Ultralow Power CO2 Sensor for Intelligent Building Controls

The proposed EPA SBIR Phase I program will create a novel ultra low power and low cost microfabricated CO2 sensor. The initial developments of sensor technology will serve the very large Demand Controlled Ventilation market that has been identified by KWJ and its collaborators. Phase I is dedicated to design, fabrication and testing of the innovative system consisting of a unique MEMS sensor, discreet electronic components and proprietary“smart” algorithm. Phase II will construct and beta test several prototypes and Phase III will be supported by commercialization activities. This program is important to overall energy conservation as well as improving productivity and human comfort in buildings in the United States and aroundthe world. Further, the sensor itself is “green” because it uses far less and fewer materials, and provides substantial power savings because it uses 100 times less power over current CO2 sensors. Because of the small size of the sensor, it also has a response time measured in microseconds with improved sensitivity. Additional applications will be possible for the basic science and engineering advancements made in this SBIR effort. Synergy and leveraging with existing KWJ projects and technology capabilities will help make rapid progress. This work has significant potential to be disruptive in the indoor air quality market and represents a significant advancement over state-of-the-art. Since this work is in the mainstream of KWJ’s core competency and market strategies, it will have high priority within the company.