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Product

How does the kit get me LEED points?

Installing a kit does not result in the automatic achievement of points. Rather it is the data collected by the kit from your building that must meet certain thresholds defined by Arc/LEED to get points. Please refer to the LEED v4.1 Operations & Maintenance guide for more details. 
 
Instead, the kit makes data reporting for compliance smooth and painless. It removes the need for hand-held measurements. Through the arbn well platform, building owners can identify patterns and improve their air quality to improve their score. A single hand-held check cannot highlight trends or the long-term performance of a building.  

Do you have any case studies that shows how this technology has been deployed in other buildings?

We cannot currently release data or a case study from our customers’ data due to privacy and Non-Disclosure concerns. We are working on this so watch this space! .

Will my score be negatively impacted if we stream IEQ data continuously?   

Continuous, high-density measurement is designed to find the good and bad areas of your building and give you the best possible understanding of your IEQ. This may sometimes result in readings of concern. If the reading is an outlier, it will in most cases be caught by our data cleaning routines. However, most genuine high values will be reflected in the processed data.

 

For Arc installations, there is an additional layer of aggregation. The data reported to Arc is a daily score, based on calculating overall statistics for all sensors for a given day. This process will make doubly sure that unrealistic high readings are removed and the values used for certification are a better representation of the building’s common performance.

What does the main dashboard show? (arbnwell Customer)  

The main dashboard will show the ‘raw’ parameter readings at standardized time stamps, e.g., :00, :15, etc. You will also be able to see your Arc scores and the health of your devices. 

What size of project or building can use an Arc starter kit?

One starter kit is recommended for projects / buildings up to 25000 sq ft / 2300 sq. m, or 300 people. If you have a bigger building or would like to collect a richer dataset to characterise and improve the Indoor Environmental Quality in your building, we will be happy to build you a custom installation.

Can Arc data steam from arbn well update the ARC LEED points in real time?

Yes, once the connection is made between a building in arbn well and one on the ARC platform, the data feed occurs in ‘real time’. That is to say, the data is updated every day. There’s no reason to do it any faster since the measured quantities are daily statistics. 

How does arbn well support LEED recertification?  What is the requirements when using the arbn well platform to meet the requirements?  
What is planned for future product development?

The development roadmap includes several additions to our analytics and hardware capabilities. These will include:

1. Comprehensive outdoor and indoor environmental quality monitoring in modular hardware.
2. Occupancy and space-use quantification
3. Benchmarking indoor air quality together with energy
4. Automated identification of inefficiencies / bad performance

What does the main dashboard show? Is it different between standard arbn well installations and Arc starter kits? 

As part of our launch, all customers will have access to the full arbn well dashboard for a limited time.

During this trial, the dashboard will showcase the full capabilities of our devices – temperature, humidity, CO2, TVOC, and PM (1, 2.5, 10).

Once the trial is over, the platform will continue to show both parameters relevant to Arc – TVOC and CO2.

Set Up

How do I set up the sensors?

On opening your kit, you will find the easy-to-read instructions for your ‘plug and play’ sensors. Follow these instructions and head to well.arbnco.com to activate your account on the arbn well platform. 

I’m having trouble setting up my Arc starter kit, where can I find help?

Please contact us at [email protected]

Do I need a professional to set up this starter kit?

No, set up is simple and straightforward – so that you can start measuring the indoor environment straight away with minimum fuss! 

Technical

How do I connect my AQ+ device to my WiFi?

Please refer to our WiFi Configuration Guide. The devices need a 2.4GHz WiFi, and you will need to download an application on your mobile phone as outlined in the guide.

I've gone through your WiFi Configuration Guide and my device is still not connecting to the WiFi. What should I do?

Please make sure that your WiFi is actually 2.4Ghz, that you are entering the correct password for your WiFi, that the phone you are using is currently connected to your desired WiFi.

Check that the following network ports are unblocked: 1883 and 8883. Speak to your IT administrator to make sure your network does not automatically block new devices. If that is the case, you will need to provide the administrator with the MAC codes of the devices and they can enable access for the devices. MAC codes can be obtained by emailing [email protected] and stating your device numbers.

If none of these are an issue, please contact [email protected]

The CO2 levels for my device seem to be too high, what should I do?

Check that the space that the device is located is unoccupied or sparsely occupied. CO2 levels can differ greatly if some devices are near humans and some are in relatively unoccupied spaces, with those near people recording much higher levels. If the device is in an unoccupied space or the levels seem unfeasible for the amount of people near it, the device may not be getting enough “fresh” air from your HVAC or ventilation system to maintain proper calibration.

If the device is an AQ+ device, it will self-calibrate after 7-14 days so long as the space it is in has sufficient unoccupied periods, say over a weekend. To ensure that the device self-calibrates, please ensure it is located in a space that is occasionally unoccupied for at least 7-14 days.

If you are still receiving CO2 levels that are too high after this, please contact arbnco. If your device is an AQ device, please see our CO2 Calibration Guide for steps on how to recalibrate your device

My sensors are damaged, can I order replacements?

Yes, please contact us at [email protected] 

I’m not getting an air quality reading (CO2 or TVOC), what’s wrong?

Is the device on? Check by pressing the small turquoise button on the side of the device, where the power cable Is the device on? Check by pressing the small turquoise button on the side of the device, where the power cable goes in. When you press the button (short press), you should see a green flash from the windows on the face of the device. If you see a red flash, that’s still ok – it just means that the device didn’t understand your button press but it is alive. Wait 60 minutes.

