Heat Loss Estimation using UAS Thermal Imagery

Heat Loss Quantification (111,()) is a key step in improving the thermal performance of buildings. Affordable infrared (IR) cameras mounted on an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) make low cost heat loss quantification using IR imaging feasible. This technique also facilitates capturing the heat loss information in hard-to-reach areas using UAVs. In this paper, a series of pre-processing steps such as dominant color isolation (DCI), background elimination and key point identification as part of the heat loss quantification arc discussed. The thermal transmittance (or the U-value) of various buildings at the University of North Dakota, in Grand Forks, ND, are estimated from the images captured by aerial thermal cameras mounted on UAVs.