| Infrared thermography, or thermal imaging, has | | | | insulation in a wall, leaky windows, and other gaps |
| become more and more popular in recent years | | | | in the building envelop integrity. |
| as infrared cameras become less expensive and | | | | Another popular application of an IR camera is in |
| more accessible to a wide variety of users. In the | | | | detecting faults in electrical systems. Electrical |
| past, a relatively basic camera cost tens of | | | | systems often experience degradation in |
| thousands of dollars, was gas-cooled, and required | | | | components over time, or loose connections, |
| sophisticated and expensive software to interpret | | | | which increase resistance to electrical current. This |
| the images. | | | | greater resistance in turn creates heat, which is |
| Now, an entry level IR camera can be purchased | | | | visible to an IR camera. Infrared thermographers |
| for two or three thousand dollars, is quite | | | | are able to detect bad fuses, circuit breakers, and |
| compact and easy to use, and includes basic | | | | faulty connections that both waste energy and |
| software to adjust, analyze, and interpret the | | | | are potentially very dangerous. For this reason, |
| infrared images. Consequently, these cameras | | | | insurance companies often require regular infrared |
| have become popular for many different | | | | audits of electrical systems, or offer a large |
| applications. | | | | discount on premiums for doing so. |
| With rising energy costs, and increased interest | | | | Infrared cameras are even becoming more and |
| and concern for the environment and energy | | | | more popular in human medicine, particularly in |
| efficiency, one of the most popular uses for | | | | early breast cancer detection. Before breast |
| thermal imaging cameras is in conducting home | | | | cancer develops to the extent a tumor can be |
| energy efficiency audits. In fact, most home | | | | detected with a mammogram, small changes and |
| energy auditors include an infrared camera as part | | | | increased blood flow can be detected in the |
| of their standard tool set. | | | | infrared. This method has the added benefice of |
| Infrared is heat energy, and since inferred | | | | being totally passive and non-invasive. The infrared |
| cameras detect this energy, it's possible to literally | | | | camera is also much less expensive than other |
| see the heat moving through walls. During a home | | | | breast cancer detection equipment. |
| energy audit, users can see areas of missing | | | | |