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IAQ

IAQ Indoor Air Quality IAQ sensors Filtration Ventilation

IAQ in HVAC stands for Indoor Air Quality.

What it means
Indoor Air Quality refers to the condition of the air inside a building—especially as it relates to the health, comfort, and productivity of occupants

Let's dive into the world of IAQ!

What affacts IAQ 

IAQ Sensors

An IAQ (Indoor Air Quality) sensor is really a multi-sensor device—it doesn’t measure just one thing, it combines several inputs to give a picture of how “healthy” the air is in a space.

Key factors include:
  • Ventilation – amount of outdoor air brought in
  • Filtration – how well particles are removed (MERV ratings, HEPA, etc.)
  • Humidity – typically target ~40–60% RH
  • Contaminants – dust, pollen, mold, bacteria, VOCs, CO2
  • Air distribution – how well air is mixed and delivered
Why it matters:
  • Impacts occupant health (allergies, respiratory issues)
  • Affects comfort complaints (stuffy rooms, odors)
  • Increasingly tied to codes and standards (ASHRAE 62.1, 62.2)
Drives demand for controls and sensors like: CO2, VOC, UV-C or bipolar ionization, Enhanced filtration strategies
Common Measurements

Most Common Core Measurements

These are what you'll see on the majority of IAQ sensors used in HVAC controls:
Carbon Dioxide
  • Indicator of occupancy and ventilation effectiveness
  • Used for demand-controlled ventilation (DCV)
Temperature

  • Basic comfort parameter
  •  Also used alongside humidity for comfort/IAQ calculations

Relative Humidity : Impacts comfort, mold growth, and airborne contaminant behavior

Practical Takeaway

When someone says “IAQ sensor,” you need to clarify

What application are we trying to control or measure?: Ventilation ? CO2 , Contaminants ? VOC + PM, Comfort ? Temp + RH
Sensor location: Wall (most common), Duct (PM, VOC, industrial cases)
Sensor Output type: Analog (0–10V / 4–20mA), BACnet / Modbus (more common now)
Sensor Brands

Sensor Brands and Where to Use Them

Honeywell, Distech, and Johnson Controls offer temperature, humidity, and CO2 combination sensors with output protocols designed to work with their BAS controller lines.

  • Reduces the I/O count needed on compatible controllers when using their brand of sensors.
  • Standalone temperature, humidity, and CO2 options are also available with analog outputs.
  • Distech offers the Resense Move 7-in-1 multi-sensor as an IAQ solution that communicates BACnet/IP to any control system.
Other Sensors: BAPI, ACI, and Belimo offer analog output combination sensors that can tie into almost any control system. BAPI also offers VOC sensor options.
Bottom Line

  • Most jobs: CO2 + Temp + RH
  • Better IAQ jobs: add VOC
  • Premium / spec-driven: add PM + multi-sensor (Resense Move type)

If you have any further questions contact us and we will be happy to assist. 

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