Ventilate by CO2: measure and display in the room
When the air is stale, the people in the room often notice too late – by then concentration and well-being are already dropping. A CO2 display on the wall shows when to air the room. There are two ways to get there: the CO2 traffic light as a stand-alone device, or measurement and display within a system, with data for building automation and analysis.
Two ways to a CO2 display
The principleThe German Environment Agency (UBA) rates CO2 concentrations below 1,000 ppm as hygienically harmless, 1,000 to 2,000 ppm as conspicuous and above 2,000 ppm as unacceptable. The German technical rule for workplaces ASR A3.6 links measures to this: from 1,000 ppm, review and improve ventilation; above 2,000 ppm, take further action.
The EnoPuck® CO2 traffic light measures and displays on its own, without any further infrastructure. If the reading is also to go into building automation, into an analysis or to several places, the EnoSense® CO2 measures and the EnoSign® room display shows the values via the gateway.
CO2 traffic light with bright RGB LEDs: green, yellow, red. Adjustable thresholds; the built-in motion detector switches the LEDs off when nobody is in the room. 12 V plug-in power supply.
CO2 from 0 to 10,000 ppm (± 30 ppm ± 3 %), plus temperature and humidity. Solar cell, a reading every 5 minutes; two AAA batteries bridge longer periods of darkness.
E-paper showing CO2, humidity and temperature, readable even with the lights off. Two AAA batteries, about five years, one screw in the wall.
Receives the readings, feeds the displays and passes everything on to building automation.
From the sensor to the wall and into the building automation
Data pathIn the system, the EnoSense® CO2 transmits its readings by radio to the EnoDisc® receivers. The VL-700 BASE 2 gateway assigns them to the room and sends them to the EnoSign® room display – also to several displays if one measuring point is to be visible in several places. The display refreshes every five minutes.
At the same time, the values go as JSON to an MQTT broker, or via Modbus TCP or KNX to your building automation, for example for demand-controlled ventilation. In the ECS Dashboard, the floor plan is coloured according to the comfort limits you set; the history of the last days and weeks is stored on the gateway.
What this means for your planning
5 points- Plan one measuring point per room, in the occupied zone and away from windows, doors and air outlets.
- Decide between stand-alone and system: the CO2 traffic light only needs a power socket; for analysis, building automation or several displays, plan sensor, display and gateway.
- Mount the display where it will be seen – in a classroom in the teacher’s line of sight, in a meeting room visible from the table.
- Radio receivers: one EnoDisc® per approx. 450 m², one gateway per floor.
- Specify thresholds for traffic light and dashboard, for example 1,000 and 2,000 ppm; they are set during commissioning.
Frequently asked questions
5 questionsAt what CO2 level should a room be aired?
The levels of the German Environment Agency serve as a guide: below 1,000 ppm harmless, 1,000 to 2,000 ppm conspicuous, above 2,000 ppm unacceptable. The German workplace rule ASR A3.6 recommends reviewing and improving ventilation from 1,000 ppm.
Does the CO2 traffic light work without a gateway?
Yes. The EnoPuck® CO2 measures and displays on its own; it only needs its plug-in power supply. The thresholds are set with the free BL-PC-FLEX-2 software. If a gateway is installed later, it can also receive the EnoPuck’s readings.
Does the room display measure by itself?
No. The EnoSign® shows the values of an EnOcean sensor that you assign to it in the gateway’s EnOcean Control System. This allows one measuring point to appear on several displays.
Does the display need a power connection?
No. Two AAA batteries last about five years. To change them, the display is taken off the wall; the housing stays closed.
Can the ventilation system be controlled by CO2?
Yes, via your building automation: the gateway supplies the readings via MQTT, Modbus TCP or KNX, and the target system controls the ventilation.
Shall we plan your rooms?
Tell us the number and type of rooms and whether the values should go into building automation. You will receive a proposal for traffic lights or sensors and displays, a list with order numbers and a quote.