Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Levels

Carbon Dioxide (CO2) is a colorless, odorless gas produced by respiration; a gas humans breath out. Since humans breathe out CO2, it is an easy and cost-effective way to know when and how occupied a space is.

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What does PPM stand for?

Carbon Dioxide (CO2) is measured in Parts-Per-Million (PPM). A CO2 PPM reading indicates the quantity of CO2 molecules in a volume of air.

Where can I read my current Carbon Dioxide (CO2) level?

Your Pelican thermostat records the CO2 levels in your space in real-time and can be viewed at the thermostat level. Also, this data can be viewed on your thermostat’s history graphs through your Pelican Web-App.

Click here to learn about How to View History Graphs.

What do the different Carbon Dioxide (CO2) PPM levels indicate?

CO2 levels are just a simple indication of when a space is occupied and how occupied the space is.

  • If CO2 levels are 400 PPM (assumed outdoor air concentration levels) then the space can be assumed as either empty (no humans) or has such few humans that the overall particle concentration of CO2 is low.
  • If the CO2 levels are at 1000 PPM (which is 600 PPM plus 400 PPM (i.e., the outdoor air CO2 concentration levels), the space can be assumed occupied by the number of occupants the space is designed to accommodate.
  • If CO2 levels are beyond 1000 PPM, the space is assumed to be occupied by more occupants than the space is designed to accommodate.
Note: 1,000 to 2,000 CO2 concentration levels are not dangerous, which are the ranges being detected by Pelican. Pelican’s maximum CO2 concentration level able to be detected is 2000 PPM.

Why does my Carbon Dioxide (CO2) PPM level change throughout the day?

The CO2 level will fluctuate as people move in and out of the space.

However, if it is exceeding the CO2 threshold setting, this could mean the number of people in this space are greater than the maximum occupancy for the space, the amount of outside air being brought into the space is less than required, or it could also rise if someone is sitting or standing next to the thermostat with a CO2 sensor. 

Isn’t Carbon Dioxide (CO2) dangerous, should I be concerned about high levels of CO2?

CO2 concentration levels of 1,000 to 2,000 are not dangerous, which are the ranges being detected by Pelican. Pelican’s maximum CO2 concentration level able to be detected is 2000 PPM.

Important: This is not a life-safety indication and should not be used as one. Pelican recommends monitoring the CO2 levels if they continue to exceed your CO2 threshold. If it is a common occurrence, contact your local HVAC contractor to see if you need to recalculate and re-balance your outside air damper positions.

Where is the Pelican Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Sensor?

A Pelican carbon dioxide (CO2) sensor is integrated into a Pelican thermostat. So, it is in the ideal location for proper relative humidity readings, if it is also in the ideal location for proper temperature detection.

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