VRV / VRF is a modern and sophisticated technology which helps in reducing electricity consumption by regualting refrigerant flow of liquid. Hence, the machine performs efficiently according to human occupancy, oreintation, direction of sun, heat generating equipment with a pay back period of approximately three and half years.
Indoor Air Quality has become an important factor in today’s world as it has a direct impact on the health of building occupants. A building must be well ventilated and the inside air must be free of microorganisms for the health and well-being of building occupants.
As we all have witnessed the pandemic, we have to make sure that the air circulating inside the building must be free of microbes ( Virus, Bacteria & Fungi).
UVGI Technology (Ultraviolet Germicidal Irradiation) has been in use for so long for improving air quality as It enhances occupant health, comfort, and productivity. The role of air-conditioning and ventilation, in preventing airborne infections has drawn extensive attention since the SARS outbreak.
Ultraviolet Germicidal Irradiation (UVGI) is an air and surface disinfection method integrated with the HVAC system of the building. It uses ultraviolet (UV) light to kill or inactivate the Virus by disrupting and destroying its DNA, leaving it unable to perform its vital cellular functions.
After using the HVAC system for many years, fungus growth starts inside all corners and joints of the ducts, which subsequently becomes a breeding ground for different kinds of bacteria and viruses. The regular deposit of microorganisms in the ducts and on the surface of the coil of AHU becomes an invisible health hazard. It should be cleaned for a healthier environment.
UVGI is used as a safe alternative to manual or chemical cleaning for a cleaner inside of the HVAC system. As manual cleaning is cumbersome and leads to damage of the coils quite often. Chemical cleaning causes the chemical to remain inside the ducts and AHU coils which slowly come out in the form of minute droplets and vapors when the system is in working condition causing the inhabitants to inhale the same.
The UV lamps can be installed in AHU & Ducts. In AHU’s the installation is done near the coil surface so that the coil remains clean of virus and other micro organisms. For Duct based system, the installation is done inside the duct. The standalone units are also available for the area which does not have access to Centralized Air Conditioning systems.
The effectiveness of UVGI has been proved by various international studies and research as the technology is in use since 1930. The UVGI Technology is meant primarily for air and water disinfection. With the advent of COVID, the UV lamps are used for air and surface disinfection. Since air is circulated through HVAC inside any building premises, it is necessary to have an active UV lamps integration inside the AHU & the Ducts to make sure that there is no air contamination for the health of building occupants.
Ultra-violet (UV) energy kills or inactivates microorganisms (Viruses, Bacteria, Fungi, etc.). UV energy attacks the DNA of the microorganism by penetrating inside the cell membrane, breaking the DNA structure of the micro-organism and making it not reproduce any further. Hence, the UVGI system inhibits the growth of any sort of microorganisms inside the duct lining or on the coil surface for the health of building occupants.
Low-pressure mercury vapor lamps radiate about 95% of their energy at a wavelength of 253.7nm, which is close to the DNA absorption peak (260–265nm) which has high germicidal effectiveness.
UVGI inactivates micro-organisms by damaging the structure of nucleic acids and proteins at the molecular level, making them incapable of reproducing. DNA ( Deoxyribonucleic acid ) is critical for the growth of any viruses and other microorganisms. UV photons irradiated by UV lamps can damage DNA in a variety of ways, resulting in the organism’s inability to replicate or even its death. An organism that cannot reproduce is no longer capable of causing disease. UVGI effectiveness depends primarily on the UV Dosage delivered to the micro-organism.
The main components of the UVGI system are UV lamps, Ballast, Parabolic Reflector, and alloy metal framing for holding the structure. The life span of UV lamps is 9000 hours to 12000 hours. High-efficiency UV ballast enclosed within IP54 rated enclosure to make sure there is no damage to control panel for efficient working of the system. Automation Kit for a live display of UV Lamp Indicator, Running Hour, Intensity meter
It has been proved by various researches worldwide that UV lamps can improve the air quality as it has an effective killing against every sort of Bacteria, Viruses & Fungi when exposed to desired UV dosage. . The United States General Services Administration requires that UVC be included in cooling coils of air-handling units for all federal facilities and to maintain coil cleanliness and improve air quality. Eliminates growth of MOLD & MILDEW on cooling coil.
UV Lamps can help in Energy Savings for HVAC system through fan Energy Savings & Cooling Energy savings and significantly increases the life time of the coil. On average, UVGI results in net savings/ Efficiency improvement of anywhere between 10-15% of the HVAC energy costs in a typical system.
AHU coil cleaning is a major problem in HVAC maintenance. It is very difficult to do coil cleaning manually and this can be easily achieved by a safe alternative UVGI. Prevents periodic cleaning of coils, thereby significantly reducing maintenance costs. Also, the chemical cleaning is harmful as the left out chemical when come out with the air causes health hazards.
With UV Lamps installation, the life of HEPA filets get increased as the load of micro organisms become minimal as the UV Lamps take charge of the killing the virus then and there.
UV lamps also help in achieving Green Building Benefits as there is no water wastage by cleaning the coils with jet pumps. Also, there is an energy saving happens as the fan and motor bear less load.