Facilities Maintenance
UVC for Increased Energy Efficiency and Reduced Maintenance
Incorporating UVC technology into building air conditioning systems has many benefits.
- Improves indoor air quality (IAQ) and employee performance.
- Eliminates insulating biofilm to improve heat exchange and air flow, which has been proven to reduce Air Handling Unit (AHU) energy consumption by about 20%.
- Reduces work load and improves efficiencies.
- Eliminates biological growth on coils and in the drain pan that can cause coil fouling and odors.
- Increases AHU equipment life.
- Mitigates risk, liabilities, and cost.
- Achieves a measurable return on investment (ROI) within one to three years. (Based on usage and energy costs.)
Additional benefits of Lumalier products:
- Non-proprietary Philips lamps eliminate unsustainable UVC lamp replacement costs.
- We have years of experience in turnkey retrofit installations.
- Key component of HVAC Reliability Centered Maintenance (RCM).
Contact us to discuss your specific application and facility goals. Lumalier offers a broad range of products and models to provide solutions for different types of challenges and situations.
How Lumalier Can Assist with Facility Challenges
Problem: Facility managers struggle with maintaining HVAC units. Coil cleaning is often one of the most neglected maintenance requirements. To truly keep coils clean and performing to original specifications, coils may need to be cleaned 4 times per year (quarterly)– which is expensive, labor and chemical intensive… and unrealistic.
Solution: Lumalier's in-duct UVC is specifically engineered for the ideal treatment of coils, engineered sand scaled specifically for the coil’s exact height, width, and CFM of the HVAC system.
Background: Biofilm naturally accumulates on all cooling coil fins, reducing thermal energy transfer and air volume, while increasing static pressure and air speed (less contact time with cooling fins); Biofilm also serves as the ‘glue’ that attracts and holds particulates that bypass filtration, causing coil fouling and efficiencies to decline rapidly. Biofilm causes all AHU components to work harder, including chiller plants and fan motors.
ASHRAE states: “Damp coil and drain pan conditions are excellent forums for growth of bacteria and mold (biofilm). Coil fouling caused by growth of bacteria and mold increases coil pressure drop and reduces airflow, reducing heat transfer from coil fins to lessen the amount of work a system can perform.”
ASHRAE Handbook, Chapter 16, 2008; Chapter 60, 2011 & 2015.
Facility managers are often forced to compensate for cooling capacity loss by reducing chilled water temperature, increasing fan speeds, lowering thermostats, and adjusting set backs; reactive efforts that greatly contribute to increased energy consumption.
“UVC can be readily applied to HVAC systems to keep coils, drain pans, and other surfaces clean and free of microbial contamination. UVC maintains heat exchange efficiency, design airflow, and improves indoor air quality by reducing bacteria and mold growth on system components.” “Coil pressure drop is reduced and, therefore, airflow is restored. Because heat transfer also is restored, this combination can result in significant energy savings, with payback of possibly less than 2 years.” ASHRAE Handbook, 2008, 2011, 2015
Environmental Coil Optimization destroys the insulating biofilm to ‘release’ dirt and debris that contribute to coil fouling. Coil optimization returns the AHU to as-‐ new specification to help achieve the benefits listed by ASHRAE, while providing substantial and immediate energy efficiency that results in rapid ROI payback.
AHU Benefits:
- Eliminates all mold and biological growth on coil fins, drain pan, fan motor and surrounding plenum. And… odors are eliminated!
- Bio-‐free coils generate greater condensate volume and lower Relative Humidity (RH%) in the facility. Increased condensate properly removes debris as originally specified = cleaner coils and cleaner pans.
- Delta-‐T and thermal efficiency restoration, static pressure reduction, improved air flow, reduced fan amperage draw = return to as-‐ built specifications.
- Energy savings = 8% to 20% / energy ROI = 1 to 4 years.
- Keeps coils clean 24/7/365
Maintenance Benefits:
- Eliminates need for chemical coil cleaning = labor and chemical savings.
- Eliminates need for pan pills or odor pills in pans or plenums.
- Improves efficiency - fewer service issues.
- Lifecycle of AHU extended by ~ two years.
UVC Disinfection Products for Energy Performance Contracting
UVC for IAQ and Energy Efficiency
In AHU & In Duct UV Fixtures
In AHU & In Duct UV fixtures, such as the Lumalier AR Series UVC Fixtures, are installed inside ventilation systems to provide high-level, facility-wide disinfection of the airborne infectious pathogens that can cause respiratory sickness, disease, and infection. In AHU & In Duct fixtures are scalable to fit any size air handler unit (AHU).
- Achieves the greatest square foot coverage at the lowest cost.
- Uses the existing ventilation system to disinfect and distribute air.
- Eliminates biological growth on coils and in the drain pan that can cause coil fouling, odors, and premature failure of air conditioning equipment.
- Provides facilities with an ROI benefit with reduced energy consumption and maintenance.
UVC for IAQ
Upper-Air UV Fixtures
Upper-air UV fixtures are engineered to provide very targeted airborne pathogen reduction into high-risk areas.
- Installation applications include lobbies in administrative buildings, classrooms and lecture halls, hallways, cafeterias, libraries, etc.
- Units are available for high or low ceilings and for any square footage.
- Units can be permanently or temporarily installed for flexible space uses.
- Natural convection-currents create repeated air disinfection within defined spaces. Fan assisted models are available.
UVC for Risk Management
Surface Disinfection
Surface disinfection UV fixtures are engineered for high-level disinfection of contaminated surfaces that can spread infection.
- Appropriate for temporary disinfection of floors, desks, and table surfaces that have been contaminated.
- Ideal for treatment of difficult-to-disinfect surfaces, such as keyboards, monitors, lab and cafeteria equipment.
- Ideal for office buildings, cafeterias, or any area where contaminated surfaces can spread sickness.
- Surface disinfection units are available in both fixed and portable options.