HEAT3D for non-professional users

A new entry level version of HEAT3D is now available via the Apple AppStore for home users and those who want to try it out before moving up to using HEAT3D Pro. HEAT3D lets you see the instantaneous heat flow (Q) through a surface and gives a rough estimate of the annual energy costs. Please note that unlike HEAT3D Pro, it does not measure U values and is less accurate.

Use HEAT3D to see the cost of the heat escaping through your walls. Work out where best to insulate and whether it’s worth it. If you live in a warm place see how much heat is coming into your rooms and how much air conditioning cost you could save. Take a HEAT3D survey before and after adding insulation and see the heat flow difference and potential cost savings.

HEAT3D measures and displays the amount of heat energy flowing through surfaces (in Watts or BTU/h). Its primary use is in buildings where it measures heat flow in either direction through a wall – e.g. warming or cooling. However it could be used to measure heat flow through any surface.

The HEAT3D models also capture the room dimensions (wall areas, heights and room volume). Notes can be added to the survey and a printable report generated. The survey information can be saved, edited, shared and viewed again later. You can share your HEAT3D model with other users via email etc. for them to view too.

You’ll need a FLIROne camera and an iPad or iPhone. We would recommend using the FLIR One Pro if possible, it will produce more accurate measurements and with higher resolution. HEAT3D works with the FLIROne Edge too.

There is a short 1 minute video demonstrating how to use HEAT3D with the FLIROne camera here:-

https://heat3d.net/demo

and a user guide here:-

https://heat3d.net/h3dinfo

The tech

HEAT3D uses an innovative development of quantitative infra-red thermography, combining two new and inexpensive technologies to provide a low cost handheld instrument offering a quick and highly visual 3D measurement of the heat flux value through a surface in watts. HEAT3D doesn’t just measure the IR temperatures, it measures the actual heat energy flowing through each part of the surface. HEAT3D measures the heat flow to +/-4W/m2 accuracy and energy costs to approximately +/-33% (see the HEAT3D user guide for information on how to improve the measurement accuracy).

HEAT3D Pro

Heat3D Pro takes HEAT3D to the next level providing far more sensitive and accurate heat flow measurements ( x10 ) which allows industry ISO 9869 standard U values to be obtained. HEAT3D Pro is for building energy professionals who need to measure U values, measuring heat flow to +/-0.5W/m2 and U values to +/-0.05W/Km2 across a whole wall within an hour. The same order the traditional method using Heat Flux plates such as the popular Hukseflux HFP01 obtain for a single point over several days. HEAT3D Pro’s U values allow accurate prediction of the cost benefit of energy saving measures as well as checking energy performance specifications are being met. HEAT3D Pro requires Electric Pocket’s additional proprietary temperature calibrated, auto-positioning, bluetooth air & radiative IR temperature targets & PID temperature controlled heater. There is a short video showing HEAT3D Pro in action here

https://heat3d.net/prodemo

Please contact business@electricpocket.com for more information about HEAT3D Pro.

The HEAT3D technology has been researched and developed for over 3 years. It has been successfully tested in over 24 buildings of varying construction and age and shown to provide the same level of accuracy for heat flow and U value measurements as the very expensive and time consuming ISO 9869 standards approved HeatFlux plate method. You can read about the research and results here:-

https://heat3d.net/research

28th February 2023

Build Test Solutions adopt HEAT3D technology

Build Test Solutions now offer HEAT3D technology as a key part of their toolkit for Rapid U value measurements in Building energy performance monitoring, diagnostics, quality assurance & compliance testing solutions for the built environment.

Heat3D mobile app and FLIR ONE Pro on an iPhone

BTS Heat3D infrared thermography kit

Heat3D is designed to work on iPhones and iPads and uses a portable thermal camera to obtain results in a matter of hours as opposed to days or weeks using traditional techniques.

