D6.1 One-pager: Knowledge base/wiki: Difference between revisions

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(Created page with "__NOTOC__ = D6.1 One-pager: Knowledge Base/WIKI = {{Side box | bodystyle = width: 280px; float:right; clear:right; margin: 0 0 1em 1.5em; border: 1.5px solid #00A896; border-radius: 12px; background-color: #ffffff; padding: 15px; box-shadow: 0 4px 12px rgba(0, 168, 150, 0.08); | title = <span style="color: #0E6251; font-weight: bold; font-size: 16px;">EDIAQI Project Deliverable</span> | image = 220px|link= | below = '''Reference Details'''<br/>...")
 
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= D6.1 One-pager: Knowledge Base/WIKI =
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| title = EDIAQI Deliverable D4.2
{{Side box | bodystyle = width: 280px; float:right; clear:right; margin: 0 0 1em 1.5em; border: 1.5px solid #00A896; border-radius: 12px; background-color: #ffffff; padding: 15px; box-shadow: 0 4px 12px rgba(0, 168, 150, 0.08); | title = <span style="color: #0E6251; font-weight: bold; font-size: 16px;">EDIAQI Project Deliverable</span> | image = [[File:EDIAQI_Logo.png|220px|link=]] | below = '''Reference Details'''<br/>
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* '''Deliverable:''' D6.1 (WP6)
| below =
* '''Lead Beneficiary:''' [[Tallinna Tehnikaülikool|TalTech]]
<div style="text-align: left; padding: 4px;">
* '''Dissemination:''' Public (PU)
'''Links'''<br />
* '''Project Duration:''' 2022–2026
'''[http://206.189.52.199/index.php/Main_Page EDIAQI Wiki]'''<br />
* '''Grant Agreement:''' 101057497
<hr style="margin: 8px 0; border: 0; border-top: 1px solid #ccc;" />
* '''Full Report / Tool:''' [https://iaq-simulator.know-center.at/ IAQ Simulator]
'''Deliverable:''' D4.2 ''A Compendium of Pilot Reports and Findings''<br />
'''Work Package:''' WP4: Monitor<br />
'''Lead partner:''' TalTech<br />
'''Type:''' DEM (Demonstrator)<br />
'''Level:''' PU (Public)<br />
</div>
}}
}}


Deliverable D6.1 establishes the architectural, technical, and conceptual framework of the centralized EDIAQI Knowledge Base/WIKI alongside the open-access public IAQ Simulation Tool. Developed under the scientific leadership of Tallinn University of Technology (TalTech) within Work Package 6 (Task 6.1), this open platform translates cutting-edge indoor environmental science, European building guidelines, and consortium findings into clear, actionable knowledge for non-specialist audiences. It addresses critical gaps in how indoor air pollution (IAP) is identified, monitored, and mitigated across European residential and public buildings[cite: 18, 19].
This deliverable provides a comprehensive synthesis of real-world results, building audits, and sensor benchmarks gathered across the four core pilot studies (P1 to P4) and experimental test campaigns within the EDIAQI project. Led by Tallinn University of Technology (TalTech) under Work Package 4 (Task 4.2), its primary purpose is to aggregate pilot performance outcomes, evaluate how successfully each testing ground met its individual objectives, and document the large-scale environmental datasets produced. The compendium serves as a central reference guide for researchers, facility managers, and public authorities seeking to understand practical indoor air quality performance in diverse European building typologies.


== Why is this topic important? ==
== Why is this topic important? ==
People in modern urban environments spend up to 90% of their daily lives indoors, where the concentration of pollutants can frequently surpass outdoor levels[cite: 18, 19]. While ambient outdoor air has been strictly governed by European Union directives for decades, statutory indoor environmental quality standards remain fragmented across Member States[cite: 1, 18]. Poor indoor air quality, coupled with inadequate ventilation, moisture accumulation, and internal chemical emissions, substantially increases the incidence of chronic respiratory illnesses, childhood asthma, and sick building syndromes[cite: 18, 19].  
While controlled laboratory tests provide foundational data, understanding the true performance of indoor air quality interventions requires empirical evidence from occupied, real-world buildings. Different European climates, building structures, and occupant behaviors create complex pollutant dynamics that cannot be fully captured by theoretical models alone.
 
Furthermore, building operators, school administrators, and local municipalities need validated benchmarks to determine which monitoring setups, ventilation adjustments, and air purification strategies yield measurable health and indoor environmental benefits. Deliverable D4.2 bridges this gap by translating extensive multi-site pilot observations into structured, comparable evidence, supporting informed decision-making for future building renovations and public health protections.
 
