Industry Focus
Education
Several studies have shown that educational outcomes are directly related to the educational environment. Of particular importance is the air in the classroom, and poor air quality is linked to lower test scores, student drowsiness and inattention, higher rates of sickness and absence, and other negative outcomes for students, teachers, and staff alike. Balancing these outcomes with the need to save energy requires the continuous monitoring of indoor air, along with the analytics and insights needed to drive the right configuration changes in ventilation systems.

Recent experiences and scientific studies show that improving air quality in schools provides tremendous benefits in student health, well-being, and outcomes.

Poor air quality leads to poor outcomes

  • Higher CO2 levels leading to loss of focus
  • Dampness-induced mold growth leads to coughing, exhaustion, and headaches due to dampness-induced mold growth;
  • Respiratory infections and allergies lead to increased absences
  • Increased rates of asthma and asthma-related illnesses are all direct outcomes of poor air quality in schools

Impact on the learning process

  • “…air quality and temperatures in classrooms are important factors in the learning process and improving them should be given as much priority as improving teaching materials and methods” (ASHRAE Journal Vol. 48, Oct. 2006: Effects of HVAC on Student Performance)

Educational outcomes

  • Improving air quality in the classroom by installing filters improves educational outcomes as much as reducing class size by one third – about 0.20 standard deviations (per analysis of remediation efforts after the Aliso Canyon gas leak in Southern California, 2015)

Continuous monitoring and analysis of indoor air quality in classrooms, lecture halls, auditoriums, and other spaces where large numbers of students, teachers, staff, and visitors congregate can also help mitigate the spread of disease (as we learned during COVID). TelosAir’s rich data set, combined with sophisticated metrics, reporting, and analytics,  provides real-time intelligence about a school’s air quality, directly relevant for improved student health, well-being, and educational outcomes.

Real World Scenarios

TelosAir measurements can inform the school facilities team indirectly about emerging problems such as mold spores in Spring, from analytics of year-round data, giving them a head-start on remediation efforts.

Continuous monitoring of indoor air quality is especially critical in minimizing operational disruptions related to the widespread presence of disease-causing pathogens, such as Sars-Cov-2.

Further Reading

USE CASE

Sustainable Operations
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USE CASE

Smart Warning System
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