Bluesky thermal maps highlight heat loss from homes and businesses

A night time thermal imaging project is helping the UK’s Shropshire Council improve energy efficiency and affordable warmth levels for residents and businesses across the county. Undertaken by aerial mapping company, Bluesky, and funded by the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC), the thermal survey used specialist sensors to accurately record heat loss measurements from buildings at night. The resulting colour coded heat loss maps are being made available online, via the council’s website, for residents and business owners to check the performance of their homes and business premises.

Malcolm Price, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member responsible for housing, said: “Aerial thermal imaging provides a unique opportunity to collect up to date and accurate measurements for every property within the target zone. The data allows us and our partners to identify specific properties at risk of fuel poverty, and better focus our resources and advice to vulnerable households.

“The easy to use colour coded maps are also an effective engagement tool in the promotion of energy efficiency and affordable warmth projects. Links to further energy efficiency advice, guidance and the availability of financial assistance will also be made available through our website.”


Thermal surveys, such as the one commissioned by Shropshire Council, are carried out during the winter months, in the early evening and after sunset, to capture the widest variations in temperature that can occur as a result of poor insulation or excessive energy consumption. Bluesky uses a ‘microbolometer’ thermal camera specifically designed for airborne surveying and ideal for use in aircraft flying at night. It allows measurements of heat loss from property roofs to be recorded with higher precision and more consistent results than other systems currently in use in the UK.

The resulting data was delivered to the council ready for use in their Geographic Information System and online mapping portal. By combining the Bluesky data with other sources of intelligence, such as demographic profiles, housing stock surveys and benefits claims, the council hopes to be able to better focus resources and advice to vulnerable and at risk households.

Shropshire thermal maps are also available athttp://www.shropshire.gov.uk/private-sector-housing/aerial-thermal-survey-for-shropshire/, where householders can check the performance of their own property and even compare this with similar properties nearby. Households highlighted as having excessive heat loss – shown as yellow in the map window – can then access further advice and guidance from the council’s Keep Shropshire Warm webpage ( https://www.shropshire.gov.uk/private-sector-housing/owner-occupied-housing/keep-shropshire-warm-energy-saving-advice/) where they can apply for various types of financial assistance to help them improve their property’s energy efficiency and affordable warmth.

Contacts:
Bluesky
tel +44 (0)1530 518 518
www.bluesky-world.com

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Bluesky Achieves Irish Aerial Survey Milestone

Aerial mapping company Bluesky is celebrating a successful 2015 flying season in Ireland. Having captured nearly 10,000 square kilometres of high resolution aerial photography, Bluesky is well on the way to achieving its ambitious plans to capture high resolution aerial photography for the whole of Ireland. Bluesky is also pleased to announce the early take up of its ground breaking Irish datasets, with sales of aerial photography and detailed LiDAR height models to early adopters including Local Government organisations, Central Government departments and commercial businesses.

“We are extremely pleased with the amount of high quality imagery and data we have been able to capture, in spite of the challenging weather conditions we have experienced this flying season,” commented Rachel Tidmarsh, Managing Director of Bluesky. “The interest in this new data from both public and private sector organisations has also been immensely encouraging, and we are already delivering high quality data products to end users.”

Bluesky originally announced its plans to capture high resolution, leaf on, aerial photography and colour infrared imagery for the whole of The Republic of Ireland in 2014, and began flying as planned during the Spring of 2015. Bluesky has already committed to a three year update cycle for core data products, and will recommence flying in early spring of 2016 as soon as weather conditions allow.

Products from the Bluesky 2015 Irish flying season include 25 cm and 20 cm resolution coverage for nearly 10,000 square kilometres, including the county of Waterford, and higher resolution, 12.5 cm and 10 cm, data for urban areas including Sligo, Limerick, New Ross, Enniscorthy, Gorey and Wexford.

In addition to the aerial photography and CIR imagery already captured, national Digital Terrain Models (DTM) at 2m resolution and Digital Surface Models (DSM) at 25cm, 12.5cm and 10cm resolutions, are being created. The first datasets, available in a variety of GIS ready formats, are already being delivered to clients and will soon be available online at Bluesky’s Mapshop (www.blueskymapshop.com).

