New Greenhouse Gas Sensor Will Be Cheap, Tiny, and Effective

coal plant

Good news for governments looking to measure greenhouse gas emissions: a new sensor being developed by the VTT Technical Research Institute will be tiny (less than an inch), cost-effective, and twice as sensitive as current sensors.

The European Union is funding the €2.8 million MINIGAS consortium, which has brought together numerous organizations, including Finland via Gasera, the Loffe Institute in Russia, and QinetQ.

In addition to providing greenhouse gas detection, the MINIGAS sensor will also be able to detect explosive vapors and nerve gases—so governments will have multiple incentives to install the device. Environmentally conscious consumers may also want to get in on the action, since the sensor could lead to improved air-conditioning systems in buildings.

The MINIGAS project hasn’t given a release date for the sensor, but the sooner we can more accurately gauge our greenhouse emissions, the better.

Photo Credit: Naturalhistorymag.com

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2 Comments

  1. I wonder if large, public, areas would be able to utilize this technology to detect things like a Sarin gas attack? If the sensors were sensitive enough and had enough coverage, they could be hooked up to sound an evacuation alarm.

  2. And soon to be stapled to the inside of your mouth and ass so that politicians may tax you more accurately.

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