Opus RSE measures emissions in Berlin – as seen on TV

Opus Remote Sensing Europe (Opus RSE) is helping the government of Berlin measure how much pollution vehicles emit in real world driving conditions – in a project featured on the German TV news channel ProSieben Newstime.

The environment department is using remote sensing devices to measure actual emissions from vehicles as they drive by. This will help it identify which are the highest emitting vehicles - and build an accurate picture of emissions rather than relying on estimated values.

“Many cities, including Berlin, calculate vehicle emissions using an estimate for each vehicle type from a standard handbook of emission factors,” explains Opus EU representative Herbert Woopen. “These are based on type approval measurements when the vehicle is launched. However, these values often underestimate real emissions on the road, and many rely on very old data.”  

Real world on-road measurements

The project is expected to collect up to 40,000 records from a wide range of vehicle makes, ages and types, from cars to trucks and buses.

“This data will enable the Berlin government measure the actual pollution coming from each vehicle category,” says Javier Buhigas, Head of Technical Consultancy at Opus RSE. “The information can then be used to make informed policy decisions, for example on which vehicles should be allowed into low emission zones.”

Opus is due to start a similar remote sensing project in Frankfurt, this time working for Germany’s environmental agency. “Because that project is at federal level it can have a real impact on how vehicle emissions are measured across the whole country,” said Herbert.

Watch the TV news report in German here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQjO9-uEElI