WHAT’S INCLUDED

Heat3D iOS mobile app
Sensors, targets and equipment
FLIR ONE Pro thermal camera

You can read more about the BTS HEAT3D solution here:-

https://www.buildtestsolutions.com/u-value-measurement/heat3d-infrared-thermography

7th October 202118th November 2023

HEAT3D U value accuracy

HEAT3D has been proved to measure U values accurately. Field trials have been carried out using HEAT3D’s innovative and unique time lapse survey procedure which takes less than an hour resulting in U-value measurements across a whole wall surface. This improves upon two key limitations of the existing standard method using heat flux plates, the length of the measurements (ISO9869 requires at least 72 hours and two visits to site) and their limitation to only the small area covered by the sensor. Heat3D therefore enables a less disruptive, more insightful and cost-effective testing method. The measurements were compared with ISO9869 measurements of the walls taken at the same time.

The results are very positive, with a close and direct relationship between the measurements by Heat3D and by heat flux plates according to ISO9869. In total 42 Heat3D surveys were compared with an ISO9869 U-value measurement across 14 different walls. In 36 of the surveys the U-value measurement by Heat3D fell within the combined uncertainty interval of the ISO9869 measurement. There was very close agreement between the two methods for U-values above 0.2W/m

The surveys were carried out across a wide range of locations around England and Wales with one property measured before and after the application of additional external wall insulation.

A range of building ages were surveyed with the majority of tests carried out on cavity walls

A detailed validation report is available. For more information please email us at:- business@electricpocket.com

6th November 20207th October 2021

HEAT3D heat flow accuracy

Two sets of field trials have been run comparing HEAT3D’s measurements with standard ISO 9869 heat flux plate ones. The first using an early version of HEAT3D before the investigations carried out at the Energy House. The second set afterwards, incorporating several significant innovations and improvements to HEAT3D’s methods and apparatus based on the results of the R&D.

Field trials on twenty-five walls were run on multiple properties ranging from an 18th century farmhouse, solid brick Victorian terraced through to new-build eco houses with U values ranging between and 0.1 and 2 W/m2K.

Both HEAT3D and standard ISO 9869 heat flux measurements were performed over a period of 2 weeks at each site. The locations are shown on the map below.

This graph shows the results from the first field trial using the early version of HEAT3D. The results showed poor agreement in terms of HEAT3D’s heat flow measurement accuracy and repeatability compared to the calibrated heat flux plates (HFP).

Several novel breakthroughs were made in solving HEAT3D’s measurement accuracy problems from the results of the first field trial and R&D at the Energy House. The next graph shows the results from the 2nd set of field trials using the latest version of HEAT3D with these improvements. The error bars for both the HEAT3D and Heat Flux plate values are also shown. There is an almost perfect alignment within the limits of measurement accuracy.

The innovations from the R&D work have dramatically improved HEAT3D’s accuracy and repeatability for measuring heat flow. HEAT3D can now measure heat flow to a proven accuracy of 5% for a 20W/㎡ heat flow. This is the same order as that obtained using industry standard Heat Flux plates such as the Hukseflux HFP01.

4th June 20206th November 2020

HEAT3D and the Energy House

HEAT3D has been successfully tested in the unique Energy House facility at Salford University and proved to measure heat flow accurately. The Energy house is the only fully climate controlled research facility in the world.

The test walls were massively instrumented with calibrated Heat flux plates and thermocouples so HEAT3D’s results could be compared with the standards based values using current best practice ( ISO 9869 parts 1 & 2).

This is a HEAT3D thermal model captured from one of the surveys. You can view it in full AR mode in Safari on an iOS device with iOS 12 or later. Just tap on the the image to launch the iOS AR viewer.

Several significant novel improvements to the initial HEAT3D apparatus and method were made based on the experimental results. HEAT3D was then re-tested. The graph below shows the comparison between the heat flow measured by conventional heat flux plates (blue) and HEAT3D surveys (orange ) over a 2 week period with the Energy House driving varying heating and temperature regimes including a very artificial sunny day right at the end where the heat flow went negative. HEAT3D’s measurements tracked perfectly.