Open access to data is one of the key principles of Copernicus. The vast amount of information gathered by satellite and ground-based systems is provided freely and openly to all Copernicus users so that the data can be made use of in a wide range of applications that benefit citizens. In order to make the collected observations readily available to end users, the data must first be processed by supercomputers and stored in an easily accessibly way.

The large quantity of data made available through Copernicus is highly beneficial to a variety of services, the public and also the private sector. Many businesses and technological innovations are increasingly responding to environmental issues and the urgent need for sustainability leading to enterprises capitalising on available atmospheric data products for research, development and innovation,

An example of such a business is SolarAnywhere. SolarAnywhere provides a solar prediction tool which utilises a combination of satellite imagery and solar installation data to model energy production and help find the best locations for solar energy generation. It is used by the world’s leading solar energy developers and independent engineering firms.

Featured Educators

• Dr Vincent Henri Peuch

• Dr Mark Parrington

• Antonio Mariano

Optional Mini Task

Visit this World Energy Council page to use the Energy Trilemma Index tool

The World Energy Council’s Energy Trilemma Index tool, produced in partnership with Oliver Wyman, ranks countries on their ability to provide sustainable energy through 3 dimensions: Energy security, Energy equity (accessibility and affordability), Environmental sustainability. The ranking measures overall performance in achieving a sustainable mix of policies and the balance score highlights how well a country manages the trade-offs of the Trilemma with “A” being the best. Use this interactive Index to assess the sustainability of national energy policies.

Don’t forget you can download the video, transcript and take any quizzes available with the links on the right.