Energy Surveys: A Very Important Element

By John Ross, Research Lecturer, and MCS Heat Pump
Inspector for Ireland.
The need for real time, balanced and effective energy surveys is a very important element in tackling energy use in both new and retrofit practice.

Each and every home or commercial building should have an effective, believable and a correct energy measure that allows for any energy intervention to be maximised and helpful, not unsympathetic to the building or occupants needs.
The current energy performance certificates, domestic and display are to anyone with a flicker of sense no more than a piece of paper with a crude assumption of the real energy occurrences within the boundaries of the building. If you’re someone who is conducting energy surveys, the use of a software programme that manages and helps amass the information is of great value. I used such a software programme to conduct major survey work on several projects.
The system that I used was devised by a local company, Cobra Technology, Belfast who provided an excellent package to identify and capture all the information needed.
The software package was tweeted by the company to meet the bespoke needs of the projects I was working on. The package provided a cast iron method of the collection,security of the data and proof that it was originated where stated. With the use of Geo tagging, icloud storage and set elements that must be entered into the system, no false claims or malpractice can be arranged.
This has enormous potential as it could be used for government agencies to survey before spending hard earned taxes and after to prove that the work has been carried out in a proper manner and to the specifications as per contract.
The ability for me to investigate issues with cavity wall insulation by the use of a Wifi Borescope which captures every internal survey in great detail, still photographs or video was a fantastic aid.
Cobra Technology was set up in Northern Ireland as a software development company developing systems for the Energy Sector in the UK and Ireland. Their product has a number of unique technical features (e.g. Geo-tagging data, WiFi Borescoping, infra-red scanning,drone viewing, etc.) that are designed to overcome issues of non-compliance with a number of regulatory regimes that would otherwise threaten the reputations,brands, income and value of its customers.
Cobra Technology has developed end-to-end IT systems for a range of energy services including heating installations within Government funded programmes, boiler service and repair programmes in the public and private sector, installation of the full range of insulation measures including EWI, installation of solar heating and PV, insulation extraction, PV Installations and installation of the full range of insulation measures including EWI.
The system provides a fully customisable CRM and work management system with a mobile interface. The mobile interface is setup in a modular form to allow remote workers access to complete worksheets on site. The end to end system allows for:
• Reduced on-site errors and omissions by “forced” responses in data and evidence collection process;
• Real time delivery of workload to back office, avoiding time and resource consuming bottlenecks in processing thereby facilitating“Just in Time” work in progress management;
• Full continuity of evidence to prevent tampering, ensuring compliance throughout the chain;
• GPS locations to ensure worksheets are completed at the correct address;
• Signature capture;
• Integration of Wifi borescopes to
allow correct evidence gathering
• And much more is available with
the Cobra Team always working to create the best solution.
For more information on what Cobra Technology can offer,please contact Gareth McCullough, Cobra Technology,e: info@cobratechnology.com