Maximize Your Air Quality Budget

A Guide to Leveraging Low-Cost Sensors for
Air Quality Monitoring 2.0

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Learn how to plan, deploy, and manage a low-cost air quality sensor network

Cities such as London, Paris, and Bangalore have worked with Clarity to implement low-cost ambient air quality monitoring networks to supplement existing regulatory networks. From these projects, we have gleaned best practices for the deployment and operation of indicative monitoring networks. This guide includes lessons learned from these projects and other tips for cities and air quality managers looking to plan, install, and operate a low-cost sensor network.

In this guide you will learn: 

  • What air quality monitoring gaps can low-cost sensors help to address? 
  • How to plan, deploy, and manage a low-cost sensor network?
  • How to select and prioritize monitoring sites when implementing an indicative monitoring network?
  • How to apply colocation and calibration best practices to ensure data quality?
  • How to move from data to action and make an impact with your low-cost sensor network?
  • And more!

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Best practices for low-cost air quality sensors

  • Planning your
    low-cost sensor network

    What questions should you ask during the planning process, and what stakeholders should be involved? Our guide includes a checklist of topics to consider when planning your indicative monitoring network.

  • Deploying and implementing your network

    What role does colocation play in deploying a low-cost sensor network, and how can I ensure the sensors are properly calibrated? Our guide includes the steps you should take to ensure a successful colocation and deployment.

  • Managing your network: moving from data to action

    We can’t manage what we can’t measure, but measurement is just the first step to improving air quality with your network. Our guide provides steps to ensure that your network is providing actionable insights for all stakeholders.
Start planning your network

What is Air Quality Monitoring 2.0? 

Air Quality Monitoring 2.0 consists of using low-cost, highly-scalable sensors to complement existing regulatory air quality monitoring equipment and fill in the spatial and temporal gaps that exist with the traditional networks.
Traditional air quality monitoring technologies, such as federal reference monitors (FRM) are incredibly useful for regulatory purposes. Unfortunately it is not feasible to deploy them at the scale possible with low-cost sensors—the cost of a single reference station can be 10X or even 100X the cost of a low-cost sensor. By embracing Air Quality Monitoring 2.0, air quality managers can deploy dozens or hundreds of low-cost sensors for the cost of a single reference monitoring station.
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Traditional FRM Network

In a traditional air quality monitoring network, a sparse network of FRMs collect highly accurate data in order to produce a regional average, often used for regulatory purposes. Traditional networks miss hotspots and local trends.

Air Quality Monitoring 2.0

In Air Quality Monitoring 2.0, air quality managers leverage low-cost sensors to supplement existing FRM networks with high-resolution data that allows them to effectively respond to air pollution, when and where it strikes.
Get started today!

  • Meiling Gao (Moderator)

    Chief Operating Officer

    Clarity Movement Co.

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  • Bill Magavern

    Policy Director

    Coalition for Clean Air

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  • Meiling Gao (Moderator)

    Chief Operating Officer

    Clarity Movement Co.

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  • Bill Magavern

    Policy Director

    Coalition for Clean Air

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Guide includes best practices from: 

  • London

    The Greater London Authority (GLA) funded more than 100 sensors to complement the existing, dense network of reference monitors in London. This network has revolutionized Londoners’ access to reliable air quality data and provides GLA higher-resolution data.

  • Paris

    150 low-cost sensors were installed at schools across Paris in September 2019 to provide new information and insights on air quality. The data is collected, analyzed, and integrated into the existing air quality monitoring and mapping system operated by Airparif.

  • Bangalore

    A building in the city of Bengaluru, which is using Clarity Nodes to measure its levels of fine particulate matter
    The Global Climate Health Alliance (GCHA), the Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL), and the Healthy Air Coalition installed 30 indicative air quality monitors across the city in 2019. The network was deployed at strategic locations to gain actionable, local data.