Using data from the European Space Agency (ESA) on 200 historic wooden houses in Riga, Latvian space technology start-up NRG Solutions, in cooperation with Rīgas namu pārvaldnieks, will develop a solution to monitor the structural condition of buildings from space.
The ESA-supported project “Assessment of Subsurface Anomalies’ Structural Impact on Riga’s Historic Wooden Buildings” aims to create a tool that building owners and managers will be able to use in the future to easily monitor the condition of their properties and respond promptly if unwanted changes begin to occur. This issue is particularly relevant for Riga’s wooden architecture – due to underground cavities and soil irregularities, many of these buildings are sinking and deforming, which is why they were selected for research.
Risk Levels to Be Determined
To monitor the historic buildings, NRG Solutions will use Earth observation technologies, “Sentinel” satellites, high-resolution imagery, and environmental data. Rīgas namu pārvaldnieks will provide information on 200 wooden houses and their underground communications, as well as test the algorithms and prototypes developed during the project.
The project, scheduled for completion by October 2026, will also deliver a subsidence risk map integrated into the “GeoHub” platform, developed by Latvian company Baltic Satellite Service. Each building will be assigned a low, medium, or high risk level.
Satellite Data as a Tool for Property Valuation
As previously reported by Labs of Latvia, the space technology start-up NRG Solutions is developing a solution that utilises satellite data to streamline the manual process of real estate risk assessment on Earth. Unlike traditional methods, which primarily rely on on-site inspections and subjective evaluations, the start-up offers a scalable, data-driven alternative that improves both the efficiency of property assessment and the decision-making process. The team hopes this solution will become an integral part of property valuation practices.
"Our goal is to transform complex Earth observation datasets into practical value for real estate professionals. Our solution will make it possible to efficiently monitor and assess property risk factors remotely, significantly easing the work of industry players managing large property portfolios," said Linda Sēle, CEO of NRG Solutions.
The company began its work in the second half of 2024. NRG Solutions is the first Latvian company to join the ESA Business Incubation Centre Latvia (ESA BIC Latvia) support programme.