Bluesky’s team is expert in the capture of remotely sensed data and the production of innovative geographic data products. Bluesky’s work includes providing a technical lead in a European Commission funded project into a web based renewable energy rating platform, the laser mapping of overhead power line networks, new technology for air quality mapping, night time thermal surveying and the creation of the National Tree Map (NTM).

Contacts:
Bluesky
tel +44 (0)1530 518 518

www.bluesky-world.com

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Bluesky Aerial Laser Survey set to Reveal Hidden Iron-Age Archaeology

High tech aerial laser surveying technology is being employed to reveal the hidden archaeology of an Iron-Age hill settlement in Lancashire, England. Visually, the archaeological features are very difficult to see, but the Bluesky laser survey, commissioned by the Morecambe Bay Partnership, is expected to reveal previously undiscovered details of the settlement at Warton Crag. Identified as an important ‘Heritage at Risk’ site, the site has already been subject to low level archaeological investigations, which have identified remains from a small, well defended hill fort.

“It is imperative that we get a better definition of the archaeological remains that are currently ‘hidden’ by the dense vegetation cover,” commented Louise Martin, H2H Cultural Heritage Officer at the Morecambe Bay Partnership. “This will enable us to develop conservation strategies for the site and work towards reducing the risk to the archaeological remains. The site is currently on Historic England’s ‘at risk’ register, so this work is crucial in developing partnerships and strategies to protect the monument for future generations.”

Morecambe Bay Partnership commissioned the Bluesky laser survey as part of the Heritage Lottery Funded Headlands to Headspace initiative, which is designed to improve the understanding of Morecambe Bay’s natural and cultural heritage and help conserve that heritage for future generations. The Bluesky LiDAR system uses lasers to accurately measure the earth’s terrain and record features on the ground in 3D. The dedicated survey plane is also equipped with aerial photography equipment, and will fly over the site during the winter months when the tree and canopy cover is at its minimum.

“Working with Bluesky, utilising their state of the art LiDAR system and proven experience in this field, we hope to reveal previously undiscovered details,” added Martin. “The laser equipment provides a fast and cost effective method of capturing highly accurate measurements of the entire site and its surroundings with minimum impact on a nationally important wildlife conservation site, a Site of Special Scientific Interest, in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.”

Bluesky will process the millions of individual laser measurements to create detailed 3D computer models of the earth’s relief – a Digital Terrain Model (DTM) and ground surface including buildings and vegetation – a Digital Surface Model (DSM). The 25cm resolution models created by Bluesky are compatible with all leading Computer Aided Design (CAD) packages and Geographic Information Systems (GIS), allowing Morecambe Bay Partnership to understand the 3D data in the context of existing mapping, model different scenarios and strategies and share information with project partners.

Contacts:

Bluesky, +44 (0)1530 518 518

www.bluesky-world.com

www.morecambebay.org.uk

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Bluesky Maps Solar Potential of 100,000 Properties

Working with resource efficiency company Sustain, Bluesky has mapped around 100,000 Housing Association properties across the UK, measuring their potential for energy generation from solar panels.

Using a combination of high resolution aerial photography and detailed 3D models, Bluesky can accurately predict the potential for solar energy generation for individual houses based on a number of factors, including roof size and aspect as well as possible interference from neighbouring properties or trees. Sustain uses this information to prepare detailed reports for its Housing Association clients containing cost benefit analysis and, more recently, highlighting potential impact on fuel poverty avoidance.

“By using Bluesky’s solar potential maps, we can assess more properties across wider areas than would otherwise be possible,” commented Matthew Landick, Associate at Sustain. “We can then use this information to identify potential PV installation programmes based on geography, cost, and benefit to the Housing Association or even the resident. In recent projects we have also used this data to assess the impact of a solar installation on fuel poverty avoidance.

“The geographical outputs from Bluesky allow us to create far more interactive and user friendly deliverables for our clients than simply providing figures and spreadsheets, and enable us to analyse and aggregate the results in a more useful way, supporting decision making when taking works forward.”

Bluesky has a unique method of generating solar potential maps, using photogrammetric techniques to accurately measure and record factors that may contribute to the suitability of a property for photovoltaic (a method of generating electrical power by converting solar radiation) systems. Bluesky calculates the energy potential using high resolution aerial photography combined with 3D models of the earth’s surface to determine the size, aspect and gradient of each roof in the study area. The suitability of each roof is also considered, taking into account sharp angles and other impediments, such as sky lights or dormer windows. Potential obstructions, such as nearby buildings or trees, can also be identified and mapped. This data is combined with a given panel size to determine the number of potential panels and an estimate of solar irradiation.

