Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) Human comfort, productivity, and a sense of health and well-being are the positive outcome of a healthy indoor environment. Download Vaisala HVAC eBook Indoor air quality monitoring Indoor air quality (IAQ) is measured with humidity meters and temperature and CO₂ sensors to ensure standards for human comfort indoors. Although human comfort depends on an interaction of multiple variables, optimizing relative humidity, temperature and CO₂ by measuring indoor air quality (IAQ) satisfies the comfort requirements for a wider variety of occupants than optimizing only temperature. Watch the video about Vaisala's HVAC sensors below or continue reading about how humidity affects indoor air quality. How does humidity affect indoor air quality? Low relative humidity in indoor air results in human discomfort. Headache, irritated eyes, sore throat, and dry skin are all symptoms of a dry indoor environment. Dry air lowers the natural defense against airborne infections and makes people vulnerable to the attack of viruses and other micro-organisms. In addition to the problems associated with low humidity, too high humidity can also cause problems. These problems are related to the growth and spread of unhealthy biological pollutants and to the damaging effect of moisture on the construction materials. Typically, humans are less sensitive to humidity than temperature. People generally fail to associate discomfort and potential health problems with variations in relative humidity. This is where a good technology can support the human senses. A reliable humidity measurement is the key to successful humidity control. How do CO₂ levels affect indoor air quality? Demand-controlled ventilation (DVC) functions by controlling ventilation according to how many people occupy a space. The aim is to provide good indoor air quality to the occupants with energy efficient ventilation. The European EN standard 13779: 2007 defines good indoor air quality as follows: “Indoor air quality can be categorized by CO₂ concentration.” This notion sets the foundations to operate DCV by measuring CO₂ and controlling ventilation accordingly. The standard also sets the normal expectation for indoor CO₂ level at 400–600 ppm, which is slightly above the normal levels in outdoor air (400 ppm). The modern ventilation systems are built around this supposition to ensure good enough indoor air quality while remaining energy efficient. In reality, though, this applies mostly to modern offices with modern ventilation systems. Field studies show that regular office conditions have a 1,500 ppm concentration of CO₂, which may seem a very high level, but the regulatory limit considered safe for people is even higher: 5,000 ppm of carbon dioxide over an eight-hour period. When indoor CO₂ levels rise, cognitive skills, like crisis response, information usage and strategy, are decreased only to 20% in a 1,400 ppm concentration of CO₂ compared to the normal outdoor level of 400 ppm. Some of the more mechanical skills, like information seeking and task orientation, are not affected much. However, cognitive skills that require more advanced application of information, information are affected the most. Handling more advanced tasks becomes much more difficult when the indoor carbon dioxide levels rise. Accurate measurement of indoor air and better ventilation are vital to cognitive abilities of people working in offices. Vaisala offers a variety of handheld and fixed indoor air quality (IAQ) sensors for measuring relative humidity, temperature and CO₂. View all our HVAC offering. Indoor Air Quality related products Jade Smart Cloud Combining industrial-grade measurements with secure and reliable wireless monitoring, Vaisala Jade Smart Cloud brings new levels of proficiency and flexibility for professionals. Humidity and Temperature Transmitter Series HMDW80 The HMDW80 series is versatile with transmitters for wall and duct mounting for measuring relative humidity and temperature in various building automation applications. CO2, Temperature and Humidity Transmitter Series GMW90 The wall-mounted Vaisala GMW90 Series CARBOCAP® Carbon Dioxide, Temperature and Humidity Transmitters are especially suited for green building projects and demand controlled ventilation. Humidity and Temperature Transmitter Series HMW90 Typical applications are include museums and archives, production and warehouse facilities, data centers, laboratories, and testing environments. CO2, Humidity and Temperature Transmitter