Airthings debuted Ventilation Rate, a new feature that aims to help optimize a building’s ventilation system at AHR 2024. The feature joins the Airthings for Business Solution portfolio of solutions designed to optimize building performance and enhance workspace well-being.
Ventilation Rate is Airthings for Business’ latest feature, offering two new virtual sensors that measure the estimated Air Exchange Rate (measured as ACH, or air changes per hour) and Airflow (currently available in API only) in a specific room or space. These estimates indicate how often the air in a room is replaced with fresh air each hour. The Ventilation Rate capability helps to validate the following:
- Indoor air quality (IAQ): Higher air exchange rates correspond to better ventilation, improving indoor air quality and reducing risk of transmission of airborne viruses.
- Energy efficiency: Balancing sufficient ventilation with energy efficiency is crucial. Analyzing the Air Exchange Rate in rooms and buildings through the Airthings Dashboard or API enables optimization of ventilation systems to minimize energy consumption while providing healthy indoor air to where people are in a building. The Ventilation Rate feature from Airthings can also enable Demand Controlled Ventilation (DCV) in existing buildings.
- Regulatory compliance: Building codes and standards often stipulate minimum ventilation rates based on room size, use, and occupancy. These standards aim to achieve acceptable indoor air quality levels. According to ASHRAE 62.1 (the recognized standard for ventilation system design and acceptable indoor air quality), the target for any space should be at least five air changes per hour.
Ventilation Rate is now available for Space PRO, Space Plus, and Space CO2 Mini. Users can access insights into ventilation performance through the Airthings for Business Dashboard. By comparing ventilation data alongside other insights in the Dashboard – such as occupancy data and CO2 levels – Airthings for Business customers can determine whether they are under-or-over-ventilating a building. This data can help inform and optimize ventilation schedules, thereby removing the inaccuracies associated with using a ‘traditional office hours’ schedule to guide ventilation levels.
Airthings for Business offers an air quality monitoring solution that provides actionable insights and trends using live and historical data. The Airthings for Business solution is fully scalable, offering wireless, easy-to-install devices with comprehensive multi-sensors that monitor CO2 , PM1 , PM 2.5 , radon, VOC, humidity, temperature, light, noise, and pressure, along with virtual sensors for mold risk, virus risk, and occupancy.
