Thinnect has developed a solution that can be used to assess indoor air quality and ventilation efficiency in real time. The solution consists of a wireless carbon dioxide sensors and a cloud solution that helps the school to measure the CO2 concentration in a school, providing real-time reports and sending notifications as soon as the reading is outside of the desired range. The first set of Thinnect sensors have now been installed at Tallinn Gustav Adolf Gymnasium (GAG), Estonia.
According to Jürgo Preden, CEO and founder of Thinnect, various recent scientific studies have shown that the Covid-19 virus spreads more easily in poorly ventilated rooms as it remains in the room longer as an aerosol. “Our solution provides the school administration with a real-time overview of the change in the CO2 levels in any room equipped with our sensors, and helps to assess whether the ventilation system is working with sufficient capacity. Providing tools to the schools that enable continuous monitoring of air quality in the classrooms, enables the personnel to make decisions for improving air quality thereby mitigating the spread of the virus. If we can slow down the spread of the virus indoors this way, there is also hope that we can reopen schools sooner safely. This means that children will not have to stay in distance learning mode for much longer,” Preden expressed optimism.
At Gustav Adolf Gymnasium, Thinnect’s sensors collect almost 10.000 readings in one month across the entire building. According to GAG education technologist Ingrid Maadvere, monitoring the carbon dioxide levels is especially relevant in schools, because there is probably no other building where so many changes take place within one room over such a short timeframe. “At one point, there will be 36 high-school students in the room, which 10 minutes later becomes 15 primary school students, in the same space. Based on the data gathered by Thinnect sensors, we have already increased our ventilation capacity – the technology allows us to quickly assess the air quality of the classrooms and react quickly according to real needs,” Maadvere explained.
Poor ventilation of the rooms is best illustrated by the high level of CO2 produced by the air exhaled by people. According to research, the CO2 reading above the norm significantly accelerates the spread of the virus through the air. However, volatile aerosols, including virus particles, disperse quickly and do not pollute surfaces if a room is well ventilated.
Poor ventilation of the rooms is best illustrated by the high level of CO2 produced by the air exhaled by people. According to research, the CO2 reading above the norm significantly accelerates the spread of the virus through the air. However, volatile aerosols, including virus particles, disperse quickly and do not pollute surfaces if a room is well ventilated.
People often believe that ventilation is lacking only in older buildings, but in reality modern buildings face air quality issues as well – there are cases where ventilation system capacity is not adequate to reduce costs (which results in the system is not being able to provide sufficient exchange of air), the ventilation system has been turned off or adjusted to “economy mode”.
