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Indoor Air Quality Monitoring: A Comprehensive Guide for Real Estate Professionals

Indoor air quality monitoring guide

Table of Contents

  1. Introduction
  2. What is Indoor Air Quality Monitoring?
  3. What are the indoor air quality monitoring benefits?
  4. Why is Indoor Air Quality Monitoring Important?
  5. What Are the Key Components of Indoor Air Quality Monitoring?
  6. A complete solution for indoor climate monitoring: Freesi indoor climate management

1. Introduction

Indoor air quality (IAQ) has become a growing concern in recent years, with the rise of respiratory diseases and the increase in air pollution levels. As people spend more time indoors, the quality of the air they breathe has become increasingly important. This is where indoor air quality monitoring comes into play.

As a property owner or manager, it’s your job to ensure that your buildings are safe and comfortable and promote your tenants’ health and wellbeing. And what is more, embedded health and wellbeing measures could be a product differentiator and increase the return on investment on your assets.

In recent years, there has been a growing awareness of the importance of indoor air quality and its impact on human health. Consequently, tenants have become more critical of the indoor conditions, and studies show that tenants are willing to pay a premium for premises managed for indoor air quality.

2. What is Indoor Air Quality Monitoring?

Indoor air quality monitoring refers to the process of measuring and analyzing the air quality in indoor spaces, such as homes, offices, and schools. The goal of IAQ monitoring is to identify any potential health hazards in the indoor environment and to take appropriate actions to improve the air quality.

3. What are the indoor air quality monitoring benefits?

Indoor climate management can provide a range of benefits, including improved indoor air quality, increased tenants satisfaction and reduced energy usage.

Improved indoor air quality

By controlling the temperature, humidity, and air quality within a building, asset managers can help to preserve the integrity of the building’s structure and contents, reducing the risk of damage from moisture, mold, or pests. This can lead to improved air quality and lower maintenance and repair costs over time. 

Increased tenant satisfaction

Indoor climate management can create a more comfortable and healthy environment for occupants, which can increase tenant satisfaction and retention rates. By investing in monitoring and improving your indoor air quality, you can increase the value of your portolio and attract and retain high-quality tenants willing to pay more for a healthy living and working environment.

Reduced energy usage

By maintaining optimal indoor climate conditions, asset managers can reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, resulting in lower operating costs and a more sustainable building.

Summary

Overall, indoor air quality monitoring provides a range of benefits, including identifying potential issues, maintaining regulatory compliance, enhancing tenant satisfaction, and promoting sustainability. By prioritizing indoor air quality monitoring, you can create a healthy, comfortable, and sustainable environment for building occupants while minimizing costs and risks.

4. Why is Indoor Air Quality Monitoring Important?

Indoor air quality monitoring can improve the health and productivity of people and provide tools for a more sustainable future

Indoor climate management has a major potential for improving people’s health and productivity, as well as supporting a more sustainable future. As people come more aware of these issues, the importance of well-managed portfolio increases to stay desirable for investors and tenants in the market. Responsible real estate professionals are taking action to capitalize on the benefits of indoor climate management now before it’s too late.

With indoor climate management you can decrease the risk of health problems and improve cognitive function and productivity

Breathing clean air can significantly impact our health and well-being, including reducing the risk of respiratory problems, allergies, and other health issues. Poor indoor air quality, on the other hand, can lead to a range of health problems, including headaches, fatigue, and cognitive impairment. Hence, it’s easy to understand tenants willingness to pay a premium for a space managed for indoor air.

Good indoor air quality can improve cognitive function and productivity. Studies have shown that exposure to pollutants can negatively impact cognitive function, including memory, attention, and decision-making.1 In contrast, clean indoor air has been shown to improve cognitive function and productivity, leading to better performance at work or school. Overall, good indoor air quality is essential for maintaining a healthy and comfortable indoor environment.

Indoor climate management is a critical component of building sustainability

Nearly 40% of global carbon dioxide emissions come from the real estate sector.2 These emissions come from the energy used to heat, cool, and operate buildings, as well as the materials used in construction and maintenance. Therefore, decarbonization in the industry is a current topic for a reason. Indoor climate management is a critical component of building sustainability and can significantly reduce energy consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, and the carbon footprint of buildings.

Fast movers will have a competitive edge as investors and other stakeholders will become increasingly aware of the sustainability issues

Governments, investors and the public have become increasingly committed to the net-zero emissions target to mitigate the worst potential effects of climate change. And hence, in the future, successful real estate investors must effectively manage climate risks and aggressively capitalize on climate opportunities to make sustainable investments.2 This puts pressure on fund and asset managers to collaborate with tool and data providers to secure healthy indoor climate in their portfolio with less energy.

5. What Are the Key Components of Indoor Air Quality Monitoring?

There are several key components to indoor air quality monitoring, including:

Air Quality Sensors & loggers: These devices are used to measure the levels of pollutants in the air, such as carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) as well as temperature, and humidity. Another option is to connect to the building automation system data.

Analytical Software: This software is used to analyze the data and identify any potential health hazards across your building portfolio. Good analytical software makes it easy to follow the key figures to secure optimal indoor climate across your portfolio.

Action Plans: Once potential health hazard or energy waste is identified, action plan can be developed to save energy and improve the air quality. Advanced analytical software provides insights on where and how to improve in your portfolio.

6. Freesi indoor climate management – A complete solution for indoor air quality monitoring

Easy-to-use interface for real estate professionals at all levels of technical expertise to monitor and report in a stantardized format

Freesi is a market-leading indoor air quality optimization software that stands out for its visual and easy-to-use interface, making it accessible to professionals at all levels of technical expertise. With Freesi, real estate professionals can quickly monitor and report indoor conditions at the portfolio level in a standardized format.

Science based social responsibility metrics to master the “S” of ESG

With Freesi you can set science-based metrics and portfolio targets for social responsibility. Set standardized portfolio targets with Freesi People Health Index.

Energy-saving features to achieve healthy indoor climate with less energy

Optimize indoor climate conditions for energy-efficiency. Freesi can help real estate professionals identify areas of energy waste, such as over-cooling or over-heating, and adjust systems to reduce energy consumption while maintaining a comfortable indoor climate.

Advanced analytical tools & AI powered notifications to make improvements in your assets

Advanced analytics and artificial intelligence (AI) allow users to identify trends and patterns in indoor climate data, enabling them to proactively set targets and address potential issues before they become more significant problems.

Easiest deployment and onboarding on the market

The solution is delivered as-a-service for maximum convenience, resource efficiency, and deployment speed. Freesi wants to make the onboarding stage as easy as possible for clients by providing support and educational content to engage all stakeholders in the process.

Book a free consultation

Freesi Indoor climate management is proven to work at scale in global real estate portfolios. 180+ organizations trust Freesi as their indoor climate management partner. Feel free to book a free consultation with our experts to discuss your indoor air quality monitoring needs.