiency measures.

The solution

What was built

The project developed a satellite-based method using Copernicus Sentinel data to map anthropogenic heat fluxes across entire cities, producing 27 deliverables including a demonstration database of Sentinel-derived urban energy budget products. The outputs include benchmark heat flux datasets designed for use in climate models, building energy models, and urban planning decision-support systems.

Audience

Who needs this

Municipal urban planning departments working on climate adaptation strategiesDistrict energy companies and utilities managing city-wide heating/cooling networksEnvironmental and climate consultancies preparing urban resilience assessmentsSmart city technology integrators building digital twin platformsNational meteorological services and climate modeling agencies

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Urban Planning & Smart Cities

any

Target: Municipal planning departments and smart city consultancies

If you are an urban planning consultancy dealing with heat island effects and climate adaptation — this project developed a satellite-based method to map anthropogenic heat fluxes across entire cities. With 27 deliverables including Sentinel-derived heat flux products, it gives you data to pinpoint which neighborhoods generate the most waste heat. That means evidence-based zoning decisions instead of guesswork.

Energy Management

mid-size

Target: District energy utilities and building energy management firms

If you are a district energy provider struggling to understand where heat is being wasted across your service area — this project built a method using Copernicus Sentinel data to characterize building-to-atmosphere heat exchange pathways at local and city scales. Instead of relying on building-by-building audits, you get a satellite view of heat loss patterns across your entire network. The project consortium spanned 8 countries, validating the approach across different European climates.

Climate & Environmental Consulting

SME

Target: Environmental consultancies working on climate resilience assessments

If you are a climate consultancy needing reliable urban heat data for your city resilience reports — this project created benchmark datasets for anthropogenic heat flux that feed directly into climate models. The EUR 2,346,193 research effort produced demonstration-ready satellite data products that map emissions related to energy consumption. This means you can offer clients actual measured heat data instead of rough estimates.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to use this satellite heat mapping for our city?

The project used freely available Copernicus Sentinel satellite data, which means the raw imagery costs nothing. The main cost would be in applying the URBANFLUXES method to process and interpret the data for your specific city. Pricing would depend on the scope and area covered — contact the research team for licensing terms.

Can this scale to cover any city, or just the test cases?

The project was specifically designed to be transferable to any urban area. The method was validated across partners in 8 different countries (CH, DE, EL, FR, IT, NL, SE, UK), covering diverse European urban climates. As Copernicus Sentinel coverage improves in temporal resolution, operational city-wide deployment becomes increasingly practical.

Who owns the intellectual property, and can we license this?

The project was a Research and Innovation Action (RIA) funded with EUR 2,346,193 from the EU, coordinated by IDRYMA TECHNOLOGIAS KAI EREVNAS in Greece. IP is typically shared among the 8 consortium partners. Licensing discussions would need to go through the coordinator and relevant consortium members.

How accurate is satellite-based heat measurement compared to ground sensors?

The project produced 27 deliverables including a dedicated demonstration database of Sentinel-derived heat flux products. The method was developed to provide benchmark data validated against ground measurements across multiple European cities. Based on available project data, specific accuracy figures would need to be requested from the research team.

Is this ready for operational use today?

The project closed in 2017 and noted that its method could be used operationally in the near future when satellite observations with adequate temporal resolution become available. Copernicus Sentinel data quality and revisit times have improved significantly since then, potentially making the method more viable for operational deployment now than when the project ended.

Does this comply with EU climate and energy reporting requirements?

The outputs were designed to support sustainable planning strategies and Earth system climate models. The data products map emissions related to energy consumption at city scale, which aligns with EU urban climate action reporting needs. Specific regulatory compliance would depend on your jurisdiction's requirements.

Consortium

Who built it

The URBANFLUXES consortium of 8 partners across 8 countries is heavily research-oriented: 4 universities and 3 research organizations with just 1 industry partner (12% industry ratio) and 1 SME. This tells a business buyer that the technology is scientifically robust — validated across diverse European urban climates from Greece to Sweden — but has not yet been pulled into commercial products. The coordinator, IDRYMA TECHNOLOGIAS KAI EREVNAS (FORTH) in Greece, is one of Europe's leading research foundations. For a company interested in this technology, the low industry involvement means there may be an opportunity to be an early commercial adopter with less competition, but it also means more work will be needed to turn research outputs into a production-ready service.

IDRYMA TECHNOLOGIAS KAI EREVNASCoordinator · EL
THE UNIVERSITY OF READINGparticipant · UK
UNIVERSITAT BASELparticipant · CH
DEUTSCHES ZENTRUM FUR LUFT - UND RAUMFAHRT EVparticipant · DE
UNIVERSITE PAUL SABATIER TOULOUSE IIIparticipant · FR
GOETEBORGS UNIVERSITETparticipant · SE
STICHTING WAGENINGEN RESEARCHparticipant · NL

How to reach the team

Coordinated by IDRYMA TECHNOLOGIAS KAI EREVNAS (FORTH) in Greece — use Google AI Search to find the project coordinator's contact details

Order a report on this consortium See IDRYMA TECHNOLOGIAS KAI EREVNAS profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to explore how satellite urban heat mapping could support your city planning or energy management work? SciTransfer can connect you with the URBANFLUXES research team and help assess whether this technology fits your needs.

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