Our Method

Gratton Infrared Services is leading the way in the integrated use of infrared imaging technology within both property condition assessment inspections and energy audit assessment methodology.  This integrated approach allows the owners to quickly identify any safety issues within their buildings, building envelope performance issues plus any electrical, mechanical issues that will require a more detailed investigation. This rapid infrared profile approach allows inspection teams to quickly focus and prioritize their activities to reduce costs.
 
Our rapid infrared profile method provides survey and audit personnel with the ability to focus on the areas of greatest concern and the areas of the greatest opportunity for saving. The rapid infrared profile can reduce failure costs by the early detection of any malfunctioning systems whether in the building envelope or in the electrical, mechanical systems before they stop working or completely fail and have to be replaced.

This approach provides detailed digital and thermal images of the performance of the building components. These components include: electrical system (safety, energy, performance), building envelope performance including: windows, doors, and roof performance detecting moisture penetration and poorly performing insulation.

Gratton’s rapid infrared profile methodology has been used to provide building condition assessment and energy audits for numerous facilities that include: apartment buildings, condominiums, complex electro-mechanical manufacturing facilities, public buildings and hotels.  Hotels in today’s economy represent the greatest challenge in conducting energy audits due to their requirement to be operational 24/7 and require the least level of intrusion on the guest’s accommodations plus they have the greatest requirement to reduce short and long term costs.
 
Gratton is confident that this new integrated rapid infrared profile methodology is the first step to reducing costs and providing better building assessments and energy audits and will be the standard used by the industry in the future.

The infrared images provide an advance warning of all electrical mechanical safety issues by providing images of their performance. 
 

    
These over heated electrical components in a manufacturing facility would not have been detectable by a visual inspection of the electrical systems as seen in the digital images.

Infrared can provide advance warning of poor performance within mechanical systems to prevent future mechanical failure and forcing the replacement rather than the repair of the equipment.

   
  Rooftop HVAC units. The left image shows a dead evaporator coil bank, the right image shows proper operation, a visual inspection of this problem would not have allowed detection of the failing performance of this equipment

       
Infrared Thermal Imaging is an excellent way to get baseline readings on mechanical equipment

Building Envelope

Infrared Thermal Imaging is used to discover hidden leaks

       
  Thermal image of a vinyl-sided, 3-floor apartment building clearly showing the path of a serious leak
Leak was from the third floor washing machine

 
Infrared Thermal Imaging can detect missing insulation

       
  Missing insulation goes undetected without the use of Infrared Thermal Imaging