Welcome to the LEDs Magazine UV Tech Insights newsletter for Aug. 19, 2021. Our July/August issue deployed recently. It was the third issue of 2021 in which we featured a Special Report on germicidal ultraviolet (GUV) technology. Subscribers can peruse the entire issue on our digital magazine platform.

The article that we featured on the cover of that issue focused on the equivalent of lighting design for a space using UV fixtures. Lighting designers use modeling software to realize their concepts for visible light. The GUV sector is far less mature. But you can utilize some modeling tools to, say, design a surface disinfection implementation for a given space. As the article explains, UV-C is quite different in many ways than visible light — for instance, in reflectivity.

Already that article about GUV design has prompted interest from other contributing authors. Indeed, we will feature at least one more article on the topic in an upcoming issue.

I’d also call your attention to a column I wrote for the recent issue focused on the place for LEDs in GUV. We’ve had articles and webcasts over the course of the past year or so that have downplayed the potential of LEDs soon replacing legacy lamps in GUV applications. What I’ve learned is that lamps are also a misfit for many GUV applications. We as a society need UV-C LEDs to advance to broader GUV deployment. Our industry sectors need the same thing as a business opportunity. I think it’s closer than many experts have predicted.

I have heard from many like minds about UV-C LED usage relative to our Special Reports. I should gather the info up and post it somewhere permanent on the site. But I will offer some tidbits here.

A company with an innovative and appropriate name — INVZBL — wrote me and discussed their approach to upper-air disinfection using ceiling panels. The system combines UC-V LEDs with two filter layers. The company said the technology deactivates pathogens in a space in three minutes.

I also heard from a company from Canada called NexNord that is using UV-C LEDs in the air handler of an HVAC system. Most HVAC GUV deployments to date have used mercury lamps. But NexNord has a unique fixture design that mimics a spotlight to project the UV-C radiation in a precise beam. The system has been deployed in some well-known Canadian commercial and educational facilities.

We will also recognize some innovators in the GUV space when we present the 2021 Sapphire Awards next Tuesday evening. Strategies in Light is happening virtually next week. Register to attend Tuesday and Wednesday. The Sapphire Awards celebration is free to all to attend. It will start at 6:00 PM Eastern on Aug. 24.

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]