2021 saw the start of a fruitful collaboration between ESA (the European Space Agency), a leading organization in the space sector, and Enel Global Trading with the goal of using space technologies to estimate the amount of water contained in snow (Snow Water Equivalent - SWE) and the depth of snow (Snow Depth - SD).
Energy production from water sources at Enel Group power plants is significantly affected by the natural variability of water availability; in order to better manage production, it is therefore necessary to have data not only on rainfall, but also on the quantity of water contained in the snowpack (SWE). Especially during spring, when the snow melts, estimates of river inflows serve to optimize the management of water release in dams by knowing the levels in advance. However, retrieving SD and SWE data in mountainous regions by traditional methods – such as in-situ measurements or expensive LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) overflights – is limited in scope and can be time-consuming to perform. Being able to combine, or completely replace, these measurements with precise satellite observations and accurate meteorological models can be a major step toward the full efficiency of renewable generation.
In July 2021, together with ESA and the SnowPower consortium, led by the German company EOMAP, a solution combining advanced Earth observation data from the Sentinel-1 satellite and weather forecast models was unveiled in order to cover larger geographic areas in greater detail, more efficiently and at lower cost than before. This innovative project is currently focused on the entire Italian Alps and Apennines, with the prospect of using it in other areas of the world where Enel operates hydroelectric power plants.