Close×

A world-first technology developed by the University of Sydney will soon be available to building and facility managers to help them more accurately measure Indoor Environment Quality (IEQ) in buildings to achieve healthier and more productive workplaces.

The ground-breaking technology known as SAMBA, which will be previewed at Total Facilities 2015, monitors thermal comfort, indoor air quality, humidity, air speed, light levels, acoustics and carbon dioxide concentrations through a suite of small sensors placed throughout buildings.

With Australians spending 90 per cent of their time indoors and thermal comfort regularly topping lists of most common grievances within the office, Total Facilities event organisers believe it will revolutionise the property industry’s approach to IEQ.

SAMBA creator and comfort expert, Professor Richard de Dear, said reports showed there is a strong correlation between improved air quality and increased productivity and tenant satisfaction.

“SAMBA technology will provide comprehensive IEQ analysis to building and facility managers enabling them to better understand the building environment and make changes to create healthier, more comfortable workplaces, ultimately leading to happier, more productive tenants,” Prof. de Dear said.  

University of Sydney senior lecturer in mechanical services, sustainability and facilities management, Ashak Nathwani, who will be demonstrating SAMBA at this year’s Total Facilities event, said current methods of assessing IEQ either provided a very small snapshot of indoor environmental conditions or were cost-prohibitive.

“A snapshot assessment doesn't provide sufficient sampling to give a fair representation of a building’s IEQ. Even the more expensive, scientific models are conducted at a single point in time and at only a couple of specific locations, providing limited data to the building managers,” Nathwani said.

“SAMBA changes this by placing the devices at various points throughout a building (as close as possible to occupants) and continuously monitoring, allowing for real-time and in-depth reporting for building owners and facility managers.”  

The low-cost sensors will wirelessly feed real-time data to a dashboard monitored by a team of indoor environment quality experts at the University of Sydney for analysis and provide advice on how to optimise the building’s IEQ.

A partnership program has just been launched with the property industry and several SAMBAs have been placed in buildings in Sydney and Melbourne for Pilot Field Evaluations.

The team will also work with building and facility managers, training them to interpret the IEQ Analytics dashboard.

Nathwani said the technology was designed to help the property industry better understand buildings and productive workplaces in Australia.

“All data is presented alongside relevant IEQ standards and rating criteria, such as Green Star Performance and NABERS Indoor Environment, so owners and their tenants will better understand their building’s IEQ performance against industry standards,” Nathwani said.

With testing so far indicating the accuracy and reliability of the sensors meets or exceeds industry standards, the new IEQ measurement technology is set to enable more accurate IEQ ratings and benchmarking within the property industry.

“SAMBA will help see IEQ ratings become as important as energy and sustainability ratings for building managers and owners in the near future,” Nathwani said.

The University of Sydney will be demonstrating how SAMBA works for the first time in Sydney on the show floor at this year’s Total Facilities event running from March 25-26 at the Sydney Exhibition Centre, Glebe Island.

Total Facilities 2015 will feature a powerful combination of innovation and education, designed to reduce cost and improve performance of the nation’s facilities as well as connect more than 160 suppliers with 2,500 clients and end-users.

For further information on the free event or to register your attendance visit www.totalfacilities.com.au