Air Quality Monitoring

Pilot Objective

To collect hyperlocal granular air quality readings in select EIEC neighborhoods across the city of Chicago. Target locations for this pilot include Pilsen, Little Village, and the Southeast side of Chicago. Monitoring will run throughout 2025 with data being accessible on a monthly basis. The goal is to identify where the need for electrification is greatest and where to prioritize investments to improve public health and quality of life.

Pilot Status

The team is finalizing the study design, including the EM&V plan and key research questions. A demo was installed at CTC on March 17 and uninstalled on April 7. The team is continuing with other kickoff activities, including:

  • Developing a short installation guide, safety considerations, and a technical bulletin are being developed for field crews.
  • A virtual kickoff launched the collaboration with community partners to plan workshops and recruit residents for indoor air monitoring.
  • Planning is underway for community and media events, supported by marketing materials from the Communications team.
  • Pole walkdowns for Clarity sensor installations began on March 3 in coordination with Regional Engineering. Meanwhile, Aclima’s mobile monitoring, which began on February 24, is expected to continue for two months.

Schedule

BE PilotLead VendorPartnersAward DatePilot In Field Start DatePilot In Field End Date
Air Quality MonitoringRHP RiskAclima, Clarity, Purple Air, UIC, UIUC, Little Village Environmental Justice Organization, Southeast Environmental Taskforce, Pilsen Environmental Rights and Reform Organization, Alliance of the SoutheastNovember 2024February 2025December 2025
RFP Bidding Process
Download Pilot Plan
Read the RFI