Series GMW80 Measuring CO2 is the most economical way to monitor both indoor air quality (IAQ) and human presence with one sensor. Related stories Blog | Oct 31, 2022 Four applications where Jade Smart Cloud shows its strengths Your organization might need to monitor humidity and temperature for many reasons, from preserving perishables to timing the installation of... Read more Blog | Sep 15, 2022 The sensor requirements of data centers Investments in accurate, stable measurement systems are negligible in comparison with the value of the systems and information held by data... Read more Blog | Mar 22, 2022 Lowering infection risk with smart ventilation Download the article as pdf As countries emerge from the pandemic, it will be interesting to see what the ‘new normal’ looks like. Will workers... Read more Blog | Sep 15, 2021 Ensuring accurate humidity measurement in industrial processes From the automotive industry to food production and from pharmaceuticals to steel or chemicals production, humidity measurement is a key part of... Read more Press Release | Aug 19, 2021 Most people worry about indoor air quality amidst the COVID-19 pandemic Vaisala Press release August 19, 2021 Most people worry about indoor air... Read more Blog | Jun 9, 2021 What role do alerts play in a modern measurement system? Nowadays we are bombarded by notifications, especially on our smartphones, where we might receive several every hour. Alerts are notifications... Read more Blog | Mar 15, 2021 Enabling data center continuity with Vaisala sensors When it comes to operating a data center at full efficiency, maintaining a controlled environment with reliable and accurate sensors is critical... Read more Customer case Elevated vertical farming using Vaisala humidity and CO2 measurements Learn how vertical farming company Fifth Season is creating a new standard for indoor farming with the help of robotics, AI, and Vaisala sensors... Read more Blog | Nov 12, 2020 Six things you should at least consider when choosing a wireless solution You’ve probably heard about the significant benefits of wireless IoT solutions, and you’ve perhaps also wondered how you can use them to make... Read more Customer case Why climate control systems provider Damatex chose Vaisala sensors for their greenhouse customers Climate control systems are revolutionizing greenhouses, HVAC and building automation. Read how Damatex uses Vaisala technology to achieve... Read more Blog | Aug 25, 2020 Do I need an Indigo transmitter or just an Indigo probe? The Vaisala Indigo family is a modular solution with interchangeable probes, smart transmitters, and Indigo Insight PC software. There are many... Read more Press Release | Apr 21, 2020 Vaisala takes its world-leading humidity measurements to the cloud Vaisala Press release April 21, 2020 Vaisala takes its world-leading... Read more Blog | Apr 14, 2020 Better insights from better data - the power of machine learning and AI The term “machine learning” was coined by Arthur Samuel as long ago as 1959, with research into the topic – closely linked to research into... Read more Blog | Feb 25, 2020 Developing future-proof solutions The world around us is changing fast with the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), and our customers’ operating... Read more Blog | Jan 13, 2020 Common pitfalls when installing HVAC outdoor sensors This is the third in a series of three blog posts looking at common pitfalls when installing HVAC sensors, focusing on physical measurement... Read more Blog | Dec 18, 2019 Common pitfalls when installing HVAC duct sensors This is the second in a series of three blog posts looking at common pitfalls when installing HVAC sensors, focusing on physical measurement... Read more Blog | Nov 26, 2019 Common pitfalls when installing HVAC wall sensors This is the first of a series of three blog posts looking at common pitfalls when installing HVAC sensors, focusing on physical measurement... Read more Blog | Aug 12, 2019 Choose the Right CO2 Sensor for Your HVAC Application The environment in which you’re measuring CO2 plays an important role in determining the best choice of sensor for your application. In this... Read more Blog | Jun 3, 2019 How CARBOCAP Can Help with HVAC CO2 Measurements CO2 sensors are central in reducing energy consumption using demand-controlled ventilation (DCV). As the measurement directly controls the... Read more Press Release | Apr 29, 2019 Vaisala Widens Its Product Offering for Demanding HVAC and Light Industrial Applications Vaisala Press