== Key messages ==
* '''Comprehensive pilot aggregation:''' The deliverable synthesizes findings across diverse testing environments, including municipal buildings, schools, offices, and residential dwellings in Estonia, Italy, Croatia, Lithuania, and Spain.


This knowledge platform directly supports major European policy initiatives, including the recast Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD), the Renovation Wave for Europe, and the Zero Pollution Action Plan (ZPAP) under the European Green Deal[cite: 1, 18]. As deep energy renovations accelerate across the continent, building owners and facility managers must be equipped with sound building-physics principles to prevent building hermetization without sufficient mechanical air exchange or filtration.
* '''Evaluation of monitoring solutions:''' It assesses the real-world operational reliability, data consistency, and practical utility of low-cost multi-sensor networks alongside reference-grade instrumentation.


== Who is this information for? ==
* '''Building audit benchmarks:''' The report outlines outcomes from detailed building audits, examining how natural and mechanical ventilation practices influence indoor pollutant accumulation and decay.
This platform and deliverable provide tailored guidance for:
* '''Homeowners and Residents:''' Seeking practical steps to identify indoor pollution sources (such as cooking, cleaning, or mold) and optimize domestic ventilation[cite: 18].
* '''School and Kindergarten Heads:''' Tasked with safeguarding classroom air hygiene and maintaining optimal CO2 thresholds for cognitive performance and child health[cite: 18].
* '''Building Owners and Facility Managers:''' Designing HVAC maintenance protocols, selecting air filters, and conducting continuous indoor environmental monitoring[cite: 18].
* '''Municipal Authorities and Policymakers:''' Establishing municipal air quality action plans, benchmarking public buildings, and framing future indoor air quality standards[cite: 18].


== Key messages ==
* '''FAIR data integration pathway:''' It connects empirical pilot observations to the centralized EDIAQI Data Platform, ensuring that all underlying measurements remain accessible and reusable for future research.
* '''The EDIAQI Decision Tree:''' Navigates users from basic awareness ("Why?") and sensor selection ("How?") to specific diagnosis ("Building vs. Inhabitant vs. Outdoor") and remediation ("What now?")[cite: 18].
 
* '''Ventilation and Filtration as Key Levers:''' Outdoor pollution penetration demands certified mechanical filtration (e.g., ISO 16890 standards), whereas indoor-generated contaminants require adequate ventilation rates (tracer gas CO2 decay validation) and local source extraction[cite: 12, 18, 19].
* '''Actionable insights for facility managers:''' The compendium provides evidence-based takeaways regarding the operational efficacy of filtration systems, sensor placement strategies, and occupant engagement campaigns.
* '''Democratizing IAQ Monitoring:''' Combines commercial low-cost sensor (LCS) networks with high-precision reference instruments, clarifying sensor accuracy, cross-sensitivities, and placement rules[cite: 1, 18, 19].
* '''Predictive Risk Assessment:''' The integrated machine learning IAQ Simulator allows users without dedicated hardware to estimate indoor NO2 and PM2.5 concentrations based on household metadata and outdoor GIS proximity data[cite: 18].
* '''Open and FAIR Repository:''' The MediaWiki platform acts as a permanent, living knowledge base hosted on DigitalOcean, ensuring continuous updates and long-term sustainability beyond the project timeline[cite: 18].


== What did the EDIAQI project do? ==
== What did the EDIAQI project do? ==
Under Task 6.1, TalTech coordinated consortium input to build a dual knowledge transfer infrastructure[cite: 18, 19]:
Led by TalTech with active contributions from consortium partners across WP4, the project executed four large-scale pilot studies (P1 through P4) and supporting measurement campaigns. The work involved instrumenting dozens of buildings with interoperable sensor nodes, conducting systematic building audits, monitoring ventilation efficiency using tracer gas and sensor data, and collecting qualitative feedback from occupants.  
# '''MediaWiki Knowledge Base:''' Deployed a modular MediaWiki server featuring structured taxonomies covering pollutants (PM, VOCs, radon, bioaerosols, PAHs), monitoring sensors, ventilation engineering, and policy roadmaps[cite: 18]. A visual user guide was produced to empower consortium researchers to contribute deliverable one-pagers continuously[cite: 18].
 
# '''EDIAQI IAQ Simulation Tool:''' Collaborating with Know-Center (KNOW), developed and launched a free web-based risk evaluation simulator ([https://iaq-simulator.know-center.at/])[cite: 18]. Built using Streamlit, Docker, and CatBoost gradient boosting regression, the tool utilizes retrospective cohort datasets (such as COPSAC2000) and OpenStreetMap spatial features to calculate indoor pollutant exposures[cite: 18].
The collected raw streams were harmonized using common interoperability standards (such as the OGC SensorThings API defined in D4.3) and analyzed using advanced data processing techniques. TalTech synthesized these extensive monitoring campaigns into a unified compendium, evaluating pilot success rates and extracting core technical findings to inform future indoor air quality guidelines.


