Aerial maps: A way to ID heat loss, solar potential

Like the time-lapse photographs that climate-change-watchers have taken of melting ice caps and retreating glaciers, the images of nighttime Britain snapped by aerial mapping company Bluesky have a disturbing beauty.

That’s because the vivid hues and bright contrasts of colour aren’t meaningless, decorative splashes but indicators of how much energy the UK is wasting through heat loss.

With some of the oldest housing stock in Europe, Britain faces a serious challenge in its bid to develop smarter, more energy-efficient cities. Domestic buildings in the UK account for 27 per cent of the nation’s carbon emissions, according to one study. To cut that footprint by even 40 per cent, almost every one of the country’s 24 million buildings would need some kind of refurbishment.

Obviously, the best way to start down that path would be by identifying which structures are the worst of the worst in terms of efficiency. But how?

Bluesky says the answer lies with new thermal imaging technology. It’s been awarded contracts by a number of local authorities in the UK to map heat loss from properties. Officials hope to use the maps to not only improve energy efficiency and reduce carbon emissions but to tackle the problem of fuel poverty as well. (There’s also an unexpected side benefit: thermal images have helped police identify properties used as cannabis factories.)

Bluesky’s technology, the first of its kind to be used in the UK, is “smarter” than previous thermal imaging systems. In addition to a new type of thermal camera, the system features an advanced navigation and positioning system along with improved sensor control. The results are thermal maps that can show heat loss from roofs more precisely than ever before.

The Bassetlaw District Council plans to overlay the Bluesky digital thermal map in its GIS (geographic information system) and combine it with other housing-related intelligence such as SAP energy efficiency ratings and Warm Front heating and insulation programme information. The resulting property-specific details will be used to identify individual buildings and streets at risk of fuel poverty, target council resources efficiently and effectively across a largely rural population and to provide a benchmark for ongoing works.

Bluesky has already completed more than 5,100 square kilometres of thermal surveys across Britain over the past few years, and is on track to add another 2,000 square kilometres to that area.

In addition to finding Britain’s leakiest homes, in terms of heat, aerial surveying also offers another benefit: 3D images taken during the daytime can help identify the solar energy potential of roofs across the country. In this application, too, maps can be linked to address databases and other information sources to locate the buildings that can deliver the best bang for the buck in solar power generation.

“Since launching the first solar maps last spring we have been inundated with enquiries from local authorities, solar panel companies as well as energy and environmental organisations,” said Rachel Tidmarsh, managing director of Bluesky. “Councils are already considering how they can harness this so-far untapped resource with panels on council-owned housing and office buildings and our maps and database will help them identify and target suitable properties efficiently and with high levels of confidence.”