Welcome to the LEDs Magazine UV Tech Insights newsletter for July 15, 2021. In a relatively recent newsletter column, I explained that I generally look back at the column I wrote for the prior deployment of said newsletter, mainly to make sure I don’t repeat something I wrote earlier. Well, looking back at the June UV Tech Insights newsletter is a bit painful.

Rereading that column, it’s almost as if I declared COVID-19 vanquished. Clearly, that’s not the case. This Delta variant seems tough stuff. I would certainly encourage those who haven’t been vaccinated to take that step. And in the prior column I also discussed how UV-C work would slow. Thankfully, we have evidence that hasn’t happened at this point.

Our Mark Halper uncovered a story from Europe where two theater facilities have installed UV-C in the form of upper-air disinfection systems. Signify supplied each of the projects that included exhaustive coverage of the spaces in each facility — except for the actual performance halls. Arguably, those halls would be where the density of people might be most cause for concern. The story left me wondering, and I will seek an answer. In a high-ceiling space such as a performance hall, could you safely and effectively deploy an upper air system? I’m thinking no.

Mark also wrote two recent business-oriented articles on the company called Healthe that has seemed to narrow its focus to germicidal UV (GUV). First the company hired Gerard Meyer as CEO. Meyer has deep experience in the food services sector, which is ripe for GUV technology.

The second story focused on a relatively new investor in Healthe — Stephen Ross — and a UV-C installation in the locker room of the Miami Dolphins football team. Ross happens to be the principal owner of the Dolphins at this time. Ross also has a vast commercial real estate portfolio. And many of those facilities would be prospects for UV-C installations.

As our chronological luck goes, meanwhile, our UV newsletter again deploys this month just before the July/August issue deploys. That issue includes our third Special Report on UV this year, and in this case focuses on commercial applications. The spoiler alert is that uptake remains slow. Subscribers will be able to access the issue on our digital reader platform in just a few days. If you aren’t a subscriber, rectify that situation in just a couple of minutes.

You will find many more stories of interest in the body of today’s newsletter. And always feel free to contact me to discuss content we post or to pitch a contributed article.

- Maury Wright, (858) 208-9442, [email protected]