Europe does not yet have a dedicated harmonised product standard for radiometric thermal imaging fire detection. Instead, the field relies on project-specific approvals and national schemes, such as VdS in Germany and CNPP in France. In this context, the UL listing can serve as additional technical evidence, but it does not replace CE marking or the EN 54 series of standards for fire detection and alarm systems.
Whatever the approval route, the radiometric cameras work the same way, measuring the temperature of each pixel several times per second. Alarms can be triggered by absolute temperature thresholds, by temperature differences between defined zones or by the rate at which temperatures rise. An integrated visual camera adds a conventional image in the visible spectrum.
Typical applications include waste and recycling facilities, data centres, battery energy storage systems and rooftop solar installations. On solar roofs, hotspots can develop at connectors and modules, often in places that conventional detectors do not cover. The cameras are designed to work alongside standard fire detection systems. (nhp)
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