3 minute read
Germicidal UVC Systems: Tangible Energy Savings
from 2022 Insight Issue 3
by Editor
By: Tom Melton
Managing a building during a global pandemic has its share of challenges, one of them being delivering a high-quality environment for tenants.
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When seeking out the best solutions for a building, property management teams strive to find cost-effective solutions which have been proven to work.
Tom Melton, a senior chief engineer with Madison Marquette, who has been using UV-C lighting on his own dwelling for 20 years, decided to run an experiment using UV-C lighting in a portion of his building.
While UV-C systems have attracted attention during the COVID-19 pandemic, this technology is not new, nor was it new to Melton.
Since he had witnessed the way that it saved energy at his home and also kept the coils in pristine condition due to its antimicrobial function, it seemed plausible to Melton that this could be a solution in the building for which he is responsible.
If you are not familiar with this technology, UV-C systems are germicidal systems whose ultraviolet wavelengths damage the DNA structure of bacteria, viruses and pathogens. They have been used to purify food, air and water. Hospitals, schools, airlines and other public settings have used these systems as part of their disinfecting regimen.
In March of 2021, Melton chose two comparable air handlers and used one as a UV-C test unit, while the other remained without a UV-C system, as a control group for his experiment.
20-year-old pristine coil, Melton’s home
UV-C system, Melton’s home UV-C System, Melton’sBuilding
UV-C Test System April 2021 (Left) April 2022 (Right)
12-percent Reduced YoY UVC Test Unit
With professional help from Fresh-Aire UV, Entek, and EC Electric, he received the UVC system (TUD-C-ACS Airborne Duct System), had both air handler coils examined and confirmed to be clean and well maintained, and he monitored the kilowatt hour usage differences. In the first month there was a higher kilowatt hour usage on the UV-C test floor.
However, over the next several months the UVC bulb’s performance showed a net savings when compared to the control group -- the floor that did not have a UV-C system.
The bar graph (above) shows Melton’s energy-savings findings using the UV-C test unit. As a sensible solution in terms of energy and maintenance, UV-C technology has delivered promising results for Tom Melton. He and the property management team will continue to monitor the UV-C and control floors’ energy performances. More valuable benefits of UV-C system bulbs:
• UV-C lamps kill up to 99.9% of bacteria/mold/viruses • UV-C system bulbs last for two years until needing replacement
For further information, see ASHRAE at the below QR code.
About the Author
Tom Melton serves as Senior Chief Engineer for Madison Marquette and works in midtown Atlanta, Georgia. He has been working in the commercial building property management business for 40 years and is passionate about energy savings. This article was written with Ariela Ehrens.
ASHRAE | UV-C Best Practices
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