Vancouver has launched a project to determine if thermal imaging of homes could help residents identify heat loss and save on energy costs.
The city says thermal images show the temperature over the surface of a house and that a bright yellow colour would indicate heat leaks that may require improved insulation or better windows.
A dark blue colour would appear over a cold surface, suggesting heat is not escaping from a home.
The city says in a release that research from the universities of British Columbia and Calgary indicates that thermal imaging of homes could be a reasonably accurate tool to identify where a home is losing heat.
Vancouver's thermal imaging pilot project involving detached homes in five neighbourhoods is expected to start in mid-January, and homeowners of older residences are expected to gain the most from the program that also aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
The city says detached houses account for 31 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions resulting from energy use and that several jurisdictions in the United States, and London in the United Kingdom, have started thermal imaging projects.
