Sensors connected to Digita’s IoT network can be used to efficiently monitor indoor air quality.

Poor indoor air quality is a widespread and costly problem in Finland. Their total price tag is some three billion euros each year, with around 15% of the property stock suffering from indoor air problems.

However, new solutions have been developed to effectively prevent problems and ensure air quality.

The Finnish company IISY provides the Freesi service for managing risks to indoor air quality.

“Problems with indoor air quality don’t arise out of thin air or due to bad luck. With the right methods, potential risks can be detected and addressed in time,” says Jan-Kristian Westerlund, CCO at IISY.

Instruments connected to Digita’s IoT network can be used to ensure indoor air quality. After installed to the building, the sensors measure features such as air humidity, temperature, carbon dioxide, volatile organic compounds and the building’s pressure ratios. According to Westerlund, Freesi indoor air service can detect underlying indoor air risks previously unknown to the customer in up to 90% of properties.

“Thanks to modern IoT networks, we can provide a cost-effective and reliable overall solution that can be quickly deployed even in larger building stocks.”

The IoT-connected sensors are wireless and battery-operated, and they autonomously transmit data on indoor air quality directly to the cloud.

“This eliminates the need to equip buildings with costly and error-prone CPUs, network amplifier or other data transfer hardware. As the sensors can be placed anywhere within the building, we can prepare tenders reliably without the need to inspect the property in advance, saving time and money. Thanks to the low power needed for data transfer, the sensors have a battery life of up to eight years. IoT networks enable the emergence of totally new forms of service business and help improve the efficiency of conventional operating models,” Westerlund says.

Better indoor air management

Data collected by the sensors is used to prepare technical indoor air quality reports and issue recommendations for improvement.

“They help prioritise efforts on indoor air quality, while project monitoring ensures that the measures taken are successful.”

How is the need for indoor air monitoring determined?

“Recent indoor air problems in the property stock are one indicator of a potential need for more efficient indoor air processes,” says Westerlund.

IISY also calls for better indoor air management. This means that the more information is available on indoor air, the better the risks can be managed.

“Ask yourself whether you can answer these questions: What is the indoor air quality of my property stock right now, how has it changed over the past year, and how effective were the improvement measures? If the answers are lacking, there may be a need for better tools for indoor air management.”

“By fully understanding all the variables, we can manage the energy consumption of properties more effectively and reach responsibility targets without needing to compromise on indoor air quality. What’s more, for the first time, property managers are able to direct efforts to improve indoor air quality of the property stock using reliable data and key figures, thereby ensuring their effectiveness.”

Municipal sector especially interested in the new technology

IISY’s clients include the municipal sector. Studies by IISI show that indoor air problems are found in up to 40% of the public sector property stock. According to Westerlund, this is due to insufficient public funds, resulting in inflated maintenance backlogs and decay in the condition of buildings.

“Property maintenance is handled by a long chain of subcontractors, and quality control has proved difficult. Vast property stocks are maintained by only a skeleton crew of personnel, while legislation on public contracts typically directs municipalities to accept bids with the lowest prices.”

According to Westerlund, the Freesi indoor air service by IISY has been developed to address these challenges. The key figures it produces help municipal real property services make better decisions on the allocation of funds.

“If cost cuts are allowed to lead to problems in indoor air quality, the bill to be footed will quickly rise to many times the original savings. The Freesi indoor air service can also be installed and operated at all stages of a property’s life cycle and can therefore help prevent the worst moisture risks on indoor air quality already during construction.”

Westerlund explains that the indoor air service helps maintenance services build confidence and communicate indoor air conditions to users.

“We have received much praise from the municipal sector for smooth and systematic cooperation with our technical maintenance team. Real property investors, meanwhile, have appreciated the opportunities for cost savings and improved customer satisfaction.”