URBAN CLIMATE - Thermographic survey of urban areas to identify heat losses and thereby increase energy efficiency

GeoFly GmbH is able to record and analyse large areas in cities with the help of airborne thermography. The result of our thermographic measurements is a heat emission map. With the help of this overview, possible sources of disturbance and problem areas can be identified quickly and effectively and dealt with in a targeted manner.

The urban climate is the climate modified by the interaction with the built environment and its effects (including waste heat and emission of air pollutants) (definition according to WMO, 1981).

The best-known phenomena of the urban climate are urban heat islands, high temperature differences within built-up areas and their surrounding areas!

The growth of cities leads to changes in wind conditions, air-hygienic situations and the ventilation ratio of a city. In combination with meteorological and air-hygienic measurement data, thermal infrared aerial photography offers the most important basis for a climatic actual situation due to the area-wide representation of surface radiation temperatures. Aerial surveys of the urban climate should include at least two temporally staggered recording situations (e.g. evening and morning recordings). This results in classified thermal maps of the surface temperature behaviour, which prove a close relation between the overheating and cold air areas in the urban microclimate.

We produce our thermal map during a thermal flight. A thermal imaging camera is used to capture a thermal image of the earth's surface. This area-wide recording provides the exact temperature information of all objects in the respective image area. In order to ultimately achieve a clear allocation of the thermographic measurement, the results are put in relation to the building ground plans. A unique heat loss class is identified for each building, which gives the heat emission map its final significance.

Based on the data obtained, it is possible to identify the largest energy losses, rank them and initiate measures according to urgency to reduce sources of heat loss. Thus, they are not only able to reduce energy costs, but also to process projects according to their necessity.

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