Climate Information in Action: Advancing Renewable Energy Services Through Streaming Climate Simulations

Amid climate change, credible, reliable climate information specifically tailored to the energy sector is essential for the advancement of the future low-carbon economy. Additionally, regional climate information available at a global scale is crucial for making informed decisions on several aspects of renewable energy planning. From the identification of new locations for the installation of renewable power plants to their future operation, assessing the state of future climate is of ever-growing importance. With the global rise in renewable energy adoption, energy security is increasingly tied to shifts in atmospheric and climatic conditions. We present a tool developed in the frame of the Destination Earth initiative, designed to deliver tailored climate information in streaming mode, synchronously with the production of high-resolution climate model outputs, and enable the provision of timely climate information. 

The current version of our Python-based tool, "Energy Indicators", provides essential metrics for the wind energy sector at an unprecedented 5 km horizontal resolution. These include hourly to decadal wind speed statistics, capacity factors for various turbine types, and demand metrics such as heating and cooling degree days.

This development marks a major step forward in operationalising climate projections, enabling the timely delivery of actionable insights through the Climate Adaptation Digital Twin as part of Destination Earth.