Get classrooms as safe as possible. Neten Consultoría will once again bring indoor air quality monitoring to schools in Yecla during the 2021-2022 school year. Last year, the Yecla City Council awarded Neten Consultoría the installation of eleven Nanoenvi® IAQ devices for monitoring environmental parameters. With them, the risk of contagion by COVID-19 through aerosols was minimized and the use of ventilation and heating systems was optimized, while maximizing energy efficiency.
Neten is a company specialized in engineering and architecture projects that covers both technical and management aspects; from conception and design to construction management and delivery. It has signed an agreement with ENVIRA to offer the Nanoenvi® IAQ device, an IoT solution that improves indoor air quality.
Pilot to monitor air quality in schools
Last year, the Yecla City Council trusted Neten to carry out a pilot project in schools. The installed equipment monitored the parameters of:
- Carbon dioxide (CO2).
- Carbon monoxide (CO).
- PM10 and PM2.5 particles.
- Volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
- Temperature
- RH
- Atmospheric pressure.
Based on these parameters and variables, Nanoenvi® IAQ calculates an index of ambient air quality that measures the level of health and well-being in indoor spaces. Through it, it is possible to know the quality of the air that is being breathed at that moment through color codes.
The possible values of the index move in the range 0-7, being:
- 7 optimal quality (blue LEDs).
- 4-6 good quality (green LEDs).
- 2-3 moderate quality (LEDs in yellow).
- 0-1 poor quality (red LEDs).
Improving indoor air quality and energy efficiency
With the data obtained, the schools, together with the Neten Consultoría team, were able to contrast the ventilation protocols established in the center, thus knowing when it was necessary to carry out ventilation measures to prevent contagion by coronavirus. Likewise, in addition to minimizing health risk, it contributed to energy savings in cooling and heating systems by having the windows and doors open for the necessary time.
It should be considered that, in this context of a COVID-19 pandemic, ventilating is the third recommendation by health institutions to prevent infections, only behind the use of a mask and the reduction of social contact. This preventive measure is even ahead of hand washing and maintaining a safe distance.
To achieve a safe environment, ventilation strategies must be adequate and not carried out arbitrarily, which is why the installation of indoor air quality meters is key to guaranteeing school spaces free from the circulation of respiratory viruses and working with objective data.
At present, air quality is presented as a priority and public health issue. The use of devices such as Nanoenvi® IAQ in public spaces such as schools, restaurants, cafeterias, offices or gyms contributes to a healthier and safer environment.
Photographs source: Yecla City Council.
