Sensing Global Changes in the Local Patterns of Energy Consumption in Cities During the Early Stages of the COVID-19 Pandemic



Rowe, Francisco ORCID: 0000-0003-4137-0246, Robinson, Caitlin and Patias, Nikos
(2021) Sensing Global Changes in the Local Patterns of Energy Consumption in Cities During the Early Stages of the COVID-19 Pandemic. [Preprint]

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Abstract

<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title> <jats:p>COVID-19, and the wider social and economic impacts that a global pandemic entails, have led to unprecedented reductions in energy consumption globally. Whilst estimates of changes in energy consumption have emerged at the national scale, detailed sub-regional estimates to allow for global comparisons are less developed. Using night-time light satellite imagery from December 2019-June 2020 across 50 of the world’s largest urban conurbations, we provide high resolution estimates (450m<jats:sup>2</jats:sup>) of spatio-temporal changes in urban energy consumption in response to COVID-19. Contextualising this imagery with modelling based on indicators of mobility, stringency of government response, and COVID-19 rates, we provide novel insights into the potential drivers of changes in urban energy consumption during a global pandemic. Our results highlight the diversity of changes in energy consumption between and within cities in response to COVID-19, somewhat refuting dominant narratives of a shift in energy demand away from dense urban areas. Further modelling highlights how the stringency of the government’s response to COVID-19 is likely a defining factor in shaping resultant reductions in urban energy consumption.</jats:p>

Item Type: Preprint
Uncontrolled Keywords: 7 Affordable and Clean Energy
Divisions: Faculty of Science and Engineering > School of Environmental Sciences
Depositing User: Symplectic Admin
Date Deposited: 08 Sep 2021 09:25
Last Modified: 15 Mar 2024 12:52
DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-846222/v1
Related URLs:
URI: https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/3136353