Purpose:

This protocol tests integrated solutions which include sensors, deployment of those sensors, and any analytics and auxiliary data required for the system to function. The protocol does not evaluate the performance of components of the system, such as the sensors alone or the analytics alone.

Testing under the revised Controlled Test Protocol will better represent real world applications in the following ways:

• • Simulating how devices are used in operational settings by including baseline emissions and in mimicking failure conditions by equipment type.
  • Sensor companies must deploy solutions in the same way they would be used at operational sites.
  • Sensor companies must define and report detection thresholds.

This protocol covers a range of solutions and is structured to accept additional solution types in the future. However, most current methods can be grouped into two types: survey solutions and continuous monitoring solutions (or methods).

• Survey solutions are human-supervised solutions that make short-duration observations of components or entire facilities using mobile sensors, either handheld or mounted on some moving platform. While sensing is supervised by a human operator co-located with the sensing system, subsequent analytics often occur after the sensing operations are completed.
• Continuous monitoring solutions utilize sensors which have limited or no mobility, are installed for extended periods on a facility, and operate without on-site human supervision or intervention. While these solutions are colloquially known as continuous monitors, these solutions do not operate at all times, due to lock-out conditions, cycling, panning between different fields of view, etc.

Both solution types require analytics to translate sensed data into emission detection, emission rate quantification, and emission source location.