Ohakune heat loss study makes Quantum programme

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 12, Issue 541, 21 June 1994, Page 1

Ohakune heat loss study makes

Quantum programme

Looking for heat loss at an Ohakune house is to be an item on the new* technology programme 'Quantum' later this year. King Country Energy staff checked out the home of Pat and Elaine Goldfinch of Ohakune, using a special infra-red camera which highlights the paris of a house that are losing heat. The camera not only shows where heat is being lost, but also quantifies the loss, giving home owners vital information on where they can concentrate their efforts to stop heat loss. KCE representative Bruce Clow said the camera even shows up the w'all cavities from the framing timber if a wall is not insulated and clearly shows the thermal layering that occurs inside a house. In the Goldfinch' s house, it showed that their retrofitted ceiling insulation was working well with virtually no heat loss. The check was a trial for a programme KCE intends to carry out for the whole of Ohakune, to increase energy efficiency for all customers. A camera and operator, Ed Hall, were borrowed from Powermark in Wellington. The company carried out a similar programme in Taumarunui last winter but from the air using a helicopter. Mr Clow said the process was more effective from the ground but that

to do it this way would require the purchase of a camera, worth more than $20,000. They could hire a camera and operator for a helicopter sweep. He favoured the purchase of a camera because it was more effective, the process could be repeated on a regular basis, and the camera could be used for other energy checks such as on power supply equipment and the like for preventative maintenance. If the process is carried out on the ground customers would make an appointment, then get their house up to temperature to maximise the effectiveness of the viewing. Mr Clow said they knew of only one other place where a whole town had been checked for energy efficiency in this j way and that was Osage in Iowa in the United States. | Mr Clow said the process was not only worth- ^ ^ while for older houses but also new ones, to check that insulation is effective. "A five per cent gap in ceiling insu- blation reduces its effectiveness by ^LH.14KS 50 per cent, so if s worth chec^^^^^^Q ^ SCltliVCl