== Main findings ==
== What does this mean in practice? ==
The compendium translates complex multi-site environmental monitoring into practical knowledge for building operators, municipal authorities, and technical stakeholders. It provides clear documentation of what works in real-world indoor environments and where operational challenges persist.


=== Finding 1: Structured Problem Diagnosis through the Decision Tree ===
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="width:100%;"
Deliverable D6.1 introduces a hierarchical decision tree to resolve indoor environmental complaints methodically[cite: 18]. It distinguishes whether elevated contaminants originate from outdoor air (which necessitates mechanical filtration) or indoor sources[cite: 18]. Indoor issues are further categorized into occupant behavior (e.g., smoking, unvented gas stoves) or building physical defects (e.g., structural moisture, poor insulation, or insufficient air change rates), ensuring remediation targets the true root cause[cite: 18].
! style="width:25%;" | User group
! style="width:75%;" | Practical relevance
|-
| '''Homeowners and tenants'''
| Offers practical insights into how routine domestic activities and natural ventilation impact home air quality, helping occupants adopt healthier daily habits.
|-
| '''Schools and kindergartens'''
| Equips educational leaders with real-world performance data on classroom ventilation, sensor monitoring, and environmental control measures to safeguard children.
|-
| '''Commercial property owners'''
| Delivers benchmark evidence on the operational performance of air purification and ventilation systems in office and commercial environments.
|-
| '''Local municipalities'''
| Provides public administrators with a multi-site evaluation of indoor environmental quality across public building portfolios, supporting municipal renovation planning.
|-
| '''EDIAQI consortium partners'''
| Serves as the primary repository of consolidated pilot results, feeding directly into policy roadmaps, digital twin models, and training materials.
|}


=== Finding 2: Integration of Machine Learning for Exposure Prediction ===
== Recommendations ==
The CatBoost regression model implemented in the IAQ Simulator demonstrated that household physical properties (construction year, floor level, total area) combined with user activity patterns (cooking hood usage, gas stove frequency, fireplace operation) and localized outdoor environmental density (surrounding road networks, industrial areas, vegetation buffers) provide reliable baseline estimates for indoor NO2 and PM2.5 burdens when physical sensor nodes are absent[cite: 18].
* '''Consult pilot benchmarks before retrofitting:''' Building managers should review pilot performance outcomes to select ventilation and filtration strategies that match their specific building typology.
* '''Ensure proper sensor placement:''' Follow guidelines derived from pilot sensor deployments to capture representative breathing-zone air quality without obstruction.
* '''Combine filtration with active source control:''' Recognize that portable air cleaning must be supported by adequate outdoor air exchange and source management to effectively control mixed indoor emissions.
* '''Leverage interoperable data platforms:''' Utilize standardised data formats and open interfaces established in the project when integrating new monitoring hardware into building management systems.


=== Finding 3: Bridge to Real-World Interventions and Building Physics ===
== Limitations ==
The deliverable establishes clear operational linkages with the ongoing field studies across European pilots (Ferrara P1, Estonia P2, Zagreb P3, and Filtration P4)[cite: 1, 18, 19]. The knowledge base emphasizes that portable air cleaners and HVAC filtration systems cannot compensate for inadequate fresh air supply; successful indoor air hygiene relies on combining continuous sensor feedback with calculated ventilation rates and proper filter maintenance[cite: 13, 18, 19].
As a comprehensive milestone report scheduled for release at a later stage of the project lifecycle, this placeholder reflects planned objectives and structural outlines. Final empirical conclusions, quantitative performance metrics, and cross-pilot comparisons will be fully incorporated upon completion of the ongoing monitoring campaigns and data validation cycles.


== Links to Official Deliverables and Resources ==
<div style="color:#202122; font-size:1.5em; font-weight:normal; border-bottom:1px solid #a2a9b1; margin-top:1.2em; margin-bottom:0.4em; padding-bottom:0.2em;">
* '''Official Deliverable Report:''' Deliverable D6.1 Final Version (Ares(2023)6614459)[cite: 18]
'''Related wiki pages'''
* '''Interactive Web Tool:''' [https://iaq-simulator.know-center.at/ EDIAQI IAQ Public Simulator][cite: 18]
</div>
* '''Project Repository:''' [[Project Deliverables|EDIAQI Official Deliverables and One-Pagers]]
<!--* [[Sensors]]
* [[Recommendations and guidelines]]
* [[Factors affecting indoor air quality]] -->


[[Category:Project Deliverables and One-Pagers]]
[[Category:Project Deliverables and One-Pagers]]
[[Category:Decision Support and Tools]]
[[Category:Ventilation and Filtration]]

Latest revision as of 12:10, 3 September 2026

This deliverable provides a comprehensive synthesis of real-world results, building audits, and sensor benchmarks gathered across the four core pilot studies (P1 to P4) and experimental test campaigns within the EDIAQI project. Led by Tallinn University of Technology (TalTech) under Work Package 4 (Task 4.2), its primary purpose is to aggregate pilot performance outcomes, evaluate how successfully each testing ground met its individual objectives, and document the large-scale environmental datasets produced. The compendium serves as a central reference guide for researchers, facility managers, and public authorities seeking to understand practical indoor air quality performance in diverse European building typologies.

