Balancing IAQ and battery life
This article explains how you can save battery life on your Airthings devices. While it’s possible to maximize battery life, remember that the primary goal of these devices is to measure indoor air quality (IAQ). The challenge is finding the right balance between collecting enough meaningful IAQ data and conserving battery, with accurate IAQ measurement always taking priority.
Understanding how your sensor configuration affects battery life is key to efficient management and optimal device performance. This guide covers the main factors that influence battery life and how to optimize them.
Factors that affect battery life
Battery life is primarily influenced by:
Hub connection
Opening hours settings
Sensor sample rates
Device type
Each factor is explained below.
Hub connection
For the Airthings solution, it is crucial that a device is connected to a Hub 24/7. This also means the Hub itself must remain powered at all times.
When a device is not connected to a Hub, it will continuously use battery power while searching for a connection. In this state, the device will not send data and will drain its batteries faster.
Following the proper installation procedure is therefore essential to ensure reliable data collection and maximize battery life.
Opening hours
Configuring opening hours in your building settings impacts device battery usage:
Enabled opening hours: Devices reduce sampling frequency outside active hours, conserving power.
Disabled opening hours: Devices sample 24/7 according to configured sample rates, consuming more battery.
⚠️ Opening hours also affect Reports, Insights, and Presence, so enabling them is recommended. To ensure accurate readings and insights, we recommend configuring them to match the building’s actual opening hours.
How to configure opening hours
Go to your building in the Business Dashboard.
Navigate to Settings → Building Settings.
Scroll to Opening hours and update as needed.
Sample rates
How often sensors collect data directly impacts battery usage. The tables below summarize the sample rates during and outside opening hours:
During opening hours
Sensor type | Sampling frequency |
CO₂, Humidity, Temperature | 2.5 or 5 min |
PM1 / PM2.5 | 5, 10, 30, 60 min or off |
VOC | 5 min or off |
Noise | 5 min or off |
Outside opening hours
Sensor type | Sampling frequency |
CO₂ | 60 min |
Humidity & Temperature | 5 min |
VOC | 5 min (if enabled) |
PM1 / PM2.5 | 60 min |
Noise | Off |
How to configure the sample rates
You can adjust the sample rates for all devices in your building through the Airthings Business Dashboard.
Open your building in the Dashboard.
Navigate to the Settings tab.
Scroll down to the Battery Life section under the Devices section.
Here, you can change the sample rates for each device and sensor type.
The screenshot above shows the estimated battery life. Although it appears in the sampling rate settings, this estimate also takes your configured opening hours into account
Battery life by device
The projected battery life of your Airthings for Business devices varies based on the model and configuration. The following battery life estimations assume fresh lithium batteries and good connectivity.
Space Pro
This device includes the most sensors, so it offers many configuration options that can impact battery life. Below, you find a few examples:
Opening Hours | Sensor Sampling | PM Sampling | Battery Life |
None (24/7 sampling) | 5 minutes | 10 minutes | 1 year 6 months |
07:00–17:00 | 5 minutes | 10 minutes | 2 years 10 months |
07:00–17:00 | 5 minutes | 60 minutes | 4 years 2 months |
07:00–17:00 | 5 minutes | Disabled | 6 years 4 months |
Space CO2 Mini
Opening Hours | Sensor Sampling | Battery Life |
None (24/7 sampling) | 5 minutes | 6 years 5 months |
07:00–17:00 | 5 minutes | 10 years |
Space CO2
Opening Hours | Sensor Sampling | Battery Life |
None (24/7 sampling) | 5 minutes | 6 years 5 months |
07:00–17:00 | 5 minutes | 10 years |
Space Plus
VOC Enabled | Battery Life |
Yes | 2 years |
No | 4 years |
⚠️ Disclaimer: The battery life figures are estimates. They reflect the projected lifetime if the device maintains the specified configuration consistently throughout its entire life. Changes to sampling rates, opening hours, or usage patterns will affect battery life compared to these estimates.
Power connection
Space Pro and Space CO₂ devices can be powered via a USB-C cable.
Connecting the device to a 5V USB-C power source bypasses battery usage entirely. All sensors will then sample data at 2.5-minute intervals, ensuring consistent performance.
⚠️ Only use recommended USB-C adapters to avoid damage. See Batteries and USB-Plugs for details.