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Large scale drone scans could be the ‘Google Maps of thermal efficiency’
19/2/2025
News
Electricity utility E.ON, Coventry City Council and technology startup Kestrix are using thermal camera drones and 3D heat loss modelling to collect data on housing energy efficiency and heat losses. The so-called ‘Google Maps of thermal efficiency’ aim to improve energy efficiency at the municipal level and help meet UK climate targets.
The drones scan houses from a bird’s eye view at a distance of about 50 metres, quantifying within just a few minutes how much heat escapes the buildings, and from where. The traditional model of house visits can take several hours. Compared to them, drone scans provide significant savings in time and costs, explain the project partners. They say the new solution also provides a much clearer picture of how much it costs to heat a house and how heat losses can be remedied. This means energy efficiency measures can be ‘optimally targeted at those households with the greatest heat loss’.
The 3D heat loss models show improvement potential on a large scale, and machine learning algorithms provide insights into which improvements are best and most cost-effective, say the project partners.
The first drone flights are expected to start in the coming weeks. Once the flight data is available, the project team will process and evaluate it and contact local residents to show them options for improving energy efficiency. Part of the consultation may also include financing options for the necessary measures.