Release April 29, 2019 Vaisala Widens Its Product Offering... Read more Blog | Mar 18, 2019 Why Do We Measure CO₂ in HVAC Applications? Measuring CO₂ in HVAC applications Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) is typically not considered a challenging application area... Read more Customer case Vaisala’s viewLinc system monitors the tissue bank in the New Children’s Hospital in Helsinki Vaisala is an honorary donor of the New Children’s Hospital, opened recently in Helsinki. Vaisala has provided the hospital with measurement... Read more Blog | Feb 6, 2019 Field Maintenance of HVAC Humidity and CO2 Sensors Anything worth measuring is worth measuring right, and to do that periodic calibration is essential. In HVAC, the primary reason to measure CO₂... Read more Blog | Jan 16, 2019 What Causes Drift in Relative Humidity Sensors? All gases in the environment will interact with a humidity sensor and potentially cause drift. Water needs to get in and out of the sensor... Read more Blog | Nov 21, 2018 How to Choose the Right Parameter for Humidity Control in HVAC Most people working in the HVAC field are familiar with using relative humidity (RH) as the default control parameter for humidity measurement... Read more Blog | Oct 25, 2018 Relative Humidity – What Is It And Why Is It Important? The basics Put simply, relative humidity (RH) is a measure of the water vapor content of air. More explicitly, it is the amount of water vapor... Read more Blog | Oct 24, 2018 Why is measuring CO2 important? Most of us know that CO₂ is a colorless, odorless gas that’s soluble in water and often seen as the bubbles in fizzy drinks. But it’s also a... Read more Press Release | Sep 25, 2018 Upgraded Performance With the New HMD60 Series Transmitters Vaisala Press Release September 25, 2018 Upgraded Performance With the New... Read more Customer case Infosys monitors indoor air with Vaisala’s HVAC sensors Best quality indoor air with Vaisala's HVAC sensors Infosys is the second largest Indian IT consulting company with 200,000 plus employees and... Read more Customer case Creating the right climate Vaisala humidity transmitters help to preserve the royal warship Vasa Saving the famous 17th century Swedish warship, Vasa, from further... Read more
Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) Human comfort, productivity, and a sense of health and well-being are the positive outcome of a healthy indoor environment. Download Vaisala HVAC eBook
Indoor Air Quality related products Jade Smart Cloud Combining industrial-grade measurements with secure and reliable wireless monitoring, Vaisala Jade Smart Cloud brings new levels of proficiency and flexibility for professionals. Humidity and Temperature Transmitter Series HMDW80 The HMDW80 series is versatile with transmitters for wall and duct mounting for measuring relative humidity and temperature in various building automation applications. CO2, Temperature and Humidity Transmitter Series GMW90 The wall-mounted Vaisala GMW90 Series CARBOCAP® Carbon Dioxide, Temperature and Humidity Transmitters are especially suited for green building projects and demand controlled ventilation. Humidity and Temperature Transmitter Series HMW90 Typical applications are include museums and archives, production and warehouse facilities, data centers, laboratories, and testing environments. CO2, Humidity and Temperature Transmitter Series GMW80 Measuring CO2 is the most economical way to monitor both indoor air quality (IAQ) and human presence with one sensor.
Jade Smart Cloud Combining industrial-grade measurements with secure and reliable wireless monitoring, Vaisala Jade Smart Cloud brings new levels of proficiency and flexibility for professionals.
Humidity and Temperature Transmitter Series HMDW80 The HMDW80 series is versatile with transmitters for wall and duct mounting for measuring relative humidity and temperature in various building automation applications.
CO2, Temperature and Humidity Transmitter Series GMW90 The wall-mounted Vaisala GMW90 Series CARBOCAP® Carbon Dioxide, Temperature and Humidity Transmitters are especially suited for green building projects and demand controlled ventilation.
Humidity and Temperature Transmitter Series HMW90 Typical applications are include museums and archives, production and warehouse facilities, data centers, laboratories, and testing environments.
CO2, Humidity and Temperature Transmitter Series GMW80 Measuring CO2 is the most economical way to monitor both indoor air quality (IAQ) and human presence with one sensor.
