Sensing global changes in local patterns of energy consumption in cities during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic

《Sensing global changes in local patterns of energy consumption in cities during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic》

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关键字: COVID-19;Urban energy use;Mobility;Night-time light satellite imagery;Cities

作者单位: Geographic Data Science Lab, Department of Geography and Planning, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom;School of Geographical Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom;Geographic Data Science Lab, Department of Geography and Planning, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom;School of Geographical Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom

摘要: COVID-19, and the wider social and economic impacts that a global pandemic entails, 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 (450 m2) 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, moderating 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.