Why is this topic important?

While controlled laboratory tests provide foundational data, understanding the true performance of indoor air quality interventions requires empirical evidence from occupied, real-world buildings. Different European climates, building structures, and occupant behaviors create complex pollutant dynamics that cannot be fully captured by theoretical models alone.

Furthermore, building operators, school administrators, and local municipalities need validated benchmarks to determine which monitoring setups, ventilation adjustments, and air purification strategies yield measurable health and indoor environmental benefits. Deliverable D4.2 bridges this gap by translating extensive multi-site pilot observations into structured, comparable evidence, supporting informed decision-making for future building renovations and public health protections.

Key messages

  • Comprehensive pilot aggregation: The deliverable synthesizes findings across diverse testing environments, including municipal buildings, schools, offices, and residential dwellings in Estonia, Italy, Croatia, Lithuania, and Spain.
  • Evaluation of monitoring solutions: It assesses the real-world operational reliability, data consistency, and practical utility of low-cost multi-sensor networks alongside reference-grade instrumentation.
  • Building audit benchmarks: The report outlines outcomes from detailed building audits, examining how natural and mechanical ventilation practices influence indoor pollutant accumulation and decay.
  • FAIR data integration pathway: It connects empirical pilot observations to the centralized EDIAQI Data Platform, ensuring that all underlying measurements remain accessible and reusable for future research.
  • Actionable insights for facility managers: The compendium provides evidence-based takeaways regarding the operational efficacy of filtration systems, sensor placement strategies, and occupant engagement campaigns.

What did the EDIAQI project do?

Led by TalTech with active contributions from consortium partners across WP4, the project executed four large-scale pilot studies (P1 through P4) and supporting measurement campaigns. The work involved instrumenting dozens of buildings with interoperable sensor nodes, conducting systematic building audits, monitoring ventilation efficiency using tracer gas and sensor data, and collecting qualitative feedback from occupants.

The collected raw streams were harmonized using common interoperability standards (such as the OGC SensorThings API defined in D4.3) and analyzed using advanced data processing techniques. TalTech synthesized these extensive monitoring campaigns into a unified compendium, evaluating pilot success rates and extracting core technical findings to inform future indoor air quality guidelines.

What does this mean in practice?

The compendium translates complex multi-site environmental monitoring into practical knowledge for building operators, municipal authorities, and technical stakeholders. It provides clear documentation of what works in real-world indoor environments and where operational challenges persist.

User group Practical relevance
Homeowners and tenants Offers practical insights into how routine domestic activities and natural ventilation impact home air quality, helping occupants adopt healthier daily habits.
Schools and kindergartens Equips educational leaders with real-world performance data on classroom ventilation, sensor monitoring, and environmental control measures to safeguard children.
Commercial property owners Delivers benchmark evidence on the operational performance of air purification and ventilation systems in office and commercial environments.
Local municipalities Provides public administrators with a multi-site evaluation of indoor environmental quality across public building portfolios, supporting municipal renovation planning.
EDIAQI consortium partners Serves as the primary repository of consolidated pilot results, feeding directly into policy roadmaps, digital twin models, and training materials.

Recommendations

  • Consult pilot benchmarks before retrofitting: Building managers should review pilot performance outcomes to select ventilation and filtration strategies that match their specific building typology.
  • Ensure proper sensor placement: Follow guidelines derived from pilot sensor deployments to capture representative breathing-zone air quality without obstruction.
  • Combine filtration with active source control: Recognize that portable air cleaning must be supported by adequate outdoor air exchange and source management to effectively control mixed indoor emissions.
  • Leverage interoperable data platforms: Utilize standardised data formats and open interfaces established in the project when integrating new monitoring hardware into building management systems.

Limitations

As a comprehensive milestone report scheduled for release at a later stage of the project lifecycle, this placeholder reflects planned objectives and structural outlines. Final empirical conclusions, quantitative performance metrics, and cross-pilot comparisons will be fully incorporated upon completion of the ongoing monitoring campaigns and data validation cycles.

Related wiki pages