Related stories Blog | Oct 31, 2022 Four applications where Jade Smart Cloud shows its strengths Your organization might need to monitor humidity and temperature for many reasons, from preserving perishables to timing the installation of... Read more Blog | Sep 15, 2022 The sensor requirements of data centers Investments in accurate, stable measurement systems are negligible in comparison with the value of the systems and information held by data... Read more Blog | Mar 22, 2022 Lowering infection risk with smart ventilation Download the article as pdf As countries emerge from the pandemic, it will be interesting to see what the ‘new normal’ looks like. Will workers... Read more Blog | Sep 15, 2021 Ensuring accurate humidity measurement in industrial processes From the automotive industry to food production and from pharmaceuticals to steel or chemicals production, humidity measurement is a key part of... Read more Press Release | Aug 19, 2021 Most people worry about indoor air quality amidst the COVID-19 pandemic Vaisala Press release August 19, 2021 Most people worry about indoor air... Read more Blog | Jun 9, 2021 What role do alerts play in a modern measurement system? Nowadays we are bombarded by notifications, especially on our smartphones, where we might receive several every hour. Alerts are notifications... Read more Blog | Mar 15, 2021 Enabling data center continuity with Vaisala sensors When it comes to operating a data center at full efficiency, maintaining a controlled environment with reliable and accurate sensors is critical... Read more Customer case Elevated vertical farming using Vaisala humidity and CO2 measurements Learn how vertical farming company Fifth Season is creating a new standard for indoor farming with the help of robotics, AI, and Vaisala sensors... Read more Blog | Nov 12, 2020 Six things you should at least consider when choosing a wireless solution You’ve probably heard about the significant benefits of wireless IoT solutions, and you’ve perhaps also wondered how you can use them to make... Read more Customer case Why climate control systems provider Damatex chose Vaisala sensors for their greenhouse customers Climate control systems are revolutionizing greenhouses, HVAC and building automation. Read how Damatex uses Vaisala technology to achieve... Read more Blog | Aug 25, 2020 Do I need an Indigo transmitter or just an Indigo probe? The Vaisala Indigo family is a modular solution with interchangeable probes, smart transmitters, and Indigo Insight PC software. There are many... Read more Press Release | Apr 21, 2020 Vaisala takes its world-leading humidity measurements to the cloud Vaisala Press release April 21, 2020 Vaisala takes its world-leading... Read more Blog | Apr 14, 2020 Better insights from better data - the power of machine learning and AI The term “machine learning” was coined by Arthur Samuel as long ago as 1959, with research into the topic – closely linked to research into... Read more Blog | Feb 25, 2020 Developing future-proof solutions The world around us is changing fast with the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), and our customers’ operating... Read more Blog | Jan 13, 2020 Common pitfalls when installing HVAC outdoor sensors This is the third in a series of three blog posts looking at common pitfalls when installing HVAC sensors, focusing on physical measurement... Read more Blog | Dec 18, 2019 Common pitfalls when installing HVAC duct sensors This is the second in a series of three blog posts looking at common pitfalls when installing HVAC sensors, focusing on physical measurement... Read more Blog | Nov 26, 2019 Common pitfalls when installing HVAC wall sensors This is the first of a series of three blog posts looking at common pitfalls when installing HVAC sensors, focusing on physical measurement... Read more Blog | Aug 12, 2019 Choose the Right CO2 Sensor for Your HVAC Application The environment in which you’re measuring CO2 plays an important role in determining the best choice of sensor for your application. In this... Read more Blog | Jun 3, 2019 How CARBOCAP Can Help with HVAC CO2 Measurements CO2 sensors are central in reducing energy consumption using demand-controlled ventilation (DCV). As the measurement directly controls the... Read more Press Release | Apr 29, 2019 Vaisala Widens Its Product Offering for Demanding HVAC and Light Industrial Applications Vaisala Press Release April 29, 2019 Vaisala