KC-19-C039 -- Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Application in Building Envelope Thermal Energy Assessment in Saudi Arabia

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) are a potential multipurpose aerial mapping solution that will drastically change conventional practices in the areas of building envelope integrity inspection and thermal efficiency profiling. UAVs with onboard thermal infrared cameras and sensors were used to autonomously map and generate 3D building thermal energy profiles for the walls, roofs and fenestration of one multi-story office building and one single-detached home, both located in the city of Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. A comprehensive thermal energy efficiency assessment was conducted where energy leaks, hot spots, and thermal bridging data were collected and analyzed. This paper presents the results of the techno-economic evaluation performed in comparison to conventional thermal imaging methods. Results show that under certain project conditions in terms of type, size, schedule, cost and local regulations, UAV technology can offer a viable option for building envelop thermal energy assessments.