Methods for UV-C Deployment

Upper-Air GUV is a method of deploying UV-C radiation above sightlines disinfecting the upper air in an enclosed space. For this to work correctly, two factors in addition to UV-C dosing are critical. The first is natural convection created by the heat created by people, computers, and other equipment causing the air to rise. That convection, combined with proper HVAC ventilation securing minimum exchanges per hour moves the disinfected air through the space delivering it to occupants consistently.

Why Upper-Air GUV?

The main advantage of this method is the high volume of disinfection delivered quickly and consistently. The primary means of transmission of COVID-19 is via airborne transmission. There is a case to be made for surface disinfection, but to be truly effective in a working environment the airborne virus must be inactivated. Upper-Air GUV creates an always-on and safe means of disinfecting the airborne virus. It is intended to be used whenever spaces are occupied.

Basics of System Design

UV-C for upper air can be added to new suspended linear lighting systems or be installed as wall-mounted units. All units must be hung at seven feet or higher to ensure no one has a direct viewing angle into the UV-C radiation and their skin cannot be exposed to it. Warning labels, as well as safety sensors, are recommended.

Upper-Air GUV Products

Below are a series of GUV products designed for upper air implementation.

Another effective way to deploy GUV technology is through the use of direct air filtration units. These units are extremely safe as the UV-C radiation is contained within the unit. These units can be movable or permanently installed and come in a variety of capacities.

The advantage of these air filtration units is their simplicity. When sized properly relative to the room they are meant to disinfect, they are simply plug and play. Some are wall mounted, but many can be rolled into a space, plugged in and turned on, within a few minutes the air has been exchanged for disinfected air. These units are meant to be used whenever spaces are occupied.

GUV Air Filtration Products

The units below are UV-C air filtration units meant to disinfect volumes of air safely.

While the primary method of coronavirus transmission is known to be airborne, there are still cases where surface disinfection might be desirable, particularly with high-touch areas such as in restrooms, locker rooms, or shared desks. If UV is part of your long-term health and safety plan, implementing some level of surface disinfection to fight future flu or other transmissible diseases makes sense.

There are dedicated UV-C surface disinfection units as well as creative task luminaires with UV-C built-in. The primary consideration when using these devices must be safety. The UV element must be completely turned off in any occupied space. These tools are meant to be used only when a space is unoccupied.