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Thermal Drone Surveys
Thermal imagery from drones, verified and interpreted by engineers, so every finding is tied to a cause, an energy effect and a cost. Whole buildings mapped in hours, with no scaffolding or lifts.
Find hidden heat loss fast
Thermal drone surveys identify exactly where heat is escaping, in roofs, façades and plant rooms, before it costs you thousands more.
Visual inspection shows only what is on the surface. Thermal analysis shows the temperature differences that expose what is hidden beneath: energy leakage, trapped moisture, thermal bridging and early-stage material degradation, across an entire building, quickly and safely.
See what the eye cannot
Illustrative image. Thermal imaging shows temperature differences the eye cannot see, such as heat escaping around plant and along roof edges.
Every finding, in kWh, CO₂ and £
Where others see only colour gradients, engineers quantify real energy flow. Each degree of temperature difference represents energy that can be saved, optimised or recovered, so owners get a verified link between a building’s condition and its performance.
Illustrative thermal image of a façade.
What a thermal survey can find
The range of findings depends on construction type, materials, exposure and maintenance history. These are the areas surveys most often cover.
Roofs and drainage
- Moisture trapped under the roof membrane
- Wet or compressed insulation
- Ponding water and blocked drains
- Poor seams, seals and detailing at parapets
Façades and walls
- Thermal bridges at floor slabs and columns
- Moisture behind cladding, render or brick
- Air leakage around penetrations and joints
- Loose cladding and fixings that are a fall risk
Windows, glazing and doors
- Heat leakage at frame-to-wall junctions
- Failed glazing units and aged seals
- Air loss around entrances and automatic doors
- Heat loss through curtain walling
Balconies, terraces and parapets
- Water infiltration under tiles or membranes
- Thermal bridges at the balcony-to-wall junction
- Missing flashings at parapet transitions
Insulation, air leakage and plant
- Heat leakage around HVAC and vent openings
- Air leakage at eaves and roof-to-wall junctions
- Insulation voids behind panels
Solar PV and rooftop equipment
- Hotspots and cracked modules
- Inverter overheating
- Uneven temperatures that signal lost output
How a survey works
Capture
Battery-powered drones map the whole building in hours, with thermal and visual imagery and no lifts, scaffolding or site access.
Interpret
Engineers verify and contextualise every finding. Software supports precision, but people decide what the data means.
Deliver
A clear report links each finding to its technical cause, its energy consequence and its financial impact.
What your report contains
The value is in the report, not the flight. Each deviation is written up so that you, your contractors and your insurers can act on it.
- Thermal and visual evidence for every finding
- A description of the issue and its most likely cause
- Recommended action
- A recommended priority level, from 1 (monitor over time) to 3 (imminent functional failure)
- Estimated energy loss per year in kWh and CO₂
- Any risk to life, health or third-party safety highlighted separately
For roof surveys, findings are assessed against BS 6229 for flat roof performance and BS EN ISO 6781-1 for thermographic detection. Flights are carried out by qualified pilots under CAA Operational Authorisation.
A survey is a snapshot in time. Findings are indications to investigate further, and the report is a decision-support tool to use alongside your maintenance plan.
Portfolio roof surveys: no find, no fee
For estates with many buildings, we can arrange a free flight and pre-analysis of every roof in the portfolio. You see which roofs are clean and which have documentable defects, then order a full report only where it is worth it. Roofs where nothing is found cost you nothing.
- Free flight of the whole portfolio, thermal and visual
- Free pre-analysis and status overview: clean roofs against roofs with defects
- Reports ordered roof by roof, at your timing, with a fixed price per building
- The report is yours to use with contractors, insurers and owners
Ask us for the current terms and pricing when you get your free report.
Why it pays
These are typical figures from our survey partner, not guarantees. Your own results depend on the building.
- Up to 70% lower inspection cost than manual or scaffold-access methods
- Under 1 kg of CO₂ per inspection, against 40 to 60 kg for a traditional project
- 1,000 to 100,000 kWh a year of hidden energy loss detectable in a building
- Targeted maintenance, so you repair what matters instead of guessing
Who it suits
- Hotels and leisure properties
- Commercial, retail and offices
- Schools, hospitals and public buildings
- Residential and social housing
- Industrial halls, logistics centres and warehouses
- Solar farms, rooftop PV and wind turbines
What a client says
Devon Jubilee Aparthotel, Leeds. “The Jubilee combines both old and new structures, so an innovative approach was needed to avoid the need for reactive maintenance over time. Conducting a drone inspection gave us real peace of mind.”
How it fits with the rest of our work
Thermal surveys sit alongside our commercial energy audit, which looks at where energy is being wasted inside the building. Start with the free Cost & Energy Waste Report and we will tell you which is the right first step.
Common questions
Do you need access to the roof or scaffolding?
No. Battery-powered drones map the whole building from the air, so there are no lifts, scaffolding or site access to arrange.
Is it safe and legal to fly?
Yes. Flights are carried out by qualified pilots under CAA Operational Authorisation.
Does a survey guarantee what is wrong with the building?
No. A survey is a snapshot in time and its findings are indications. They tell you where to investigate further and what to prioritise, alongside your maintenance plan.
How is this different from software that just counts anomalies?
Engineers verify every finding and tie it to a cause, an energy effect and a cost, so you get relevance, not volume. A clean report is as valuable as one full of findings.
What do I pay for on a portfolio survey?
The flight and pre-analysis are free. You pay a fixed price per building only for the reports you choose to order, on roofs where documentable defects are found.
Who owns the report?
You do, once it is paid for. You can use it freely with contractors, insurers and owners.
Ready to find your opportunity?
Get a free, no-obligation Cost & Energy Waste Report, or speak to Jonathan to discuss your building(s) and goals.
Independent, vendor-agnostic energy waste reduction for hotels, commercial buildings and multi-site operators.
Results shown on this site are delivered by our technology partners’ solutions.
Services
- Hotel Energy Management
- Care Home Energy Management
- Student Accommodation
- Commercial Landlords
- Hospitality & Pubs
- ESOS Compliance
- Commercial Energy Audit
- Energy Monitoring
- Energy Procurement
- Solar Control Window Film
- Controls and Building Efficiency
- LED Lighting as a Service
- Thermal Drone Surveys
- Beer Line Waste Reduction
- ISO 14001 and 50001
- Green Key Certification
Resources
Contact
Evolution NetZero Limited
The Stables
Blandford
Dorset DT11 8SU