Our expert team of in-house UKTA Level 2 accredited Thermal Imaging surveyors provide comprehensive site inspections and reports in support of BREEAM Thermography Assessments throughout the UK.

BREEAM New Construction and BREEAM Domestic Refurbishment methodologies both recognise the benefit of a thermographic survey by awarding valuable credits and post construction stage.  Under the latest edition of the BREEAM Technical Manual, under the Man04 section it is possible to be awarded a BREEAM Credit by conducting a thermal imaging survey of the building fabric.  The thermographic survey is required to be completed in accordance with Man04 ‘Commissioning and handover’ compliance notes CN3.3 and CN3.4 by a UKTA Approved Level 2 thermographic surveyor.

The thermographic survey is required to confirm;

• Continuity of insulation
• Avoidance of excessive thermal bridging
• Avoidance of air leakage paths through the fabric (apart from intentional openings)

If any defects are identified during the post-construction building inspection, the principal contractor will need to organise remedial works. 

BREEAM Thermal Imaging surveys are completely non-invasive and non-destructive which means the building suffers no mechanical or physical damage at all.

At Melin Consultants Ltd, all our building thermography survey reports are completed in accordance with BS EN 13187 (Thermal Performance of Buildings-Qualitative detection of thermal irregularities in building envelopes-Infrared Method) by

UKTA certified Level 2 PCN. 

If you are seeking BREEAM credits and would like to commission a professional thermal imaging survey, please don’t hesitate to contact our in house team on 01554 571010 or admin@melinconsultants.co.uk.

When does the Thermographic Survey take place?

A BREEAM Thermographic inspection can be carried out once your building envelope is complete and the heating is on. 

To ensure a successful site inspection, close attention needs to be made to the environmental conditions on the day of the survey as adverse conditions can impact the inspection and quite often cause the survey to be postponed.  

Access will also be required around the perimeter of the building during the site inspection so its important any external works are either complete or safe temporary access installed. 

Please refer to our BREEAM Thermographic survey site inspection guidance document to support you in making sure the building is ready for the inspection. 

Why choose Melin for your BREEAM Thermographic Report?

• Our surveyors are certified to PCN Level 2 and fully approved by UKTA.
• Accredited and approved to deliver thermal imaging surveys in support of BREEAM credits.
• We only use high quality, fully calibrated cameras, ensuring the highest possible quality of images produced.
• Experienced surveyors combined with highest quality equipment ensures all results are accurately interpreted and very reliable.
• Patience- if conditions aren’t suitable, we won’t survey until the conditions are appropriate, thus ensuring reliability of images.
• Nationwide coverage
• Offer the full range of BREEAM associated site services, and can be combined into one visit for ease, Air tightness, Indoor air quality testing, thermography and acoustic testing.

Suitable Environmental Conditions

To achieve effective results from a building thermographic inspection for BREEAM compliance it is important to consider the environmental conditions present at the time of the survey, as a minimum, the following conditions need to be complied with;

• Minimum Temperature difference: There should be a temperature differential between the inside and outside of the building fabric of at least 10°C at the time of the survey, for example if the external temperature is 8°C, the internal temperature will need to be a minimum of 18°C.
• External air temperature: The external air temperature should be within 3°C during the survey. It should be within 10°C for the preceding 24 hours.
• No solar loading: Ensure the external building envelope is free from direct solar radiation for at least four hours. Many people conduct surveys an hour or so after sunset, but this is usually flawed due to solar load in the building. We advise heat loss surveys should typically be carried out in the early hours of a cold morning, prior to sunlight falling on the building.
• Rainfall: There should be no precipitation either just prior to or during the survey and all building services to be inspected are dry at the time of the survey.
• Low Wind speeds: The wind speed should be less than 10mph during the survey.

If you would like to discuss your BREEAM Thermographic requirements further, have any questions or would like a fee proposal, please contact our in-house team on 01554 571010 or admin@melinconsultants.co.uk.