Application of an innovative method (aerial infrared thermography) for the energetic evaluation of existing buildings

Kurzfassung

The building sector's high share of energy consumption for heating is a global concern, as it contributes significantly to greenhouse gas emissions. Poorly insulated building envelopes are the primary cause of energy loss, and it is challenging to measure a building's energy performance on a large scale to identify weak points and possible renovation options. Traditional methods like the heat flux meter (HFM) require long measurement times and large manpower, making them impractical for large-scale use. Therefore, this master thesis deals with using non-contact drone-based infrared thermography to evaluate the energy performance of buildings on a large scale. The method offers the potential for a fast, large-scale, and automatable inventory that can contribute to resource-efficient modernization of the building stock. This thesis presents the principle of drone-based dynamic quantitative infrared thermography and its practical application on an exemplary building complex. The methodology involves generating a time series of surface temperature for each building surface based on several measurement flights during one night. The presented research applies the technology to calculate U-values and compare them to reference values acquired through conventional heat flux plate measurements. An important aspect of the thesis is the reduction of errors in the infrared camera measurement. The potential of a reference blackbody camera correction approach to solve the problem is investigated. The findings of the study demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method in identifying weak points and possible renovation options as well as accuracy issues. All in all, the thesis presents the development status of the proposed method and its potential for further development.