QEA Tech
Outsmarting Building Envelope Energy Loss

Buildings play a vital role in our daily lives, providing us with a space to live, work, and interact. However, they also account for almost half of the world’s total energy and greenhouse gas expenditure. The good news is that by focusing on improving building envelope systems, we can make significant progress in reducing energy usage and decreasing our carbon footprint.

By addressing inefficient building envelope systems, we can better regulate air flow, leading to improved building performance and reduced operational costs. Furthermore, taking steps to improve building envelope systems can lead to better indoor air quality, more consistent HVAC temperature and airflow, and prevention in moisture damage, ultimately creating a more comfortable and healthier indoor environment for building occupants.

While the impact of a poor building envelope system can be detrimental, the potential for positive change is immense. By investing in improving our building envelope systems, we can make significant strides towards a more sustainable and environmentally-friendly future. QEA Tech is a solution to these challenges, providing specialized thermography, quantification, and energy audit services for building envelope systems. It helps clients outsmart building energy loss by offering comprehensive data on the thermal behavior of the building envelope with cutting-edge technology and energy industry expertise, ideal for achieving cost management and sustainability goals.

To this end, QEA Tech uses advanced industrial drones to capture thousands of thermal and high-resolution images of the building. Each image is then analyzed using patented AI software to identify issues, such as inadequate insulation, moisture penetration, cracks, thermal bridging, underperforming IGUs, and improper structural joints. The software solution pinpoints major points of energy leakage throughout the building envelope and efficiently quantifies the energy loss. The team of building science experts at QEA Tech incorporates the analysis and produces a detailed quantitative and qualitative report that systematically documents all issues found, facade by facade, and assigns a priority rating to each.

The report provides meaningful recommendations to clients on which issues to address first based on the severity, expected payback, and ROI of repairs or retrofits. All clients can access the QEA Tech team's recommendations and analysis through an interactive 3D model of their building on its portal, accessible 24/7. They can drill down into each problem area to see in-depth analysis and quantification of energy loss while having access to projected energy cost savings and GHG emissions savings data if the building were brought up to code.

"At QEA Tech, we take the guesswork out of the building envelope by helping clients pinpoint issues, quantify energy loss, and forecast the ROI of repairs and retrofits," says Peyvand Melati, CEO of QEA Tech.

With advanced AI technology and analytical tools, QEA Tech offers a valuable and superior alternative to outdated methods used for evaluating a building's envelope performance. Traditional methods are not only expensive but also intrusive, especially for larger buildings. Clients can rely on QEA Tech to identify faults that require attention and make data-driven decisions on retrofits, repairs, and risk management for their building envelope.

At QEA Tech, we take the guesswork out of the building envelope by helping clients pinpoint issues, quantify energy loss, and forecast the ROI of repairs and retrofits.

One of QEA Tech's recent successes involved a large residential complex client who wanted to replace the windows in their aging building. However, with over 500 windows, a complete overhaul was not a feasible option. QEA Tech assessed the windows and quantified the performance of each unit. The team collaborated with the client to establish project parameters and developed a 3-stage window replacement plan that minimized capital risk by ensuring the savings from each stage lowered the capital burden for the next stage.

QEA Tech's impressive track record also includes auditing 42 branches for the Brooklyn Public Library system, Vancouver International Airport, and 0.6 square miles of downtown Ottawa. The company has audited over 500 buildings, including commercial, residential, industrial, hospitals, university campuses, and airports in the last three years. Clients have commended the team's ability to enhance energy efficiency, which is critical given the growing pressure to reduce energy consumption and GHG emissions. With their experience in the field, the company advises clients on "low-hanging fruit" opportunities that will reduce energy leakage through the building envelope. Additionally, QEA Tech considers risk management, tenant preferences and comfort, and sustainability when developing plans for their clients.

As a forward-thinking company that relies on its proprietary AI-enabled software, QEA Tech is continuously seeking new avenues for growth. The company's AI technology continuously improves based on the large volumes of data points on building envelopes, fueling QEA Tech's desire to be a go-to partner for various clients.