If there are still no readings, the best troubleshooting step is to turn the device off and on again (turn it off and on at the wall or remove and reattach the cable). Wait 60 minutes

If you still do not see readings on the platform, contact [email protected]. When you press the button (short press), you should see a green flash from the windows on the face of the device. If you see a red flash, that is still ok – it just means that the device didn’t understand your button press but it is alive. Wait 60 minutes. 

What is the life span of the devices?

When used in average office conditions, the devices have a service life of 3 years. Deployment in high contamination environments will significantly shorten the lifespan of the humidity, TVOC, and CO2

sensors, and potentially the circuits. The biggest threats to the device in operation are water ingress, condensation, and frost, so using the device in outdoor locations, or those exposed to the elements, is not currently supported. The standard warranty is 1 year for factory defects.

Which Cloud program do you use?

We use the public cloud and our apps our built in such a way as to not be tied to any particular cloud provider. We can move them as prices, capacity and even customer needs require.

What is the range of the gateway? Can it work over multiple floors and large buildings?

The open-field range is as high as 10 km, though that does not mean a whole lot inside buildings, which are full of obstacles for radio waves. We use a combination of hub-and-spoke and Depending on the shape of the building and potential radio interference, the gateways can go several floors. In general, steel frames and lots of electrical equipment is worse. Long, thin floor plans are worse than squarer ones.  

Do you have technical or marketing literature in other languages like Spanish, French, or the Dark Tongue of Mordor?

Sorry, currently the technical and marketing literature is only available in English. If you would like to partner with us to create documents in a language of your choice, write to us at [email protected] and we would be happy to assist! 

Can you measure Occupancy?

Not at present. Occupancy will be a new feature in the next generation of arbn well devices. 

What are you actually measuring with the TVOC sensors?

The TVOC sensor reacts to numerous organic and inorganic compounds. The technical specification of the TVOC sensor is here.

How long will you be rolling out OTA updates to the devices?

As long as your subscription is valid, you will receive Over-the-Air updates. If your subscription is up for renewal, please contact arbnco about hardware upgrades. 

My WiFi is not 2.4 GHz or I can’t force my phone on the 2.4 G network. What can I do?

If your WiFi is not 2.4Ghz, we recommend a 2.4Ghz WiFi hotspot. If you are unsure which WiFi hotspot you should buy, please contact arbnco for assistance. 

My devices have stopped reporting, how do I fix this?

If your deployment connects through your WiFi through your AQ+ devices instead of a gateway, confirm that your WiFi is still connected to tour devices. Outages in your network, changes to your WiFi’s password, or blocking if ports at an IT level can cause your devices to disconnect from your WiFi. If you have had a network outage, disconnect your devices and plug them back in. If your ports have been blocked, you will need to speak with your IT to ensure they are unblocked for use. If your WiFi password has changed, reconnect your devices using the WiFi Configuration Guide. If you do not believe the issues have to do with any of the above problems, please refer back to our WiFi Configuration Guide’s troubleshooting section. If you are still experiencing data loss, please contact arbnco. 

How do I recalibrate my AQ device for CO2?

Please refer to our CO2 Calibration Guide. You will need to take your device outside to a dry place away from other people to recalibrate it. If you are still experiencing high CO2 levels after following the CO2 Calibration Guide, please contact arbnco.

Is a gateway necessary for deployments?

The AQ+ sensors can connect to WiFi. Thus, the AQ+ sensors can act as gateways if the property allows for their own Wifi network to be used. In this case, a gateway will not be necessary.

Can you use a private cloud to store our data?

In principle, yes. Please contact us at [email protected] to discuss your needs. 

Which security protocols are used to secure the data?

arbnco is committed to maintaining security on all data hosted and we monitor ongoing compliance with US, UK and worldwide data protection regulations. Data security is overseen by the Chief Technology Officer. arbnco has Cyber Security Essentials accreditation in the UK. While our platforms maintain very little personal data, our applications platform conforms to the European GDPR requirements and we are committed to adapt them, if necessary, to conform to emerging US standard such as CCPA. 

Can the sensors take measurements without the gateway and then save the readings for later upload to the platform when connected to the gateway?

The sensors all have some amount of storage capacity already built in, as does the gateway. This feature is not currently stable enough to be 100% reliable in each sensor but work is ongoing. In January, we will stabilise the storage feature in the gateways first, since they have maximum capacity. Also, the most common cause of downtime is bad cellular/mobile signals, so the sensors will continue reporting to the gateway and it has to store data until it can reconnect. In Q1 2020 we will also stabilise the storage feature in each sensor so it stores some data if it cannot see a gateway/AQ+. 

Can your devices meet the requirements of Well or RESET?

The devices have sufficient range and accuracy to meet the requirements of both WELL and RESET. The systems have aligned to make both certifications easier for project teams, streamlining the implementation process for projects everywhere and increasing awareness about the importance of air quality in buildings.

Can you measure sound?

Not at present. Noise levels will be a new feature in the next generation of arbn well devices, these sensors will be used to measure background decibel levels. 

Can the arbn well system measure ventilation effectiveness?

Currently the system does not have this capability. We are working on a feature to estimate Ventilation effectiveness using distributed CO2 measurements, to be released in Q3 2020. 

Do your devices detect Carbon Monoxide (CO)?

Not at present. This is under consideration for the next generation of devices (launch 2021).