In the current economic climate, owners, franchises, property managers and facility engineers are more pressed than ever to reduce operating costs and defer capital expenditures — all while taking on green initiatives and optimizing building quality and performance.
In the current economic climate, owners, franchises, property managers and facility engineers are more pressed than ever to reduce operating costs and defer capital expenditures — all while taking on green initiatives and optimizing building quality and performance. EcoGreenHotel recognizes that Steril-Aire germicidal ultraviolet C (UVC) devices installed in HVAC systems provide an innovative and effective, yet often overlooked, tool for helping to meet these challenges.
HOW WILL UVC HELP MY BUILDING?
By controlling surface and airborne microorganisms, Steril-Aire UVC can be beneficial for hospitality public spaces, casinos, guest rooms, administrative and back-of-the-house areas.
Energy savings: Studies show that even a thin (0.024-inch/0.61-mm) layer of biofilm buildup on a coil increases energy consumption by at least 21.5 percent. By cleaning coils continuously, UVC eliminates biofilm much more effectively than conventional cleaning methods — saving energy by maintaining equipment at factory-designed efficiency.
Maintenance and operational savings: Manual coil cleaning can be a major HVAC maintenance expense and may be very difficult to perform on small, tough-to-access packaged or unitary systems. In the hospitality industry, for green hotels, dirty coils can lead to unoccupied rooms and non-revenue generating guest and conference rooms. Steril-Aire UVC solves these problems by greatly reducing or eliminating the need for chemical cleaning or pressure washing of any size coil. It also eliminates the associated downtime, inconvenience and potential discomfort of guest and staff, as well as worker exposure to cleaning chemicals.
IAQ control: UVC improves air quality by preventing the spread of infectious diseases, and also by reducing allergy and asthma symptoms commonly triggered by biofilm, a complex matrix of mold, bacteria, viruses and debris. Biofilm is a common source of odors, frequently contributing to guest complaints and HVAC operational issues. UVC creates a safer, more comfortable indoor environment and eliminates the mildew and musty odors from the air conditioning system. Improved indoor air quality has also been documented to improve worker performance and decrease absenteeism.
Equipment service life: The surface cleaning effect of UVC helps restore older HVAC systems to efficient operation, prolonging the life of aging air handlers.
Water conservation: Reclaiming UVC-cleaned condensate for cooling tower makeup, irrigation or gray water flushing can reduce water and waste-water costs.
LEED contribution: Because of these varied benefits, UVC may contribute to earning LEED credits in one or more areas.
HOW DOES UVC WORK?
The C-wavelength is the most germicidal in the UV spectrum. It targets the DNA of microorganisms, destroying cells or making replication impossible. Directed at a cooling coil and drain pan in the HVAC system, UVC energy destroys surface biofilm, a gluey matrix that grows in the presence of moisture. Biofilm is widely prevalent in HVAC systems and leads to a host of indoor air quality and operational issues that are sometimes mistakenly attributed solely to mold.
Steril-Aire UVC also destroys airborne viruses and bacteria that circulate throughout the system. UVC will successfully deliver contaminant destruction rates above 99%, when properly installed and applied in combination with air-exchange rates.
IS ALL UVC CREATED EQUAL?
Comparing performance is critical because all UVC is not created equal. Devices marketed for commercial HVAC applications fall into two categories: those with new-generation high-output lamps introduced in the 1990s, and those using conventional older-style UVC lamps that were not engineered for HVAC use. The germicidal output of these devices varies widely, especially under cold, moving air HVAC operating conditions.
For optimum performance, use a high-output device manufactured to deliver an output of 9 microwatts per linear inch of glass measured from a distance of 1 meter, tested at an air velocity of 400 feet per minute and at a temperature of 50° F.
The recommended location for installation is horizontally across the full width of the face of the coil, on the supply side of the system downstream from the cooling coil and above the drain pan. Steril-Aire UVC can be easily installed in new and retrofit units from large air handlers to fan coils and unitary systems.
Since UVC industry standards are still evolving, check independent testing. The best independent information to consult is a series of test reports commissioned by the Environmental Protection Agency in conjunction with the National Homeland Security Research Center through its Technology and Testing Evaluation Program.
The reports compare nine UVC devices tested by research group RTI International. The testing provides a useful benchmark for comparing performance of various UVC devices. Research highlights can be accessed at www.epa.gov/NHSRC/news/news100406a.html, or click here for a summary of the results.
In summary, Steril-Aire germicidal UVC can provide a very effective tool to meet the needs in the hospitality industry for green and sustainable products that save energy, enhance IAQ and infection control, reduce HVAC coil maintenance and toxic chemical use and conserve water.
Robert Scheir, Ph.D. is President and Chairman of Steril-Aire, Inc. For more information, e-mail sales@steril-aire.com, call 800-278-3745, or visit www.steril-aire.com.
About EcoGreenHotel
EcoGreenHotel is a company dedicated to helping lodging facilities address energy and environmental solutions. Sustainability services are strategically designed to help hotels identify incentives, rebates, and grants to allocate toward energy efficient solutions to decrease energy costs and achieve the Triple Bottom Line. EcoGreenHotel also offers Energy Star Benchmarking and Energy Efficiency Analysis. For further information visit www.EcoGreenHotel.com or call 888.229.0213.
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