In the past, people would say, "It stinks in here, open the windows," but today they just look at the traffic lights, says teacher Michael Klein with a laugh. He teaches at the Otfried Preußler School in Stephanskirchen near Rosenheim. He likes the CO2 traffic lights in the classrooms.
Good feeling when the light is green
The CO2 traffic light confirms that he's already doing a lot of things right, as the traffic light has only shown "orange" once in the past ten days, says teacher Klein. He ventilates regularly, based on his gut feeling and his nose. His student Tristan, in 8th grade, confirms that the green light makes him feel good, as "orange" or even "red" have hardly been reached so far.
No more tense atmosphere in the classroom
The approximately
30-centimeter-wide traffic light has an infrared sensor built into it that measures the CO2 level in the room air. If a certain value is exceeded (to be precise: 1000 ppm), the warning is: open the window! To avoid distracting students too much from their lessons, the traffic light is hung at the back of the classroom.
A gift to the school
Gradually, all 30 classrooms at the Otfried-Preußler School will be equipped with these traffic lights. They are a gift from the manufacturer, a local company. According to its CEO, Wolfgang Schabus, there is currently a huge demand for the CO2 traffic lights, but equipping the schools takes priority.
Traffic lights could be a comprehensive solution
Headmaster Florian Burggraf welcomes the project at his school. He believes something needs to be done, as the coronavirus remains an issue, perhaps even beyond a possible vaccination. A ventilation concept, for example, is highly welcome. The project is also of interest to politicians, as the traffic lights are considerably cheaper than expensive ventilation systems or aerosol filters. The Free State of Bavaria could potentially save a lot of money, and the local economy also benefits, according to the project sponsor, Rosenheim state parliament member Klaus Stöttner (CSU). One thing is certain: The CO2 traffic lights will remain permanently at the Otfried Preußler School, even after the pandemic. Source:
BR.de
