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The MappIR vehicle was developed by IRT Surveys, a Mears Group service offering,with the aim of creating a rapid, low-cost surveying tool which will allow for the creation of an extensive and detailed map of the energy efficiency of large volumes of housing.
The vehicle, which is the result of an investment of more than £300,000 by Mears Group, has a 360 °visual camera unit, LiDAR sensor technology and four thermal imaging cameras,allowing it to fully capture every building on a street quickly and accurately.
The data gathered is then fed into retrofitting software which will identify the works required to improve energy efficiency in each building. Using IRT Survey’s DREam technology, available funding for initiatives can then be identified and commercially modelled in real time. This ensures that retrofitting projects deliver the best results for tenants and the environment, while guaranteeing that work is completed in a cost-effective way.
As well as focusing on delivery across specific projects, the MappIR vehicle has the scope to map and record housing across entire cities. A clear and concise map of the UK’s housing stock will support the country’s net zero targets, and Government’s ambition to have a minimum EPC C rating for all buildings by 2035.
Stewart Little, Managing Director of IRT Surveys, said:
We know that when looking at how we approach retrofitting housing, data is absolutely our greatest tool, as it allows the creation of a clear picture of what needs done, and the best path to take in achieving our objectives. But gathering this data is time consuming, and for a long time we have been looking at how can we do this faster and with accuracy.
The MappIR vehicle absolutely answers this challenge and can survey an area more than six times' faster than traditional methods. It is fantastic to have completed our first project, and the results absolutely show the vehicle’s capability and potential. I am extremely excited to see how the MappIR will allow us to improve housing for residents, making their homes warmer and reducing household bills, while also helping the sector to work out exactly what needs done to get to net zero.
MappIR’s first project involved surveying more than 10,500 homes across Milton Keynes in partnership with Milton Keynes City Council. The resulting data is being assessed to establish the works required across the homes to improve energy efficiency and achieve Net Zero targets.
