Breathe Better, Work Smarter
Indoor Air Management in High-Occupancy spaces
Air is a basic human need, but it's the quality of that air that shapes our health, focus, and productivity. We intuitively recognize the difference between fresh mountain air and polluted city air. Science confirms this: indoor air quality (IAQ) varies widely in office environments, and these differences directly affect physical well-being and workplace performance.
Office workers are routinely exposed to a mix of airborne pollutants: chemicals, allergens, ozone, micro-organisms, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and particulate matter. These pollutants come from indoor sources, such as building materials, finishes, cleaning products, and equipment, as well as the outdoor environment.
- Numerous peer-reviewed studies reinforce the link between IAQ and human performance: Seminal research in 2003 identified 15 studies linking improved ventilation with up to 11% gains in productivity, as a result of increased outside air rates, dedicated delivery of fresh air to the workstation, and reduced levels of pollutants.
- A meta-analysis in 2006 of 24 studies including 6 office studies found that poor air quality and elevated temperatures consistently lowered performance by up to 10%, on measures such as typing speed and unit’s output. This analysis appeared to demonstrate that the optimum ventilation rate is typically between 8-10 l/s (although these vary considerably by location and activity level).
- Similarly, in a 2011 lab test which mimicked an office, a range of office-related tasks were carried out with the presence of airborne VOCs. Increasing ventilation from 5l/s to 20l/s improved performance by up to 8%.
- Reduced absences may also be a key indicator of the benefits of good indoor air quality for businesses. Short term sick leave was found to be 35% lower in offices ventilated by an outdoor air supply rate of 24 l/s compared to buildings with rates of 12 l/s.
These findings clearly show that air is not neutral. Poor air harms thinking, energy, and decision-making—even when people don’t consciously notice it.
In today’s world, indoor air quality (IAQ) is more than just a comfort issue it’s directly linked to employee productivity, well-being, and ESG performance. Many modern offices rely on sealed environments with HVAC systems, but this often leads to a hidden problem: rising indoor CO₂ levels. High CO₂ levels cause fatigue, reduced focus, and long-term health issues yet it rarely gets the attention it deserves in building management practices.CO₂ levels are one way to measure air quality and can occur as a result of poor ventilation.
While PM2.5 and outdoor pollution dominate public attention, indoor CO₂ a colourless, odourless gas builds up quickly in sealed offices and silently reduces cognitive function, focus, and decision-making. It’s an invisible performance drag that is often overlooked in building operations.
High CO₂ levels have been found to impact tiredness or decision-making in a number of studies. One recent lab-based study using simulated decision-making tasks showed CO₂ having a significant detrimental impact (11%-23% worse) at 1000 parts per million (ppm) compared to 600ppm, despite 1000ppm being widely considered acceptable.
Average CO2 levels maintained in a typical office in India. Recommended Threshold = 800 ppm
Average PM2.5 levels maintained in a typical office in India. Recommended Threshold = 15 μg/m³
India’s climate offers a unique and often overlooked advantage: in most states, thermal conditions are suitable for natural ventilation for at least one-third of the year and in many regions, for over 60% of the time.
A state-level analysis conducted by Respirer Living Sciences reveals that in most Indian states, between 60% and 100% of the year falls within thermally comfortable conditions. This means that, for a large part of the year, buildings could naturally ventilate without relying heavily on energy-intensive HVAC systems if outdoor air quality permits.
Yet, the prevailing practice in most workplaces, schools, hospitals, and public buildings is to seal the space and run the HVAC system year-round regardless of whether it’s truly needed. This is a missed opportunity hiding in plain sight.
If buildings were equipped to bring in outdoor air only when it’s both thermally comfortable and clean, we could significantly reduce HVAC runtime, cut operational energy use by up to 20–30%, and simultaneously improve indoor air quality, particularly by reducing the build-up of indoor CO₂ and stale air. But to achieve this, buildings need more than openable windows, they need intelligence.
- Real-time monitoring of both outdoor air quality and indoor thermal comfort
- Automated systems that decide when to open up to the outdoors and when to seal off
- HVAC controls that respond to air quality and occupancy, not just the clock
By making buildings climate-aware and air-quality responsive, we not only lower emissions and energy bills, but also create healthier environments that support cognitive function, comfort, and performance.
At Respirer, we offer Indoor Air Quality as a Service (IAQaaS) — a full-stack solution built using patent-pending IoT monitoring technology with Context-Aware and Building Physics modelled algorithms that ensures clean, healthy, and energy-efficient air in indoor environments. Our strength lies in combining a strong stakeholder ecosystem with a scientific, data-driven approach, allowing us to not only diagnose air quality problems but also implement real, measurable improvements.
We work alongside a curated ecosystem of trusted partners from building managers and sustainability officers to product manufacturers and facility teams to ensure seamless implementation of upgrades like air purifiers, filtration systems, ventilation solutions, and energy-efficient appliances. These stakeholders help us move beyond insights and into action, ensuring that the solutions we recommend can be implemented quickly, affordably, and with long-term impact.
