File:Iceland’s successful shift towards sustainable energy.jpg

English: Iceland is often called “the land of fire and ice”. It is this mixture of geology and northerly location that gives the country its extensive access to renewable energy. The island lies on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates, a very active volcanic zone that powers its geothermal systems. Glaciers cover eleven per cent of the country’s surface. Seasonal melt feeds glacial rivers, which run from mountains towards the sea, contributing to Iceland’s hydropower resources. Geothermal heat, in particular, is significant in most parts of the country, and in many places, hot water from just below the surface is used to heat homes and for energy production. These conditions have allowed Iceland to successfully move away from fossil fuels and shift to achieving 100% electricity production from renewable sources. This image, acquired by one of the two satellites of the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission, shows the southwestern side of Iceland, providing a wide view of the capital city Reykjavik, the Reykjanes Peninsula and zooming at the same time on the location of the Hellisheidi Power Plant, that is Iceland’s largest geothermal plant and the world’s third-largest. Copernicus, in addition to the provision of satellite images via Sentinel satellites, also includes provides services in six thematic areas: Land Monitoring, Emergency Management, Climate Change, Marine Monitoring, Atmosphere Monitoring and Security. Among the many products delivered, the Copernicus Climate Service supports the energy sector by providing information related to weather (wind, solar and hydro) and energy (capacity factors, demand, volatility) forecasts at a regional and national level in Europe.