Space age tech helps city find 'leaky' homes
Thermal 'eye in the sky' reveals poorly insulated properties bleeding heat; it's hoped test flight data will better target efforts to cut carbon emissions
A pioneering flight over the city of Leeds, in West Yorkshire, has piloted the use of a sophisticated thermal imaging camera to survey the energy efficiency of homes.
The city council says it's the first time such 'space age' technology has been used in the UK. The data gathered during the flight is intended to help develop plans to make homes “healthier, greener, and cheaper to live in”.
Earlier this year, the specially equipped plane flew over Leeds to seek out heat blooms below. The unique flight's data is said to reveal crucial insights into how much heat is being lost from the city's buildings.
The built environment – homes especially – are a major contributor to England's carbon footprint. The country has some of the oldest – and most poorly insulated – housing stock in Western Europe, “quite possibly the world” according to the UK Green Building Council.
Locally, the Leeds Climate Commission calculates that around a quarter of the city's carbon footprint comes from its housing stock. This is generated by the energy used to heat and power residential buildings.
Poorly insulated roofs, walls, and windows, however, are common ways that properties lose heat.
The flight over Leeds was very much an experiment; intended to both demonstrate the technology and prove the concept.
The aim is to enable local authorities to target their retrofit funding more effectively by identifying where energy efficiency upgrades are needed most. The technology is claimed to provide an “unprecedented level” of detail and scale that allows them to do just that, by identifying the hottest buildings.
Councillor Helen Hayden, executive member for infrastructure and climate, said the project could “transform” the council's understanding of building heat loss at the city level. Potentially, it will unlock additional investment that will cut energy bills as well as tackle climate change.
“It is hugely exciting that Leeds is able to be part of this cutting-edge work,” she added. “Leeds already has a strong track record of delivering energy-saving improvements to thousands of homes in recent years, but we know that plenty more needs to be done. By giving us street-by-street insight about heat loss, this new technology could help us do just that.”
The aerial thermal imaging technique was developed by a London-based company called Satellite Vu, founded in 2016. In its own words, it wants to “fill the void in high resolution thermal data from space”.
Indeed, while the test flight made use of a conventional light aircraft, the company's aspirations for the technology fly a little higher; some 500km higher in fact.
In fact, the company didn't hang about: it has since taken its thermal camera technology into orbit with its first satellite launch (see below).
Natalia Kuniewicz, speaking for Satellite Vu, said the company was “thrilled” by the “successful deployment”, adding that the aerial test flight “represents a significant milestone towards our ultimate goal of mapping heat loss from individual buildings on a global scale”.
The insights from the test flight will help residents “better understand” how well their properties perform when it comes to retaining heat. It's also expected to motivate retrofitting efforts in the private sector.
Beyond this, the council says it will be using the data to help secure more funding for local, area-based retrofit projects, such as the Holbeck Group Repair scheme.
According to the council, this scheme has already upgraded 300 of the city's coldest and oldest homes with a 'whole house' package of upgrades. These include new roofs and external wall insulation to cut energy use by 25-30%.
The data will also help the authority fine tune its Net Zero Homes Plan to decarbonise the city's homes.
Funding for the test flight was provided by net zero charity, MCS Charitable Foundation. The organisation's research and campaigns manager, Dr Richard Hauxwell-Baldwin said the technology was potentially game changing.
“With 29 million homes in the UK urgently needing upgrades to be fit for the future, we need detailed data on building conditions on a massive scale,” he said. “This proof of concept could provide that data for the first time and will be game-changing for investment in whole-street and whole-area retrofitting programmes.”
SatVu takes the leap into space
Successful launch of HOTSAT-1 satellite takes company's vision for thermal imaging out of this world
HOT on the heels of its test flight over Leeds, the company behind the thermal imaging technology has launched its first satellite into orbit.
Named HOTSAT-1, it's the first in a planned 'constellation' of orbital platforms.
It was launched by Elon Musk's SpaceX company from the Vandenburg Space Force Base in California, USA, early in June 2023.
Anthony Baker, SatVu's chief executive and founder, described the launch as an “incredible achievement”.
“Having our first satellite in orbit is a phenomenal moment for us all, opening up a vast range of applications for a more sustainable planet, and we are all so excited about the future and the next stages of our growth,” he added.
The satellite is expected to provide “valuable and unique insight” into economic activity and energy efficiency for a range of industries, helping to better align themselves with global net zero carbon goals. So the theory goes.
A further seven satellites are planned. It's claimed the data gathered by these HOTSAT 'eyes in the sky' will enable industries, organisations, and governments to take urgent and critical action to help mitigate the climate crisis.
SatVu says it has already secured “customer” commitments through its Early Access Option Programme (EAP) valued at over £128 million.
According to the company, its technology will offer both the public and private sector “substantial cost-saving benefits” and “illuminate” their path to energy efficiency.
Satellite data already provides 50% of all climate change monitoring, SatVu adds, so its infrared datasets will offer a “true game changer” in monitoring human activity on the ground, such as assessing heat loss in structures.
HOTSAT-1 was designed and manufactured in partnership with UK company, Surrey Satellite Technologies Limited (SSTL), incorporating SatVu thermal imaging technology.
The camera is said to be groundbreaking, with a 3.5m resolution, mid-wave infrared video imaging system that maintains a sensitivity of less than 2C.
Speaking after the launch, SSTL's managing director, Phil Brownnett said: “This is a very exciting mission for SSTL and we are delighted our in-orbit commissioning team have successfully made first contact with HOTSAT-1.”
He added: “Many busy days are ahead of us. But the satellite has a compelling and innovative imaging capability and SatVu are now one significant step closer to being able to deliver this long-awaited data to their customers.”
The satellite was created with the assistance of funding from the UK Space Agency. It's chief heralded the launch as a “milestone”.
“Space already plays a vital role in enabling us to understand and mitigate the risks of climate change,” said Dr Paul Bate. “Satellite Vu’s HOTSAT-1 is a milestone moment for the evolution of Earth observation technology and the benefits it can bring us.”
MC