Friday, October 4, 2013

Controlling CO2 Levels in Public Spaces

Controlling CO2 Levels in Public Spaces


Researchers at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have determined that moderate to high levels of indoor Carbon Dioxide can impair people's abilities to make decisions.  Levels as low as 1,000 to 2,500 ppm can impede the decision making process.  Levels in a typical classroom frequently exceed 3,000 ppm of CO2.  You can read the LBNL study here.

California's Title 24 requires that CO2 sensors are installed to control demand ventilation in spaces with an occupancy greater than 25 people per 1,000 ft2.  There are many exceptions to Title 24, but the study by LNBL disputes previous studies which began their tests at the 10,000 ppm level, and stresses the importance of delivering fresh air to densely occupied indoor spaces.

Energy ETC has installed many wireless (and wired) CO2 sensors into classrooms, conference rooms, and commercial spaces.  After integrating with the building management system, CO2 levels are kept below 800 ppm by opening fresh air intake dampers that supply the room being monitored.  If levels continue to escalate an alarm is enunciated to alert building maintenance personnel that the system needs to be inspected.

Maximizing indoor air quality while minimizing energy usage is something we understand and believe in.  To learn more about demand ventilation contact us at sales@energyetc.com

Source: LNBL