Indoor Air Quality and Health!

Most of us have experienced how heavy the air can feel after a long meeting in a small conference room. You may have even thought that it affected your energy levels. We don’t die from poor indoor air quality at work or in the bedroom, but research shows that even at fairly low levels, it begins to negatively impact our bodies. One might think that the need for indoor air is related to a lack of oxygen, but primarily you will be affected by excessive CO2 levels.

Carbon dioxide (CO2) is a colorless, odorless gas that we exhale, and it is harmless in diluted form, but at high concentrations it is harmful and begins to affect our performance.

CO2 is one of the most important gases affecting indoor air quality. It is also very useful as an indirect indicator for other sources that contribute to the deterioration of indoor air quality, and therefore is an ideal parameter for ventilation control. Some countries have introduced legislative requirements in recent years mandating the measurement of CO2 levels in classrooms (educational institutions).

Air Quality and Covid-19

From an infection standpoint, an increase in CO2 levels indicates that there are more people in the room, which means there is a higher likelihood that you are rebreathing the same air that someone else has already exhaled, equating to a higher risk of airborne infection transmission. At 0.3% CO2, every 18th breath is reused air. An Italian study in 10,441 classrooms showed that ventilation can reduce the number of infection cases in schools by 82%. Other studies also show that increasing air supply can prevent airborne transmission of some common respiratory infections.

Building owners want to reduce their electricity costs, but energy efficiency must be balanced with indoor air quality, as it is vital for health and work productivity. Finding solutions for a sustainable optimal balance between these two conflicting priorities is the goal of demand-controlled ventilation (DCV).

Demand-controlled ventilation (DCV) is a solution that regulates airflow and temperature according to current needs and occupancy, unlike ventilation without airflow regulation, where the airflow is constant. In all buildings (offices, shops, residential buildings, hotels, etc.), the number of occupants can vary greatly. Using readings from CO2 sensors, demand-controlled ventilation monitors and detects changes in air quality and quickly relays valuable information.

Building tests show that energy costs are reduced by approximately 30–50% when using demand-controlled ventilation.

The CO2 sensor iMK hall is the "nose" of the demand-controlled ventilation system. Our CO2 sensors will measure the carbon dioxide level and adjust ventilation accordingly. With 30 years of experience working with NDIR sensors in the HVAC-R industry, we help you find a flexible solution you can trust. The sensors are suitable for BREEAM / LEED / WELL certification (building environmental assessment methods) and also comply with the requirements of GOST 30494-2011 "Microclimate parameters in premises." The expected sensor lifespan is over 10 years, and thanks to automatic calibration, it requires no maintenance. This means you can install your sensor and leave it there for the next two decades.