- Site Understanding – We evaluate layout, occupancy, equipment, and outdoor exposure to define the problem clearly.
Monitoring and Diagnosis – Our IoT-enabled devices continuously track PM2.5, CO₂, VOCs, temperature, and humidity, both indoors and outdoors. This data helps map performance issues, comfort gaps, and health risks.
Solution Design & Smart Control – Based on diagnosis and space layout assessment, we provide ‘fit – for – purpose’ retrofits and automate control of all air handling appliances (ACs, filters, fans, exhausts etc.) all designed according to your specific space architecture and usage patterns. By leveraging Building Physics models these strategies create a smart personally controlled environment where each room or zone responds in real time to changing outdoor conditions and deploy passive energy conservation measures like Demand Controlled Ventilation (DCV), passive cooling, night-purge ventilation, Demand controlled filtration and preventing misuse.
The proposed assessment and retrofit work will be guided by recognized national and international standards for indoor air quality and thermal comfort. These benchmarks serve as performance targets to evaluate existing conditions and track measurable improvements post-intervention. Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) and Thermal Comfort Benchmarks.
To move from reactive management to proactive, evidence-based strategies that enhance both employee experience and operational efficiency. There is an abundance of data available today on indoor environments the opportunity now lies not in acquiring more data, but in harnessing the full value of what is already available by creating context around the operational factors through integrated and intelligent approaches.
When combined with real-time air quality data, the existing insights held by facilities managers and HR teams become exponentially more powerful. Facilities data on building performance and HR metrics on employee well-being can be correlated with IAQ and thermal comfort data to uncover patterns that directly impact health, productivity, and satisfaction.
Forward-thinking organizations are increasingly recognizing the importance of structuring this data to reveal the dynamic relationship between space, people, and performance. When data is contextualized at the zone or office level and shared across traditionally siloed departments facilities, human resources, and finance it becomes a strategic asset. Each team brings critical insights: facilities teams manage environmental systems and understand spatial dynamics; HR monitors employee well-being, retention, and performance; while finance evaluates operational costs and capital efficiency. When these perspectives converge, organizations can make informed, data-backed decisions that enhance workplace experience and overall productivity.
Respirer provides high-resolution, real-time IAQ monitoring and analytics that empower organizations to make proactive decisions around air quality and comfort. By translating granular environmental data—such as CO₂ levels, temperature, humidity, and particulate matter—into actionable insights, Respirer helps employers create healthier, more responsive work environments.
Through our secure platform and smart control strategies, organizations can:
- Maintain optimal indoor air quality, reducing cognitive fatigue and health-related absenteeism.
- Identify opportunities for natural ventilation, improving air freshness without increasing energy use.
- Implement data-guided HVAC control, enhancing thermal comfort while lowering operational costs.
- Monitor and benchmark zones or offices, enabling targeted improvements and smarter facility management.
“Buildings cannot be energy efficient or healthy in isolation. The higher the attempt to make a building a ‘disconnected’ place from outdoors, the higher the chances of getting trapped into the downward spiral of inefficient and unhealthy buildings.”
-Professor Rajan Rawal, CARBSE, Cept University
This insight underscores the urgency to design and operate buildings not as sealed boxes, but as part of a larger, responsive urban and environmental system, hence monitoring localized outdoor air quality is critical to ensuring healthy indoor environments. City-wide pollution indices often do not reflect the actual conditions surrounding individual buildings, where air quality can vary significantly due to micro-environmental factors. By leveraging real-time data from these localized outdoor conditions, buildings can make informed decisions on when and how to intake outdoor air for ventilation. This targeted approach not only improves indoor air quality but also enhances energy efficiency by avoiding unnecessary filtration or conditioning as hyperlocal monitoring becomes a foundational element in smart, health-focused building management strategies.
Improved employee focus, fewer disruptions, and higher overall productivity, all achieved while advancing sustainability goals and optimizing building performance. By treating buildings not as static infrastructure but as active contributors to employee success, Respirer helps organizations unlock a new level of workplace efficiency—where comfort, health, and ESG goals converge.
Indoor air quality is no longer a luxury or compliance checkbox, it’s a core driver of health, performance, and energy use. With IAQaaS, we give companies the tools and intelligence to breathe better, spend less, and deliver on their ESG goals.
Whether you’re managing a workplace, school, hospital, hotel, or any high-occupancy space—clean air is no longer optional, it’s essential. Don’t let unseen pollutants impact health, productivity, or sustainability outcomes. Partner with Respirer to turn your building into a smart, responsive, and healthier environment.
Reach out to us at research@respirer.in to learn how our real-time air quality monitoring and intelligent control solutions can transform your space—from reactive to proactive.
Let’s breathe better, together!
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