What is the project and what is innovative about the service provided?

PfP & Kestrix – thermal imaging, photogrammetry, and AI used to measure how well buildings retain heat using Kestrix’s Rapid Thermal Performance Assessment (RaThPA) to undertake external-only assessments of homes, quickly, remotely, and at scale. Drones or satellites used to gather thermal and visual data, which is then processed to estimate U-values and detect areas of heat loss. Current approaches rely on manual inspections and assumed data. Kestrix automates the entire process, allowing thousands of properties to be assessed in a matter of days. Funding can be targeted more effectively, works planned with confidence, and verify impact post-retrofit. Its long-term goal is to work with regulators for it to be a tool for validating and verifying retrofit outcomes, and identifying gaps in EPCs, etc.

What are the measurable benefits to the client, the contractor, the resident, and the neighbourhood?

PfP & Kestrix – Client Benefits: enabled to make faster, more accurate and cost-effective retrofit decisions, using external-only thermal assessments to assess thousands of properties in days not months. It reduces administrative burden and speeds up access to funding. One client was able to prioritise homes based on heat loss severity, location, and eligibility for government funding. This enabled them to build a robust, data-driven bid for SHDF support. Another client used before-and-after assessments to demonstrate thermal performance improvements post-retrofit. Value for money by replacing traditional internal energy surveys, which can cost £200–£500/home, with fast, external-only diagnostics at a fraction of the price (£16-50/home depending on the volume/area).

Contractor Benefits: clearer, data-backed scope of works to understand where interventions are needed and where they are not. This allows better cost planning and fewer unnecessary works, reducing waste and increasing efficiency of retrofit measures. Post-retrofit scanning provides evidence of impact, reduces disputes, and helps validate quality of work delivered.

Resident Benefits: both immediate and long-term by targeting retrofit more effectively to help prioritise homes with the highest heat loss and energy bills, supporting those at risk of fuel poverty. With one client, heat loss data used to identify homes most in need of intervention, contributing to better living conditions for vulnerable residents. No disruption, no need to book appointments, take time off work, or allow surveyors into their homes because these assessments are external-only.

Neighbourhood Benefits: housing providers and local authorities can take a strategic view of retrofit. Rather than relying on blanket approaches, they can identify clusters of high-need homes and design area-based interventions that improve whole neighbourhoods. This is more efficient logistically and can unlock economies of scale. Improved housing stock leads to reduced carbon emissions, lower energy bills, and enhanced thermal comfort, benefiting community health and wellbeing. Over time, property values can increase, maintenance costs reduced, and greater trust between landlords and tenants fostered.

What are the financial costs and measurable cashable benefits over a defined time period?

PfP & Kestrix – It provides accurate, fast, and low-cost building diagnostics and removes key bottlenecks in planning retrofit. It is a practical, scalable route to delivering energy efficiency at pace.

Cashable Benefits: Traditional internal energy surveys typically cost £200–£500/home and require property access, scheduling, and manual labour. External-only thermal assessments at less than £100/home gives a cost reduction of over 70%. One project 785 homes were scanned at £50/home in weeks compared to traditional survey representing savings of more than £100,000. These savings allow clients to allocate more budget towards actual retrofit works, maximising impact without increasing overall expenditure.

How relevant is this as an example that might be followed by other organisations?

PfP & Kestrix – It is a highly relevant system for other organisations to use to deliver scalable, cost-effective, and impactful climate solutions. The approach demonstrates how advanced technologies like thermal imaging, AI, and remote sensing can be applied to solve systemic environmental and social challenges, in this case, the urgent need to decarbonise buildings. As a fully external, automated, and affordable assessment method, it removes key barriers to action such as access, cost, and accuracy. Model already adopted by different industry players and there is strong potential to growth across UK and internationally. It is investing in the transition from drones to aircraft and satellite-enabled assessments. They are engaging with regulators and standards bodies to embed this solution in retrofit validation processes and support mainstream policy adoption. Longer term, it will continue to deliver social and economic value by improving home energy efficiency, reducing fuel poverty, lowering emissions, and creating data-driven transparency in the retrofit ecosystem.