Using the Bluesky generated measurements, Sustain calculate the potential yield of each property based on the number of panels, provided by Bluesky, and the recorded roof aspect and slope. The algorithms used by Sustain also take into account the location of the property to normalise the calculation from optimum or maximum to a realistic ‘expected’ or average yield.

Contacts:
Reader enquiries to Bluesky on tel +44 (0)1530 518 518

www.bluesky-world.com

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Britain's past seen from the air as Bluesky brings old aerial photos online

Thousands of aerial photographs, dating back more than seventy years, are now available online. Visitors to www.blueskymapshop.com can now search, view and download images from the Old Aerial Photos collection, which includes some of the earliest commercial aerial survey images, military photographs as well as many national archives. Offering a record of most major UK cities and towns, transport and utility infrastructure and commercial property developments, the images are an invaluable resource for anyone with a personal or professional interest in local studies, genealogy, boundary disputes, environmental land use research or town planning.

The Old Aerial Photos archive of historic aerial images includes around 100,000 individual images dating back to the 1960s. The newly available images include archives from some of the forerunners of today’s aerial photography industry as well as photographs from the UK military. Visitors to www.blueskymapshop.com can also access archive images from more familiar names such as Infoterra, GeoPerspectives and SCRAN (formerly BLOM).

The online archive can be searched using a postcode, street or city name, or Ordnance Survey grid reference. Once the Old Aerial Photos option has been selected the Bluesky Mapshop viewer window then displays small camera icons for each image available within the search area. Clicking on an icon displays a preview of the aerial image as well as information about the photograph including when it was taken.

Internet: www.bluesky-world.com

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Bluesky Announces Prototype UAV Flight Restriction Map

Aerial mapping company Bluesky has produced a prototype map of the UK showing where it may be unsafe or even illegal to fly Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), commonly referred to as Drones. Bluesky has combined an expertise in flight planning and 3D aerial mapping with various geographic datasets to come up with the concept of a UAV Flight Restriction Map.

The map is designed for commercial operators of UAVs and includes ‘No Fly Zones’, areas where further advice should be sought as well as areas where no restrictions on flying are currently in place.

“The UAV industry is rapidly expanding with new operators offering a wide range of services launching every day,” commented James Eddy, Technical Director at Leicestershire based Bluesky. “With nearly twenty years’ experience in planning large scale aerial surveys, combined with some of the most up to date and accurate geographic data and advanced processing techniques, we have been able to produce this prototype map. It is, however, designed just as a guide to where you can and cannot fly, so UAV operators should still check with the appropriate authorities.”

Currently operators of UAVs in the UK must comply with Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) regulations if they plan to undertake ‘aerial work’, while those equipped for data acquisition and or surveillance must obtain permission before ‘commencing a flight in a congested area or in proximity to people or property’. An overriding, all encompassing CAA Article also provides guidance in that a ‘person must not recklessly or negligently cause or permit an aircraft to endanger any person or property’, while other restrictions cover the dropping of articles or animals, minimum distances when flying near people or properties, and references to the Data Protection Act.

Bluesky’s UAV Flight Restriction Map is designed to provide a ‘first stop’ reference for commercial operators of UAVs in addition to CAA guidelines. The colour coded map uses a traffic light system to identify different zones: ‘No Fly Zones’ in red, areas close to no fly zones where further advice should be sought in amber, and ‘Free Fly’ zones in green. This easy to use resource takes into consideration population densities based on small scale postcode units, and congestion based on road location and type. The Bluesky UAV Restriction Map also considers the location and impact of aerial obstacles, such as overhead power lines, and restricted airspace including no fly zones around airports.

The launch of the prototype UAV Flight Restriction Map by Bluesky follows attempts around the world to develop control systems for commercial UAV, UAS (Unmanned Aerial System) or drone deployments. NASA, working with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) with input from government, industry and academic partners, has recently announced plans to develop a UAS Traffic Management System (UTM) that will keep track of and communicate important information to UAS operators in real time.

Contacts:

Bluesky
tel +44 (0)1530 518 518
www.bluesky-world.com