An IoT measurement solution for continuous indoor environmental quality monitoring for buildings renovation

Abstract

The measurement of Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) requires the acquisition of multiple quantities regarding thermal comfort and indoor air quality. The IEQ monitoring is essential to investigate the building’s performance, especially when renovation is needed to improve energy efficiency and occupants’ well-being. Thus, IEQ data should be acquired for long periods inside occupied buildings, but traditional measurement solutions could not be adequate. This paper presents the development and application of a non-intrusive and scalable IoT sensing solution for continuous IEQ measurement in occupied buildings during the renovation process. The solution is composed of an IR scanner for mean radiant temperature measurement and a desk node with environmental sensors (air temperature, relative humidity, CO2, PMs). The integration with a BIM-based renovation approach was developed to automatically retrieve building’s data required for sensor configuration and KPIs calculation. The system was installed in a nursery located in Poland to support the renovation process. IEQ performance measured before the intervention revealed issues related to radiant temperature and air quality. Using measured data, interventions were realized to improve the envelope insulation and the occupant’s behaviour. Results from post-renovation measurements showed the IEQ improvement achieved, demonstrating the impact of the sensing solution.