Dalton Green Committee Wants to Help Residents Track Heat Loss
DALTON, Mass. — The Green Committee on Wednesday voted to request that the town invest in two thermal cameras.
The committee could rent them out to residents so they can find where there is heat loss in their homes and be able to make improvements in a targeted and cost-effective manner, committee member Todd Logan said.
The thermal camera attaches to smartphones and costs approximately $230. The committee is interested in buying one for IOS devices and another one for android users.
The committee will coordinate with Town Manager Thomas Hutcheson so he can obtain clarification from the town counsel on any liabilities issues.
If this investment is approved, the committee will determine where to store the devices.
The camera uses infrared energy to display heat signatures. This can capture areas of low temperature that point to voids in insulation and areas that allow drafts.
Logan brought one of his thermal cameras to the meeting to demonstrate how it works. The device is similar to the ones used by professional energy assessors during blower-door tests.
These tests help determine a home's airtightness and informs where energy-saving improvements can be made.
The more people who work to increase energy efficiency by better insulating their homes and reducing interior and exterior air transfer ultimately lowers greenhouse gasses, Chair David Wasielewski said. This will also aid in the town's efforts to increase decarbonization,
According to Energy.gov, "establishing the proper building tightness" helps reduce energy consumption, prevents moisture condensation problems and uncomfortable drafts from outside, and controls outdoor contaminants like pests and odors from outside, and more.
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