School Classroom CO2 Monitoring

CO2 in School Classrooms
As reported in a Berkeley Labs study*, high classroom CO2 levels in can significantly impair decision-making performance. This can have a detrimental effect in schools where large amounts of students, ventilation issues and other causes elevate CO2 levels in classrooms and other areas. It has also been shown that high school CO2 levels can negatively affect student health and lower attendance rates.

Aretas Sensor Networks designs and builds a variety of indoor air monitors, including a wireless carbon dioxide (CO2) monitor. This school CO2 monitoring system transmits your data online from one or multiple locations 24/7 worldwide. You can then view decision making data by hour, day or week, set alerts via text or email, download data for custom reporting and much more.

• Collect: Online data analytics, graphs, maps and archive data logging for quick decisions
• Decide: Review one or more monitors and facilities 24/7 worldwide
• Respond: Alerts sent via text or email to the appropriate team members
• Simple: Wireless for easy installation
• Solutions: Customizable solutions include the sensor mix you need

Call a live Aretas representative today for a free demo of the online systems and to get your questions answered 877-218-6232

Excerpt from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory CO2 Study concludes:
“...found that moderately high indoor concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO2) can significantly impair people’s decision-making performance. The results were unexpected and may have particular implications for schools and other spaces with high occupant density.”*

* Julie Chao. October 17, 2012 Elevated Indoor Carbon Dioxide Impairs Decision-Making Performance. Retrieved from http://newscenter.lbl.gov/2012/10/17/elevated-indoor-carbon-dioxide-impairs-decision-making-performance

Berkeley Lab researchers found that even moderately elevated levels of indoor carbon dioxide
resulted in lower scores on six of nine scales of human decision making performance.

The importance of monitoring CO2 levels in classrooms
Since numerous studies have shown that high CO2 levels in schools have adverse effects, it goes without saying that there should be school CO2 monitoring in place. Schools can benefit in many ways by implementing carbon dioxide monitoring in schools, including better performance of both students and teachers, showing concern for and taking action to optimize student and faculty health, lowering absenteeism rates thereby increases schools funding even optimized ventilation and energy savings.

The importance of monitoring carbon dioxide levels in schools is further shown in an excerpt from an article titled ‘Ventilation rates and school performance’ reports “the available scientific literature indicates the potential for 5% to 10% increases in aspects of student performance and moderately higher pass rates in standardized math and reading tests with increased classroom ventilation rates. Ventilation rates in roughly half of U.S. public elementary school classrooms appear to be less than specified in codes [21-23]; thus, the opportunities for increasing student performance by increasing ventilation rates may be substantial.” http://energy.lbl.gov/ied/sfrb/vent-school.html

School carbon dioxide monitoring systems
When selecting a classroom co2 monitoring system it is important to be aware of what constitutes effective monitoring and even more importantly how is the data managed and what action(s) need to be taken?

In addition to monitoring to ensure proper ventilation it is also critically important to monitor CO2 data throughout a school day as stated in the seminal study titled ‘Indoor Environment in Schools – Pupils Health & Performance in Regard to CO2 Concentrations’** “...the levels of carbon dioxide have large fluctuations during a school day, and that single measurements are unreliable.”.

Action is key, the Aretas classroom CO2 monitor takes readings as often as every 2 minutes. It sends data to your secure online analytics system where you can set alerts to adjust ventilation and make other key ongoing decisions. The carbon dioxide monitoring system also allows you to review data for one or more areas and facilities all from one account. This can be critical for district administrators and their buidling maintenance & HVAC professional to work together to meet key school indoor air quality goals.

Give us a call now to get your questions answered 877-218-6232

For more information about the classroom CO2 sensor please click here >>

High carbon dioxide levels can have the same effects on office workers or other in enclosed spaces were CO2 levels can rise due to lack of ventilation. Read more here >>

** AN Myhrvold, E Olsen, O Lauridsen - Indoor Air, 1996 Indoor Environment in Schools – Pupils Health & Performance in Regard to CO2 Concentrations. Study pdf link >>