The importance of ventilation to maintain good air quality is gaining attention for the health and well-being of people working in offices. The key factor is carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration, which is being utilized in various solutions. Here, we clarify how CO2 concentration relates to well-being and introduce specific solutions.
The Relationship Between CO2 Concentration and Well-being
Well-being is a concept that means a state of physical, • mental, • and social health and fulfillment. Improving well-being in offices means aiming for an environment where workers can work in good physical and mental health and with social satisfaction. With the support of the international certification system " WELL certification, " many companies have been advancing initiatives in recent years, and office spaces that consider worker well-being are being realized with the help of various solutions.
Reference：What is WELL Certification? Introducing New Standards for Office Spaces
Among these initiatives, air quality is particularly emphasized in conjunction with the need for infection control measures. Air quality involves temperature, humidity, CO2, PM2.5, and other factors, and when these conditions deteriorate, they affect not only work productivity but also health. It is known that not only harmful substances such as viruses and PM2.5, but also CO2, when exceeding a certain concentration, can cause fatigue, drowsiness, and decreased concentration.
Since people constantly breathe in air and exhale CO2, in spaces with insufficient ventilation, CO2 concentration gradually rises. In other words, in offices where people gather to work, CO2 concentration naturally increases unless proper ventilation is provided. To reduce this CO2 concentration, ventilation to exchange air is essential. Measures such as opening windows for ventilation and operating various ventilation systems are important, and they also have the effect of eliminating the stagnation of other harmful substances, making them the key to maintaining good air quality.
CO2 concentration can be detected with measuring devices equipped with CO2 sensors. According to government standards, the desirable CO2 concentration inside buildings is 1,000 ppm or less, and when this standard is exceeded, immediate ventilation is required. In this way, CO2 concentration is positioned as an important barometer for understanding the state of air, which is fundamental to health and well-being, and for performing appropriate ventilation.
How Does CO2 Affect the Human Body?
When CO2 concentration exceeds the standard of 1,000 ppm, symptoms such as drowsiness, fatigue, headaches, tinnitus, and shortness of breath are known to occur. At 5,000 ppm or higher, changes such as increased heart rate and elevated blood pressure begin to appear. When exceeding 10,000 ppm, symptoms such as drowsiness and headaches intensify, and health damage begins to occur. In many cases, decreased cognitive ability also occurs.
Although unlikely to occur in offices, at CO2 concentrations of 30,000 to 50,000 ppm, symptoms such as dizziness, difficulty breathing, and confusion begin to appear. When exposed to even higher CO2 concentrations, carbon dioxide poisoning occurs, which can lead to death.
Note that the effects of insufficient ventilation in offices are not limited to rising CO2 concentration, but also include increased risk of infectious diseases, mold growth due to rising humidity, increased allergens such as dust mites and formaldehyde, and increased risk of carbon monoxide poisoning due to incomplete combustion of water heaters and heating equipment.
Solutions for Controlling CO2 Concentration in Offices
What is needed to maintain good air quality, especially CO2 concentration, in offices is appropriate ventilation. In response to growing interest in office well-being, many solutions useful for ventilation measures have been developed. Let us introduce those that primarily utilize smart technology.
" Visualizing " Air Quality with IoT Sensors
Data such as CO2 concentration, temperature and humidity, and PM2.5 contained in the air is constantly monitored using various IoT sensors to understand the state of the air. Image sensors can also be used to identify areas where CO2 concentration increases along with congestion and crowding levels. Data is saved to the cloud via Wi-Fi and the internet, and can be displayed and checked on PCs, smartphones, and digital signage, enabling measures such as ventilation and crowd control.
Automatic Ventilation Systems
Systems in which various sensors and ventilation equipment are connected via networks and automatic ventilation is performed at appropriate times based on data from sensors are already in operation in many buildings and offices. It is also possible to utilize data such as crowd density for ventilation control, with sensing technologies such as sensors and spatial scanners being utilized. Flexible ventilation systems that monitor air quality and perform automatic ventilation according to increases and decreases in people have also been realized.
Ventilation Control with Automatic Doors
Automatic doors installed at the entrances of buildings and offices have wide openings and can be expected to have a significant effect on air exchange. IoT doors that combine CO2 sensor systems with these automatic doors to open and close them according to CO2 concentration have been put into practical use. This is one automatic ventilation solution where doors automatically open to ventilate when CO2 concentration exceeds 1,000 ppm.
With conventional ventilation methods, automatic doors are fixed in an open state, resulting in significant energy loss, reduced air conditioning efficiency, and difficulty maintaining good indoor environment including temperature and humidity. Another disadvantage was that manual ventilation management tends to be incomplete. With IoT doors that can ventilate with minimal opening and closing through sensor operation, these disadvantages are eliminated.
Regarding automatic door technology, mechanisms that control opening and closing more precisely are also being developed. These can flexibly change door opening and closing according to the season, environment, and people passing through. This not only reduces unnecessary energy loss but also realizes people-friendly automatic doors that everyone can pass through with peace of mind. By incorporating AI and IoT technologies, it can be said that functions useful for improving well-being are becoming increasingly enhanced.
Windows Equipped with Ventilation Systems
Generally, upgrading existing ventilation systems in buildings requires large-scale construction, but ventilation systems with ventilation fans built into window sections can be introduced relatively easily. They work in conjunction with various indoor sensors to maintain CO2 concentration within a favorable range. By smartly switching between intake • and exhaust, ventilation can be performed while maintaining room temperature even in summer and winter when indoor-outdoor temperature differences are extreme.
Summary
Among the elements that constitute the office environment, air quality has been particularly emphasized in recent years. To maintain good air quality, it is necessary to focus on CO2 concentration and implement ventilation measures. Many solutions have already been put into practical use, and new developments are also progressing. We should continue to pay attention to these for the improvement of well-being of people working in offices.