IRT Surveys

Founded in 2002 by Stewart Little, IRT Surveys provides technology-led services to enhance energy efficiency in buildings. The company, headquartered in Dundee, Scotland, specializes in thermal imaging surveys that identify heat loss and other energy inefficiencies in building fabrics. These surveys provide data-driven insights for clients such as housing associations, local authorities, and energy companies, helping them to decarbonize their housing stock and meet NetZero targets.

The firm's core offerings combine physical surveys with its proprietary cloud-based software, DREam (Dynamic Retrofit Energy & Asset Management). Data from thermal imaging surveys, which can be conducted at scale using drones or the company's MappIR van, is automatically fed into the DREam platform. The software then analyzes this information to model individual homes, generate tailored retrofit plans, identify funding opportunities, and track project progress against environmental targets. This integration of survey and software allows clients to make informed, evidence-based decisions for retrofitting projects.

Founder Stewart Little's background as an architectural technician, focusing on how buildings remain watertight, informed the company's direction. Over the years, IRT Surveys has assessed over 500,000 homes and 20,000 commercial buildings across the UK. In August 2022, the company was acquired by Mears Group PLC, a move intended to embed IRT's technology directly into Mears' maintenance and retrofit services. The business was previously venture-capital-backed and operates on a franchise model for some of its services.

Keywords: thermal imaging, building retrofits, energy efficiency, decarbonisation, DREam software, heat loss analysis, net zero solutions, property technology, housing stock data, retrofit planning, energy auditing, building fabric surveys, non-destructive testing, asset management, data-driven retrofits, social housing, energy savings, carbon reduction, building performance, Mears Group