Smart Air Quality Monitor vs Traditional IAQ Systems
A hidden danger lurks inside some buildings: poor indoor air quality. It can creep up unexpectedly, wreaking havoc on an occupant's health while remaining invisible. Thankfully, there are monitoring solutions that can detect unsafe particles and gases indoors, alerting you to issues before they become a major problem.
Known as smart air quality monitors, these tools use built-in sensors to measure the concentration of harmful pollutants. They can identify particulate matter, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and carbon dioxide (CO2) levels. Data is collected in real-time and available to view through desktop or mobile platforms.
Smart air quality monitors are a major upgrade from traditional systems. They can integrate with other building assets, giving you full visibility of your HVAC or plumbing system status. This comprehensive approach reduces the burden of frequent maintenance checks and gives you clear insight into building safety.
How Each System Collects and Delivers Air Quality Data
What are indoor air quality monitors, and how do they work?
The best smart air quality monitors use carefully calibrated sensors to detect pollutants. These devices are optimized for specific parameters and use optical or laser scattering sensors to detect CO2 levels, VOCs, and particles such as dust or smoke. They can also evaluate an area's temperature and humidity, providing a full guide on your building's indoor air quality.
Spaces that lack a dedicated smart air quality monitoring system may use traditional methods to detect contaminants. This involves collecting periodic samples of indoor air using specialized tubes and swabs. Results are analyzed through manual testing or lab analysis.
There are several key differences that make smart monitors a far better solution to protecting indoor air quality, including:
Data frequency: Smart monitors collect data 24/7, capturing every fluctuation in air quality. Traditional monitoring is a snapshot of what the building's air quality is at a particular moment.
Depth: Smart solutions can detect a wide range of pollutants from a single device. Traditional tools use multiple swabs and testing apparatuses to identify contaminants.
Immediacy: Smart monitoring displays air quality metrics in real time. Results from traditional tests can require days or weeks to evaluate.
Air quality can shift dramatically for many different reasons. When issues occur, you can't wait weeks for a lab result. They require your immediate attention. With a real-time solution, you'll get an alert when abnormalities pop up.
Smart monitoring systems keep a current pulse on your building's health. That's important for schools and offices, where regulations require building administrators to maintain safe air quality. It can also give you confidence when it comes time for annual compliance checks.
Real-Time Visibility, Alerts, and HVAC Integration
Smart solutions collect air quality data at the moment, but how is it shared? Do you have to wander from room to room, checking device displays and marking numbers on a clipboard? Absolutely not!
With the use of an Internet of Things (IoT) monitoring system, data is sent to a cloud platform. There, it's aggregated into data visualizations that are accessible through a dedicated desktop or mobile application. Live dashboards display the metrics for each sensor, and you can configure the settings to your preferences.
That's much different than traditional tests that delay reports until after a lab analysis. Results from traditional tests can't show you what the indoor air quality was on a particular day, or its average over a period of time.
You don't have to log in to a smart monitoring system to know there's an issue. Automated alerts notify you when air quality levels exceed a particular threshold. This is useful for busy teams who may not always be at their desk.
Advanced, commercial-grade monitoring tools can integrate with your HVAC and building management systems. They can detect signs of wear and tear, including:
Fluctuating airflow rates that indicate poor ventilation
Run-time status of pumps and HVAC systems
Abnormal water usage associated with leaks or frozen pipes
Building managers may overlook these problems, as they're not always obvious. A monitoring system gives you an alert when it detects the issue. It can also take autonomous action to correct specific issues, such as triggering ventilation adjustments when CO2 levels get too high.
Scalability Across Buildings and Operational Workflows
Smart air quality monitoring systems can be deployed across your entire building portfolio, including multifamily units, schools, and office properties. Data is centralized in dashboards and accessible when you need it. It's infinitely scalable — you can start with indoor air quality monitoring, and add new sensors and devices when you need them, without disrupting your existing system.
When choosing the best air quality monitor for your buildings, consider several factors, including:
Air quality metrics: Pollutants it tracks, such as CO2, VOCs, particulate matter, and carbon monoxide
Sensor range: Tracking distance of the sensor
Integration capabilities: Ability to monitor building assets and energy efficiency
Recurring costs: Expense for monthly or annual subscriptions to access data
Smart air quality monitoring systems may charge a monthly or annual subscription fee to use. This is an additional expense, but it can offset technician visits. It can also save you money in the long term by catching problems early before they require an expensive fix.
Cost, Maintenance, and Long-Term Operational Impact
Smart monitoring systems require an upfront investment in hardware, including sensors and a host unit that transfers data to the cloud. While hardware can be expensive, it can be cheaper than the cost of recurring sampling and testing.
Monitoring systems don't require much ongoing maintenance. They receive regular firmware updates from the manufacturer to keep them up-to-date. If a sensor stops working, the system will alert you to the disconnect.
When determining whether a smart monitoring system makes sense for your building, look at the total cost versus the return on investment. Factor in the expense for indoor air quality mishaps, such as lost tenants and regulatory penalties. Also consider the potential for improved energy efficiency, which can reduce a building's water and electricity consumption. Often, a preventative maintenance solution like monitoring delivers a solid long-term return.
Choosing the Right IAQ Strategy for Future-Ready Buildings
When it comes to a building's indoor air quality, time matters. Smart systems alert you to contaminants immediately, so you can take quick action that prevents problems from blossoming.
Attune's market-leading smart indoor air quality monitoring systems are equipped with sensors that detect CO2, VOCs, particle matter, and more. They integrate with our asset management and energy efficiency systems, giving you a comprehensive view of building safety and equipment status.
To learn how Attune's customizable solutions can safeguard your building, schedule a demo with our team.
