E.ON uses drones as ‘Google Maps of thermal efficiency’
Coventry in West Midlands, England. Image courtesy 123rf
E.ON and the Coventry City Council in the UK are using their strategic energy partnership to collaborate with the technology startup Kestrix to obtain large-scale data on thermal efficiency, particularly heat losses, and thereby improve energy efficiency on a large scale.
The so-called ‘Google Maps of Thermal Efficiency’ is based on drones equipped with thermal imaging cameras and innovative 3D heat loss modelling.
The drones scan houses from a bird’s eye view at a distance of about 50 meters and can accurately quantify how and where heat escapes from buildings. This examination takes only a few minutes.
Compared to the traditional model of house visits, which can take several hours, this means significant savings in time and costs. The new solution also provides a much clearer picture of how much it costs to heat a house and how heat losses can be remedied. Energy efficiency measures can thus be optimally targeted at those households with the greatest heat loss. The 3D heat loss models show improvement potential on a large scale, and machine learning algorithms provide insights into which improvements are best and most cost-effective.
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Mark Ritzmann, CEO of E.ON Group Innovation, said in a release: “The pilot project with Kestrix is another example of how we are using our global innovation ecosystem and partnerships with innovative startups to accelerate the energy transition. Kestrix’s innovative technology for detecting heat losses addresses an acute problem in implementing the heat transition and leads to both lower costs for property owners and a reduction in CO2 emissions.”
The first drone flights are expected to start in the coming weeks.
Once the flight data is available, the project team will process and evaluate it and contact local residents to show them options for improving energy efficiency. Part of the consultation may also include financing options for the necessary measures.
The collaboration between E.ON and Kestrix emerged from the Free Electrons Open Innovation Program, where E.ON and other leading global utilities, along with promising startups, jointly develop innovative solutions for the new energy world.
As a finalist of Free Electrons 2024, Kestrix was integrated into the organisation by E.ON Group Innovation and is now being used in its first application together with E.ON UK in the Coventry project.
Through Free Electrons, E.ON Group Innovation has launched a series of pilot projects across Europe, with Kestrix being the latest.