Widens Its Product Offering... Read more Blog | Mar 18, 2019 Why Do We Measure CO₂ in HVAC Applications? Measuring CO₂ in HVAC applications Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) is typically not considered a challenging application area... Read more Customer case Vaisala’s viewLinc system monitors the tissue bank in the New Children’s Hospital in Helsinki Vaisala is an honorary donor of the New Children’s Hospital, opened recently in Helsinki. Vaisala has provided the hospital with measurement... Read more Blog | Feb 6, 2019 Field Maintenance of HVAC Humidity and CO2 Sensors Anything worth measuring is worth measuring right, and to do that periodic calibration is essential. In HVAC, the primary reason to measure CO₂... Read more Blog | Jan 16, 2019 What Causes Drift in Relative Humidity Sensors? All gases in the environment will interact with a humidity sensor and potentially cause drift. Water needs to get in and out of the sensor... Read more Blog | Nov 21, 2018 How to Choose the Right Parameter for Humidity Control in HVAC Most people working in the HVAC field are familiar with using relative humidity (RH) as the default control parameter for humidity measurement... Read more Blog | Oct 25, 2018 Relative Humidity – What Is It And Why Is It Important? The basics Put simply, relative humidity (RH) is a measure of the water vapor content of air. More explicitly, it is the amount of water vapor... Read more Blog | Oct 24, 2018 Why is measuring CO2 important? Most of us know that CO₂ is a colorless, odorless gas that’s soluble in water and often seen as the bubbles in fizzy drinks. But it’s also a... Read more Press Release | Sep 25, 2018 Upgraded Performance With the New HMD60 Series Transmitters Vaisala Press Release September 25, 2018 Upgraded Performance With the New... Read more Customer case Infosys monitors indoor air with Vaisala’s HVAC sensors Best quality indoor air with Vaisala's HVAC sensors Infosys is the second largest Indian IT consulting company with 200,000 plus employees and... Read more Customer case Creating the right climate Vaisala humidity transmitters help to preserve the royal warship Vasa Saving the famous 17th century Swedish warship, Vasa, from further... Read more
Blog | Oct 31, 2022 Four applications where Jade Smart Cloud shows its strengths Your organization might need to monitor humidity and temperature for many reasons, from preserving perishables to timing the installation of... Read more
Blog | Sep 15, 2022 The sensor requirements of data centers Investments in accurate, stable measurement systems are negligible in comparison with the value of the systems and information held by data... Read more
Blog | Mar 22, 2022 Lowering infection risk with smart ventilation Download the article as pdf As countries emerge from the pandemic, it will be interesting to see what the ‘new normal’ looks like. Will workers... Read more
Blog | Sep 15, 2021 Ensuring accurate humidity measurement in industrial processes From the automotive industry to food production and from pharmaceuticals to steel or chemicals production, humidity measurement is a key part of... Read more
Press Release | Aug 19, 2021 Most people worry about indoor air quality amidst the COVID-19 pandemic Vaisala Press release August 19, 2021 Most people worry about indoor air... Read more
Blog | Jun 9, 2021 What role do alerts play in a modern measurement system? Nowadays we are bombarded by notifications, especially on our smartphones, where we might receive several every hour. Alerts are notifications... Read more
Blog | Mar 15, 2021 Enabling data center continuity with Vaisala sensors When it comes to operating a data center at full efficiency, maintaining a controlled environment with reliable and accurate sensors is critical... Read more
Customer case Elevated vertical farming using Vaisala humidity and CO2 measurements Learn how vertical farming company Fifth Season is creating a new standard for indoor farming with the help of robotics, AI, and Vaisala sensors... Read more
Blog | Nov 12, 2020 Six things you should at least consider when choosing a wireless solution You’ve probably heard about the significant benefits of wireless IoT solutions, and you’ve perhaps also wondered how you can use them to make... Read more
Customer case Why climate control systems provider Damatex chose Vaisala sensors for their greenhouse customers Climate control systems are revolutionizing greenhouses, HVAC and building automation. Read how Damatex uses Vaisala technology to achieve... Read more
