Smart solution: ISIS IC presents energy-optimised ventilation according to hygiene requirements – an electric drive via which a CO2 traffic light automatically opens windows.
Even though the issue of corona does not play such a big role in society during the warm summer months, despite rising infection figures, the virus is still part of everyday life. This will become clear in autumn at the latest, when people spend more time indoors again. Regular ventilation is necessary to contain the virus, and CO2 traffic lights have proved to be a great help: They indicate the alarm when it is time to ventilate. Wouldn’t it be practical and efficient if the CO2 monitor opened and closed the windows itself? ISIS IC has now developed just such a smart solution and presented it at the Berufskolleg (vocational college) in Wesel. “The combination of traffic light and electric window drive is a real innovation that provides even more safety and protection against infection and enables ventilation according to demand,” says Dr Jens Winkler, a teacher at the college.
Summer, sunshine, happiness – who wants to have their mood spoiled by thoughts of the Corona pandemic? Probably no one. Especially during the holiday season with increasingly warm temperatures that lure most people outside, the topic often falls behind. Even though the number of infections is currently on the rise again. “This attitude will change in autumn at the latest, when it gets cooler and people spend more time indoors again,” says Dirk Unsenos. He is the managing director of the Wesel-based company ISIS IC and the developer of Conny, the breathing CO2 monitor. “Precisely for this reason, precautions should be taken now so as not to be caught unprepared in the next wave.”
Increase safety, reduce energy costs
What exactly could such precautions look like in order to counteract the effects of another wave as best as possible? CO2 monitors have already proven to be a good support for the containment of the Corona virus here in the past years – namely by measuring the indoor air quality and indicating when it is necessary to ventilate. In this way, they prevent the spread of aerosols that can transmit the Corona virus. The team at ISIS IC GmbH has now looked at how infection protection and safety can be further optimised with CO2 monitors. The focus was also on energy savings: “Especially in times of energy crisis, when heating costs are skyrocketing, our goal is to control imprecise and wasteful ventilation.” The result is a new technical development in which an electric window opener is automatically controlled with the help of the CO2 monitor. This solution, called “ConnyVNT”, was now presented and used for the first time at the vocational college in Wesel. The system works autonomously, there is a direct radio connection between the trigger at the monitor and the window operator.
The advantages of this smart solution: it not only increases the safety of the people in the room by significantly reducing the risk of corona infection, but also saves energy through demand-led ventilation. This is because the windows are only opened when the aerosol load has exceeded a limit value. When the value is good again, the window closes automatically. A point that is particularly convincing in times of energy crisis. “At the same time, this spares us teachers the discussion in the classroom about whether or not to ventilate – depending on the students’ different perceptions of cold. We are out of the responsibility and also save time because there is no need to open and close the windows manually,” adds Dr. Jens Winkler, who is the coordinator for occupational health and safety as part of the extended school management.
“By the end of the heating period in winter, the investment costs should have paid for themselves, simply due to the energy savings from controlled opening and closing,” says Dirk Unsenos about the economic goal. The test phase at Berufskolleg Wesel will last until the end of the year. “If the use of the combination of monitor and window drive also proves successful in the cold months, I would advocate equipping more of the approximately 100 classrooms at the school with it,” says Dr. Jens Winkler.
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