Clean-air project

During Covid, various governments were implementing initiatives to maximize ventilation. This was crucial because for a virus that spreads through the air, minimizing infections during work and for students was of utmost importance.

As a result, the Belgian government requested the installation of as many sensors as possible to measure whether indoor spaces were adequately ventilated. And thus, our project at our college was born.

We received several CO2 sensors from the Elsys brand to install on their campus in Jette. However, before installation, we needed connectivity to link these sensors together. This presented us with an opportunity to implement a LoRaWAN (Low Power Wide Area Network) connection. LoRaWAN antennas consume minimal power and can cover extensive distances, making them ideal for transporting small data packets.

We connected our sensors to The Things Network’s Stack database and strategically installed them in various locations. With the assistance of Datacake, we successfully generated graphs containing essential data. Now, every student, teacher, and staff member can scan the sensor’s QR code and access the values for each room. This project provided me with valuable insights into data transport, wireless connectivity, database frameworks, and dashboard design. It’s an experience I’ve had to revisit in my professional life—a lesson well learned.