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At present, the quality of the indoor environment is a major problem for most buildings and especially for the buildings with a higher concentration of people.

Czech R&D Institution founded as an independent institute of a technical university focused on research activities related to energy efficient buildings offers a sensor platform for comprehensive evaluation of indoor environment quality which provides an integrated combination of measurements of five parameters all-in-one solution. The platform (hardware and software tool) is intended to be used by owners, operators and facility managers. The technology was developed originally for Czech schools and now is available for the market.

Sensor platform for comprehensive evaluation of indoor environment quality is currently offered to partners in the Czech Republic as comprehensive service that includes monitoring parameters, evaluating data and providing specific proposals for measures or their direct implementation. The complexity of the service brings the maximum benefit to the customer, in particular through a direct link to the improvement of the quality of the internal environment. Long-term monitoring without impact on quality improvement is usually not of interest to the customer. The service may include both – short and long term measurements.

The developed modular sensor solution enables savings thanks to a small standardized box for various sensor combinations. This feature is attractive to potential manufacturers. Based on the current estimate, the market potential in the Czech Republic is in the range of thousands of sensors per year.

Many new interfaces such as Wi-Fi LoRaWAN or RS485 are integrated in the device. The number of possible applications has thus substantially increased and the sensor in this configuration is able to be deployed as part of a building automation system as well as a separate element for home users.

Technical data:
- Hardware and software:
- Sensor platform (up to 10 end sensors as standard)
- LCD interface (optional)

- Functionality:
- Monitoring of quantities: air temperature (t), CO2 (carbon dioxide), RH (relative humidity), VOC (volatile organic compounds), barometric pressure.
- Combined monitoring in one device.
- New (cable powered) device includes also particulate matter monitoring (solids concentrations PM2,5,PM10) in a single box.
- Autonomous mode or cooperation with superior system (e.g. control of air handling units).

Main technical parameters of hardware:
- Communication interface: Modbus RTU (communications protocol), LoRaWan (cloud-based medium access control layer protocol)
- Alarm status indication via RBG LED
Firmware/embedded software contains present limit values based on health standards.
Software used to control the platform (user software).

Power scheme:
- 12 to 24 V DC, 250 mA
- USB 5 V DC, 250 mA (no analogue output 0-10 V)

The disclosed sensor platform is offered to companies involved in the installation of monitoring and control systems as a technology solution for licensing or to the owners of buildings on the basis of commercial agreement with technical assistance (technical support by installation, technical training for operators/facility managers is offered).

Advantages & innovations

The main innovation of the sensor platform for comprehensive evaluation of indoor environment quality lies in the complexity of the solution and overall reduction of data infrastructure requirements thanks to the designed communication interface. In the market research 2018 it was verified that currently available products do not provide an integrated combination of measurements of five parameters air temperature, concentration of CO2, volatile organic compound (VOC) concentration, relative humidity (RH) and solid dust particles concentration (PM10,PM2,5 - particulate matter 10µm; 2,5 µm) The offered equipment is thus unique in terms of combination of measured parameters and in used communication technologies.

Stage of development

Already on the market

Partner sought

The disclosed sensor platform is offered to companies involved in the installation of monitoring and control systems as a technology solution for licensing of exercising intellectual property rights and know-how and manufacturing, selling, renting or developing products manufactured using this intellectual property rights and know-how. This technology is also offered to owners of buildings on the basis of a commercial agreement with technical assistance (technical support by installation, technical training for operators/facility managers is offered). In this case the technology is offered only for restricted countries in Central Europe - Germany, Austria, Poland, Slovakia.