LA THERMOGRAPHY AS A TOOL FOR THE ANALYSIS OF THE THERMAL PERFORMANCE OF THE BUILDING ENVELOPE

Abstract

For market reasons and technological evolution, increasingly sophisticated devices are accessible to the general public. The positive effect of this is the possibility of performing tasks previously reserved for specialized laboratories or expensive equipment; the negative consequence is the underutilization of their potential and the obtaining of results that are not always accurate due to the lack of a conceptual basis for their operation.

Thermography understood as the generation of "photographic" images representative of the temperatures of an object, does not escape this reality. Infrared radiation was discovered in 1800, but its detection and measurement found practical application only during World War II in missile guidance systems, and its civilian use began in the 1960s with the launching of the first cameras. Thanks to its constant evolution and reduction of production costs, we have reached our days with cameras integrated into mobile phones, multimeters, drones, medical devices, security and surveillance systems, in a wide range of models with specific applications for each purpose, where it is enough to merely "point and shoot" to obtain attractive multicolour images.

One of its fields of application is to evaluate the thermal behaviour of the building envelope, specifically in the heat exchange between the interior and exterior and its implications in terms of energy efficiency.

This article intends to be an introduction to the concepts necessary to understand the use of this tool, its scope and limitations so that the interested person can delve into them through study or practical experimentation.