Higher level surveys of Borough or Council areas.
  These are usually flown at 2,000 feet which gives a good balance between resolution and flying time (and therefore cost). These surveys are often carried out in conjunction with a public energy awareness campaign and seminar where members of the public can view a thermal image of their property.  This type of activity not only provides the council engineers with useful engineering data but is a very cost effective vehicle for promoting energy efficiency among the population and meeting obligations under the Home Energy Conservation Act.

The "Home Energy Conservation Act" came into being on the 1st April 1996 in England & Northern Ireland with Wales & Scotland following a year later. Every UK Local Authority must aim for a 30% increase in domestic energy efficiency by 2006. This is allied with the 'Local Agenda for the 21st Century' (LA21) initiative since improved energy efficiency will reduce carbon dioxide emissions - a major cause of global warming. HECA places various obligations on the local authority, one of which is to assess the current condition of all housing stock within their area, not an easy task bearing in mind that this includes privately owned dwellings in addition to public housing. An aerial thermographic survey can provide qualitative results and is a highly visual medium for promoting the Energy Efficiency message.

HECA

• Acts as a focal point for HECA/LA21 activity
• Provides valuable supplementary data set to assist in meeting HECA obligations
• Provides high profile evidence of HECA action

Environmental & Engineering Data

• Provides data on operation of district heating systems
• Provides input to environmental issues
  • Water course discharge
  • Landfill
  • Bio-hazard
  • Geological features
• As a rectified GIS layer, can cross correlate to other spatial datasets such as:
  • Coronary disease
  • Crime rates
  • HEES uptake
  • Fuel poverty
  • Social indices
    
    

Energy Management

• Provides a cost effective tool for management of LA housing stock
• Thermal dataset enables effective prioritisation of existing refurbishment budgets for LA housing stock
• Provides data on LA non-domestic stock, Town Hall, Libraries etc. coupled with serendipitous energy savings
• Used to provide a 'broadbrush' energy plan of the Borough for use across all LA departments, not just Housing or Energy
• Aids energy awareness within public & LA staff
• High profile focal point for existing LA energy efficiency advice

Political & Strategic

• Data can be used in support of EU/Central funding applications
• Positive PR profile
• Ensure LA is perceived as being at the forefront of energy conservation issues
• Can be used as focal point of energy efficiency campaigns to both domestic & business sectors
• Can be used in conjunction with public exhibitions to disseminate the data and stimulate interest in energy efficiency
• Multiple surveys provide traceability and aid trend analysis
• Can be linked to educational projects

 

 

 

Exhibition Support. Thermal Survey staff have a wealth of experience in helping clients promulgate survey results to a variety of audiences, from technical specialists to the general public. We're sure to be able to help and some of these services are free or included within certain survey schemes.

 

 

GIS Integration. Many large sites & local authorities now reference in-house data to a geographical reference 'layer', such as Ordnance Survey digital mapping. Following an aerial thermographic survey, Thermal Survey can rectify, reference & mosaic the survey imagery to form a raster layer for importation into a client GIS system.

 

Conventional Airphoto. If you need high resolution photographic imagery, please contact us - we're bound to know someone who can help you.

 

 

 

Environmental. A thermographic survey can be used to detect a number of environmental conditions. Discharge into watercourses is readily visible as is oil spillage. Anomalous thermal signatures from waste ground have been used to guide survey teams prior to decontamination for residential use. The heat from underground or forest 'holdover' fires is also easily detected. Leakage from rural water trunk mains has assumed greater significance with the water shortages of recent years; again, thermal anomalies along the pipe course can indicate a leakage condition. Aerial thermal imaging is also an ideal technique for counting or assessing large animal populations from a distance to avoid disturbance.    Thermal Imaging is a tried & trusted technique to detect oil spillage virtually round the clock and, just as importantly, to identify the more densely fouled areas and aid in the cleanup co-ordination. Sight Unseen can provide a range of services to assist your pollution control activities

• Ad Hoc Incident Response
• Consultancy (Turnkey if required)
• Staff training
• Analysis of third party data

Water Leakage from UK trunk mains is both a practical & political problem given the water shortages of recent years. A thermal imaging survey, carried out under precise meteorological & operational conditions can be used to detect the faint thermal anomalies caused by leakage. This technique is equally valuable for pipelines carrying other substances. Additional details of our pipeline survey services may be found here

 

Links.

Leeds Councils HECA page.
A good explanation of the act and the councils energy efficiency activities.
Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. Energy Efficiency site.
Government advice and guide to legislation.
LA21/Energy advisory service.
Information regarding Local Agenda 21.
Government global warming introduction.
A site designed for use by schools.
Centre for Alternative Technology.
Information on alternative and renewable technologies and energy conservation.
Energy Saving Trust.
Energy efficiency advise for domestic and small/medium enterprises.
Energy Action Grants Agency.
Information regarding government grants scheme for energy efficiency.

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