Blog | Aug 25, 2020 Do I need an Indigo transmitter or just an Indigo probe? The Vaisala Indigo family is a modular solution with interchangeable probes, smart transmitters, and Indigo Insight PC software. There are many... Read more
Press Release | Apr 21, 2020 Vaisala takes its world-leading humidity measurements to the cloud Vaisala Press release April 21, 2020 Vaisala takes its world-leading... Read more
Blog | Apr 14, 2020 Better insights from better data - the power of machine learning and AI The term “machine learning” was coined by Arthur Samuel as long ago as 1959, with research into the topic – closely linked to research into... Read more
Blog | Feb 25, 2020 Developing future-proof solutions The world around us is changing fast with the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), and our customers’ operating... Read more
Blog | Jan 13, 2020 Common pitfalls when installing HVAC outdoor sensors This is the third in a series of three blog posts looking at common pitfalls when installing HVAC sensors, focusing on physical measurement... Read more
Blog | Dec 18, 2019 Common pitfalls when installing HVAC duct sensors This is the second in a series of three blog posts looking at common pitfalls when installing HVAC sensors, focusing on physical measurement... Read more
Blog | Nov 26, 2019 Common pitfalls when installing HVAC wall sensors This is the first of a series of three blog posts looking at common pitfalls when installing HVAC sensors, focusing on physical measurement... Read more
Blog | Aug 12, 2019 Choose the Right CO2 Sensor for Your HVAC Application The environment in which you’re measuring CO2 plays an important role in determining the best choice of sensor for your application. In this... Read more
Blog | Jun 3, 2019 How CARBOCAP Can Help with HVAC CO2 Measurements CO2 sensors are central in reducing energy consumption using demand-controlled ventilation (DCV). As the measurement directly controls the... Read more
Press Release | Apr 29, 2019 Vaisala Widens Its Product Offering for Demanding HVAC and Light Industrial Applications Vaisala Press Release April 29, 2019 Vaisala Widens Its Product Offering... Read more
Blog | Mar 18, 2019 Why Do We Measure CO₂ in HVAC Applications? Measuring CO₂ in HVAC applications Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) is typically not considered a challenging application area... Read more
Customer case Vaisala’s viewLinc system monitors the tissue bank in the New Children’s Hospital in Helsinki Vaisala is an honorary donor of the New Children’s Hospital, opened recently in Helsinki. Vaisala has provided the hospital with measurement... Read more
Blog | Feb 6, 2019 Field Maintenance of HVAC Humidity and CO2 Sensors Anything worth measuring is worth measuring right, and to do that periodic calibration is essential. In HVAC, the primary reason to measure CO₂... Read more
Blog | Jan 16, 2019 What Causes Drift in Relative Humidity Sensors? All gases in the environment will interact with a humidity sensor and potentially cause drift. Water needs to get in and out of the sensor... Read more
Blog | Nov 21, 2018 How to Choose the Right Parameter for Humidity Control in HVAC Most people working in the HVAC field are familiar with using relative humidity (RH) as the default control parameter for humidity measurement... Read more
Blog | Oct 25, 2018 Relative Humidity – What Is It And Why Is It Important? The basics Put simply, relative humidity (RH) is a measure of the water vapor content of air. More explicitly, it is the amount of water vapor... Read more
Blog | Oct 24, 2018 Why is measuring CO2 important? Most of us know that CO₂ is a colorless, odorless gas that’s soluble in water and often seen as the bubbles in fizzy drinks. But it’s also a... Read more
Press Release | Sep 25, 2018 Upgraded Performance With the New HMD60 Series Transmitters Vaisala Press Release September 25, 2018 Upgraded Performance With the New... Read more
Customer case Infosys monitors indoor air with Vaisala’s HVAC sensors Best quality indoor air with Vaisala's HVAC sensors Infosys is the second largest Indian IT consulting company with 200,000 plus employees and... Read more
Customer case Creating the right climate Vaisala humidity transmitters help to preserve the royal warship Vasa Saving the famous 17th century Swedish warship, Vasa, from further... Read more