A luminous cloud helps school pupils to ensure a good indoor climate

Press release from Realdania on 14/4/2021

Read the original press release at Realdania »

It's quite simple – a small cloud that lights up red when the CO₂ level in the classroom is too high, combined with a kit that guides students to better ventilation habits. Yet the solution has significantly reduced the amount of CO₂ in classrooms in 33 test schools across the country. THE CLOUD was developed with support from Realdania as part of the effort to improve the indoor climate in schools .

Unfortunately, poor indoor climate and heavy air filled with CO₂ are an everyday occurrence for far too many schoolchildren – with serious consequences for their learning, health and academic performance.

A new study from the consultancy Implement – ​​supported by Realdania – shows that good advice doesn’t necessarily have to cost a fortune when it comes to improving indoor climate. The study documents that a relatively simple solution can have a big and lasting effect:

The solution is shaped like a cloud, which is hung on the wall and plugged into a regular power outlet. When the CO₂ level exceeds the recommended limit, the SKY glows red – a clear signal to students that it is time to open the window and get some fresh air. The SKY comes with a small kit that supports habit changes through short lessons and practical advice.

From 30 to 1 minute with too much CO₂ in the classroom

Over the course of a year and a half, Implement has measured the effect of SKYEN in 125 classrooms across 33 schools. The results are impressive:

• Students' time in rooms with high CO₂ levels has been reduced from over 30 minutes per school day to under 1 minute.
• Even though the effect is measured 1 year after installation, students continue to show that they are in rooms with acceptable CO₂ levels for the majority of the school day.
• In contrast, test classrooms without the SKY are in environments where CO₂ levels regularly exceed recommended limits – every day, every week, throughout the school year.

"Our study clearly shows that SKYEN, together with a habit kit, supports new sustainable habits in the classroom that give students a healthier indoor climate. When the CO₂ level becomes too high, it starts to have a negative impact on students' well-being and learning. But with SKYEN, it has actually been eliminated. And here, a year later, there is no indication that the effect is reversing. It's pretty amazing," says Lasse Frost, consultant at Implement.

SKYEN as part of Realdania's campaign for a better indoor climate

Behind SKYEN is the startup company ÅBN, which develops innovative solutions to improve the indoor climate – not only in schools, but also in offices and other buildings. In 2019, ÅBN, together with four other companies, received support from Realdania to develop, test and document a solution that can improve the air quality in the country's classrooms as part of Realdania's campaign for a healthier indoor climate.

"The purpose of SKYEN has always been to create a simple and habit-changing tool for improving the indoor climate. The study proves that with learning and behavior, you can create a lasting improvement in the indoor climate - even at child height. SKYEN is a very low-hanging fruit, easy to implement and with great value for small budgets. We are of course very proud of the results and now hope for municipal support to improve the indoor climate in primary schools," says Kristoffer Jensen, co-founder and CEO of ÅBN.
Read more about our history »

The need for a broad toolbox

Since 2016, Realdania has worked to improve the indoor climate in the country's schools - among other things by supporting municipalities in working strategically with indoor climate and by creating new knowledge about solutions that go beyond traditional investments in ventilation systems.
"More school renovations with a focus on a good indoor climate and investments in new ventilation systems are necessary if we are to combat the poor indoor climate - but such solutions are often expensive and time-consuming. Therefore, Realdania has chosen to expand the toolbox and support the development of solutions where behavioral changes play a central role and which are easy to implement in everyday life. SKYEN is a good example of this, and the evaluation shows that behavioral changes can yield major and lasting results," explains Anne Gade Iversen, project manager at Realdania.

Read the evaluation from Implement "How we create a good indoor climate in school" »

Contact

For further information about SKYEN or to hear how you can create a healthier indoor climate in your school or business, you can contact us directly:

• Christopher Jensen
  Co-founder and CEO of ÅBN
  kj@aabn.io | +45 4013 0705

• Lasse Frost
  Consultant at Implement Consulting Group
  lafr@implement.dk | 25 67 05 47

• Anne Gade Iversen
  Project Manager at Realdania
  agi@realdania.dk | 20 72 24 02

If you want to know more about how we work with indoor climate optimization or have questions about our solutions, visit our contact page .