TL;DR: This blog provides a recap of our recent webinar on the RAC Air Health Monitor, one of Australia's largest and most advanced air sensor networks. Hosted by David Lu, co-founder and CEO of Clarity, the session featured key insights from Julian and David from the Royal Automobile Club (RAC) of Western Australia, and Martin from Ramboll. Together, they provided a comprehensive overview of the project's goals, technological innovations, and community impact. Let's dive into the key sections of the webinar. A recording of the webinar is also included below, if you prefer to watch the recording.

Opening remarks and introduction to the RAC Air Health Monitor

David began by introducing the RAC Air Health Monitor, describing it as a prime example of next-generation air quality management, which Clarity refers to as Air Quality Management 2.0. He emphasized the significant health impacts of air pollution, citing WHO statistics that link air pollution to approximately 7 million deaths annually worldwide. In Australia alone, air pollution was estimated to have caused over 3,200 deaths in 2018, a 26% increase from 2015. David highlighted the importance of understanding current air quality to make informed decisions for a healthier future.

"The WHO latest results suggest that about 7 million people per year die from air pollution around the world. It is estimated air pollution contributed to more than 3,200 Australian deaths in 2018."

RAC's commitment to a better WA

Julian from RAC took over to provide a historical perspective on RAC's commitment to the community, dating back to 1905. He detailed RAC's various initiatives aimed at promoting sustainability and safety in Western Australia, such as the Less Emissions Mission and the RAC Electric Highway.

We're committed to continuing to improve our services and experiences for our members, and to champion change that will lead to our vision for a better WA."

Julian Gomez Manager, Demonstration Projects Royal Automobile Club of Western Australia
The RAC Air Health Monitor supports RAC's Vision 2030, which provides a strategic direction for their three primary impact areas, which are safe, sustainable and connected.

Community engagement: the key to impact

Julian highlighted RAC's efforts to engage and educate the community through various programs and initiatives. These include the Healthier Air Education Program and the RAC Imagine Program Futures Challenge, both designed to raise awareness and inspire positive actions toward better air quality.

Encouraging behavior change will deliver many benefits. Our education team continues to do a fantastic job in schools with a series of incursion and excursion opportunities relating to mainly road safety and sustainability."

— Julian Gomez Manager, Demonstration Projects Royal Automobile Club of Western Australia
The RAC Air Health Monitor  project presents a great opportunity for public engagement on air quality issues within Perth and was designed to engage with and encourage conversation with the public about vehicle use in the city.

Air quality measurement equipment and air pollution sensor calibration

David Broadhag from RAC delved into the technological aspects of the RAC Air Health Monitor. He explained the deployment of 200 Clarity Node S sensors and 30 wind add-on modules across the Perth metropolitan and Peel regions. These sensors provide real-time, localized air quality data, empowering the community with valuable insights.

The wind module provides a better insight into where the air pollution is coming from and where it is heading towards. Analyzing meteorological data with air quality data can also help identify weather patterns and factors that influence pollution levels."

— David Brodhag, Technical Lead, Mobility and Sustainability Projects Royal Automobile Club of Western Australia
The wind module, which can measure ambient temperature, relative humidity and wind speed and direction, provides insight into where the air pollution is coming from and where it is heading towards.
What we are expecting from the Black Carbon Module is three things. First is to evaluate black carbon concentration level in Perth. Second is, currently there's no regulation in Australia for black carbon, so the outcomes of our study could potentially lead us to advocate on this matter. And last but not least, if we identify that we have a black carbon issue in Perth, this module will allow us to know its source — is it coming from traffic emission, is it coming from biomass, and which that will help us to diagnose the problem, and so to find what the best solutions to fix it could be."

— David Brodhag, Technical Lead, Mobility and Sustainability Projects Royal Automobile Club of Western Australia
RAC installed their installed  first Black Carbon Module this month, with plans to install nine additional pieces of this air quality measurement equipment in the coming months.

Air pollution data integration and modeling with Ramboll

Martin from Ramboll introduced the Shair platform, which integrates sensor data with advanced modeling techniques to provide comprehensive air quality insights. He emphasized the importance of accurate emissions inventories and continuous calibration to maintain the system's accuracy.

Shair merges monitoring data with modeling and data analysis to present spatial, temporal, and source impacts from air pollution, both in real-time and historically."

— Martin Parsons, Principal, Air Quality, Environment & Health Ramboll
SHAIR is a cutting-edge air quality modeling platform developed by Ramboll. It offers hindcast, real-time, and forecast capabilities, incorporating various data streams such as live traffic congestion data and known industrial emissions.

Future air quality measurement plans and concluding remarks

David concluded the webinar by discussing the future of the RAC Air Health Monitor project. He emphasized the importance of continuous data analysis and the release of upcoming reports that will provide deeper insights into the collected data. He also stressed the need for ongoing community and government engagement to achieve the project's goals.

We are so excited to take this best practices learned from this project and expand to the rest of the world with our partners."

— David Lu, Co-founder & CEO, Clarity Movement
The RAC Air Health Monitor is a great example of Air Quality Management 2.0.

Final thoughts: A new model for air quality measurement

The RAC Air Health Monitor project exemplifies the power of innovative technology, strategic partnerships, and community engagement in tackling air pollution. By leveraging state-of-the-art sensors, advanced data modeling, and comprehensive educational programs, RAC and Clarity are paving the way for a cleaner, healthier future for Western Australia and beyond.

We hope you found this webinar recap informative. Stay tuned for more updates on this exciting project and its impact on air quality management.

For more information, visit the RAC Air Health Monitor website or contact Clarity at hello@clarity.io.