Compendium of Pilot Reports and Findings
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.
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