German electronics company Infineon has introduced a CO₂ sensor to improve the energy efficiency of buildings.

The Xensiv PAS CO₂ sensor meets the performance criteria of Well and Leed green building standards.

To help address the global effort for decarbonisation, Infineon says the sensor contributes to five Well features for ventilation design, air quality monitoring and awareness, and six Leed credits for energy performance and enhanced indoor air quality. These help buildings that pursue a certification earn a maximum of 28 points for Leed and up to six points for Well.

These qualifications have been confirmed by an assessment conducted by Greenmap, a programme developed by Italy’s Habitech green building innovation centre. The organisation is accredited for Well performance testing and is a proven Leed provider.

“Our goal is to help companies promote sustainability as part of their strategy to foster innovation and development,” said Laura Pighi, Greenmap chief programme officer. “Greenmap enables organisations to reveal the value of products which contribute to a greener future. Working together with Infineon gave us the opportunity to appreciate their research, applications and strong commitment to sustainable development, decarbonisation and digitalisation.”

Jan-Hendrik Sewing, head of Infineon’s RF and sensors business, added: “Environmental sensing is a pillar in our growing software-driven sensors. Our Xensiv PAS CO₂ sensor provides a healthier environment for occupants, and increases the operating efficiency of ventilation systems for well-being, while significantly reducing energy demand and CO₂ emissions.”

So far NDIR has been considered the state-of-the-art technology for CO₂ sensors. The Xensiv sensor has shown that the photo-acoustic spectroscopy (PAS) principle officially meets the sensor technology requirements approved by Well. Infineon’s sensor is said to equal the performance of high-end NDIR in a four times smaller size.

Green buildings have become a priority for organisations that want to promote occupants’ well-being, increase productivity, save energy costs and meet environmental, social and governance (ESG) goals.

Infineon’s sensor contributes to buildings that require Well and Leed certifications. This can mean adjusting the fresh air supply based on real-time occupancy and providing occupants with a more comfortable environment. The real-time and accurate data output can be used to remove CO₂ pollutants and improve indoor air quality through demand-controlled ventilation. This results in up to 30 per cent energy savings, higher levels of comfort, well-being and productivity. The sensor, in combination with HVAC systems, is an example of how Infineon says it is trying to drive decarbonisation and digitalisation.

The sensor provides real-time measurements for indoor air quality and enables energy-efficient implementation strategies to maintain a healthy indoor environment. The sensor integrates in a small form factor module: a PAS transducer (MEMS acoustic detector, infra-red source and optical filter); a microcontroller for signal processing and algorithms; and a mosfet to drive the infra-red source. The integrated microcontroller performs ppm calculations, compensation and self-calibration algorithms.

The sensitivity of the acoustic detector enables accuracy, while its small size is said to reduce space requirements by more than 75 per cent compared with other commercially available real CO₂ sensors.