The Challenges Posed by the Health Crisis in Public Spaces
Poor indoor air quality can have a direct impact on the health of occupants. The various aspects of indoor air quality primarily focus on a room’s temperature, CO2 levels, VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds), and humidity . Monitoring these factors helps ensure the comfort and health of occupants.
In light of the current health crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic, European health authorities have issued new recommendations setting temperature and CO2 thresholds that must be adhered to. For example, it is considered that indoor CO2 levels exceeding 1,000 ppm pose a health risk to occupants.
As Sandra González, co-founder of the Spanish company InBCS, reports, “health authorities have issued new recommendations regarding the monitoring and control of indoor air quality,”particularly in public spaces where large numbers of people gather in enclosed areas, thereby facilitating the transmission of COVID-19.
In order to comply with government recommendations and curb the spread of the virus, Spanish hospitals have decided to implement new measures to monitor indoor air quality.
Monitoring Indoor Air Quality to Promote Occupant Health
A new partnership between InBCS and Enless Wireless has been established in recent months to offer comprehensive IoT solutions in the Spanish market. InBCS is a Spanish systems integrator that has been operating nationwide since 2018, specializing in industrial IT and automation. The company provides innovative digitalization and Industry 4.0 solutions using the latest technologies available on the market.
In collaboration with Air Liquide Healthcare, InBCS has implemented a comprehensive system in two hospitals in Madrid, enabling them to monitor and control indoor air quality. The objectives of these two projects focused on:
- Improving the health of patients and healthcare staff in hospitals
- Taking into account the recommendations of health authorities
- Implementation of new measures in the event of non-compliance
These objectives can be achieved through air quality monitoring and the implementation of real-time data tracking (ppm, ppb, °C, and %RH) via a dedicated platform.
The implementation of Enless products in the two hospitals in Madrid
A total of 87 of our wireless radio sensors were installed in the two hospitals in Madrid using private-mode LoRaWAN wireless technology. Seventy-nine of our transmitters, specifically designed for indoor applications, were installed to monitor compliance with health and safety standards (CO2, VOCs, ambient temperature, and humidity).
Sandra González, co-founder of InBCS, says:“The Enless TX CO2 VOC T&H 600-023 air quality sensors are easy to connect to a LoRaWAN network, and configuring them via the network server is straightforward. In terms of price, these sensors are competitive compared to other products on the market.”
In addition, eight of our PT1000 dual-probe contact temperature transmitters were also installed to monitor the temperature of refrigerators in one of the two hospitals in Madrid. These sensors enable remote temperature measurement by contacting surfaces. This product line features an IP 65-rated housing and two contact probes capable of measuring temperatures down to -180°C, making it suitable for any environment, including those subject to extreme conditions.
The transmitters first communicate with Kerlink or Multitech LoRaWAN gateways. The data collected by the Enless sensors is then displayed via InBCS’s IoT platform, called InIAQ. With real-time data display, InBCS teams can send alerts to maintenance staff when air quality or temperatures in different areas are not within acceptable limits.
“These projects were not implemented to save money, but to improve people’s health. Thanks to this system, we can monitor air quality in real time throughout the hospital, and if, at any given moment, the air quality is poor, maintenance staff can take immediate action.”– Sandra González, co-founder of InBCS.
And what about the future?
These two projects in Madrid were designed with future scalability in mind. InBCS hopes to continue its collaboration with Air Liquide Healthcare to expand this solution and aims to implement Enless sensors in new Spanish hospitals as well as in other sectors, such as industry.
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