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Infrared GuIdebook for buIldInG applIcatIons
An Informative Guide for the Use of Infrared in the Building Industry

Content
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. the Infrared camera and how it Works Infrared thermography for the building Industry building physics the best solution for You How to carry out a thermographic Inspection standards application stories from the field flIr Ircamera range for the building Industry

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This booklet is produced in close cooperation with the Infrared Training Centre (ITC). SPECIFICATIONS ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE © Copyright 2009, FLIR Systems AB. All other brand and product names are trademarks of their respective owners.

Introduction
Since the 1970s we have become increasingly conscious thatenergy resources are precious and limited. The building sector accounts for 40% of the EU’s energy requirements and offers the largest single potential for energy efficiency. Due to the huge potential the European commission has formed a directive for energy performance regulation of buildings – on which many national laws are already based. Thousands of European businesses are already affectedwhile the Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) has become mandatory in many countries in EU for new buildings and large building refurbishments. This, together with recent economic stimulus packages in many countries, is likely to drive the demand for Air tightness testing and other methods for investigation energy efficiency. In a longer perspective we are likely to see harsher EU directives forenergy savings in buildings exemplified by present discussions about Passive House technology to become standard within the EU. This will have great impact on many professionals working in the building sector.

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The use of an infrared camera alone or in combination with other methods, for instance “Blower Door” speeds up the work , considerably. Infrared pinpoints exactly where the energylosses are – without the use of any destructive testing. Thermography is the unique tool to map the energy loss from a building. The method is quick and the IR images along with the IR reports which the camera produces are a precise and convincing argumentation. This booklet is an in-depth guide for inspections in buildings with thermography. There are many details to pay attention to when carryingout an infrared inspection. As well as knowing how the infrared camera works and how to take images, it is important to know the physics around a building, and how it is constructed. All of this has to be taken into consideration to understand, interpret and judge infrared images correctly. All principles, concepts and use of systems for analysis of building applications cannot be covered in thisguidebook; however there are training courses with ITC (Infrared Training Centre) specifically designed for building applications. The guidebook will present • • • • • Infrared applications within the building sector How the infrared camera works and what to consider when purchasing a camera What to consider when taking images Software for creating professional reports Customer applicationstories from the field

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1. The Infrared Camera and how it Works
An infrared camera does not see temperatures, it records the intensity of radiation in the infrared area. This is radiation which is not visible to the human eye. The camera converts infrared radiation to a visible image. The images are presented in a grayscale or with different pallets to make it easier to look at.While the human eye can see radiation in the electromagnetic spectrum within 0,4 - 0,7 µm, the infrared area goes from 0,9 - 14 µm. The cameras used for building inspection work within the area 8 - 14 µm. There is a context between electromagnetic radiation and temperature. That is given in the Stephan-Boltzmann’s law:

W = σ · T4
W = Intensity of radiation σ = Stephan-Boltzmann’s constant =...