Welcome to LEDs Magazine's UV Tech Insights for Nov. 9, 2023. This is our last edition of this newsletter for the year. Looking back, I'd like to address two obstacles to the widespread deployment of germicidal ultraviolet (GUV) technology.
One is a lack of foresight in terms of labeling this technology essential. Many commercial businesses have been reluctant to adopt GUV systems, concerned that once the coronavirus pandemic was deemed officially over, the messaging about disinfection would dissipate in urgency.
The other is a lack of quantifiable information about the efficacy of GUV systems and the role they can play beyond addressing one specific virus. That is changing, though, and should influence former objecters to reconsider their stance on disinfection systems.
Take a look at the featured article by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory senior engineer Gabe Arnold. He outlines the evidence-backed benefits in energy efficiency and improved indoor air-quality, with more specifics on system evaluations to come. Our interest in a concept that has been around for some time may have been renewed due to an unusual pandemic situation. However, the implications of incorporating GUV into air-ventilation and treatment equipment include better energy usage and therefore improved operational costs for buildings.
Carrie Meadows, [email protected]
