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  3. INDOOR AIR QUALITY: Commissioning, Installation and Testing of UV-FLOW systems at Lake Hills Church (TX-USA)

INDOOR AIR QUALITY: Commissioning, Installation and Testing of UV-FLOW systems at Lake Hills Church (TX-USA)

Case Studies INDOOR AIR QUALITY
20.10.2023
INDOOR AIR QUALITY: Commissioning, Installation and Testing of UV-FLOW systems at Lake Hills Church (TX-USA) - Light Progress


(2 minutes read. Download complete article: DOWNLOAD PDF)

At a glance
Upper Air disinfection: the smart, safe, energy-efficient way to keep IAQ at the highest level. UV-FLOW is the ultimate indoor air disinfection solution, and it makes it easy to apply ASHRAE GPC 37, the new Standard for GUV Commissioning.

Key metrics
Lake Hills Church facilities includes a big Worship Center with 1,200 seats, nurseries for kids aged 0-2, Kids Building dedicated to children 3-12 with classes and large gathering areas, a Student Building as well as offices and a warehouse.

Challenges
The goal was to reduce the risk of airborne infections and illnesses where ventilation is limited and occupants are more sensitive, such as newborns and children. The main challenge was to commission the project according to the ASHRAE standard and to provide an installation in a large environment and in small rooms, while keeping an eye on efficiency and safety.

Solutions
UV-FLOW-WL and UV-FLOW-CL are “Upper AIr” UV systems installed near the ceiling of a room, where they create a disinfection zone of UV light. The air in the room is circulated through this zone by natural or mechanical ventilation. As the air passes through the zone, the UV light inactivates any airborne pathogens that are present. The air then returns to the lower part of the room, safe and clean. 

Benefits 
  • Protect Health while ensuring Safety: by providing enough GUV energy to treat entire areas, UV-FLOW models ensured the optimal level of efficacy, while maintaining the UV-C level under total control for safety.
  • Innovate with ease and simplicity: the perfect type of Upper Air UV-C system, UV-FLOW can be easily adapted to any environment and is easy to install in different spaces.
  • Increase IAQ without increasing Energy Costs: UV-FLOW Upper Air is a more efficient alternative to raise IAQ above the standard without increasing HVAC energy consumption.
Regulatory Reference
The Commissioning process embedded in the GPC 37 Guideline (ANSI/ASHRAE/IES 202 and 90.1) maps the entire commissioning process from needs assessment to implementation to build the project brief. The purpose is to plan, design, install, test, operate and maintain to meet requirements.
 
OUR EXPERTISE
Ruling out large environments that were not regularly populated or had plenty of fresh air ventilation, we identified 5 potential areas for application in the Kids Building and Worship Center based on room usage, characteristics, and primary occupants. The budget priority reduced us to 3 areas mitigating risk for the oldest and youngest in the community:
  • 3 Nurseries Rooms (16x16 ft - 4,8x4,8 m)
  • Club K12 Room (45x49 ft - 13,7x14,9 m)

Beyond producing CAD Drawings, we modelled/calculated dosage and product performance using goniospectrophotometry (i.e., IES files) to select the products and placement. Devices were chosen by wattage based on calculations of both volume and surface coverage dosage. From Design to Installation there were also considerations for a variety of customer-centric issues, such as usability, integration with other behaviors, practices, or protocols as well as aesthetic considerations.
We provided installation support training the electricians on safety, we educated them on the project intent, design constraints, and exact positioning. Fortunately, we did not discover physical realities tha would have changed economics.

We decided to operate the units from separate switches that were clearly marked on the wall and to add safety labels to ensure that everyone was aware of the presence of UV-C systems in the environment.
We conducted a performance and safety test using a UV-C meter and following the photobiological safety test of UL standard. It verifies the installation height and angle and sets the thresholds.
After a month of use, we interviewed the facility manager for feedback and received very enthusiastic comments about how much the staff appreciated the attention to their health and how practical the systems were to use.


CONCLUSION:
Customer greatly enhanced its IAQ and get rid of airborne microbes in its most critical areas without affecting the existing ventilation system.

F.A.Q.

Ultraviolet rays are electromagnetic waves which are part of light. Electromagnetic waves are divided into three main wavelength bands, expressed in nanometers, nm: Ultraviolet rays (UV) 100-400 nm Visible rays (light) 400-700 nm Infrared rays (IR) 700-800,000 nm UV rays are in turn identified in three bands:

  • UV-A (315-400 nm) with tanning properties;
  • UV-B (280-315 nm) con proprietà terapeutiche e di sintesi della vitamina "D";
  • UV-C (100-280 nm) with germicidal properties.

UV-C rays (100-280 nm) have a strong germicidal effect and reach their maximum efficacy at the 265 nm wavelength. The germicidal effect of UV-C radiation covers bacteria, viruses, spores, fungi, moulds and mites; this is mainly due to the destructive effect of the UV-C rays on their DNA, which damage their reproductive system and prevent them from replicating.

Bacteria, Viruses, Spores, Fungi, Mould, and Mites are all sensitive to, and can therefore be eliminated with, UV-C light. Mircrobes cannot acquire resistance to UV-C light, unlike that which occurs using chemical disinfectants and antibiotics. UV rays are ecological. Polluting the environment is inevitable using normal disinfectants. Directly inhaling the vapours, or swallowing food products contaminated by any contact with said chemical disinfectants, can also give rise to a number of serious risks. In cases where chemical disinfectants cannot be eliminated (food, pharmaceutical, healthcare industries, etc.), using ultraviolet rays for disinfection allows a reduction in their use, with considerable economic savings and greater care for the environment, while maintaining and almost always improving the level of disinfection. UV-C light devices can be installed in environments and on machinery and be programmed to maintain the same level of disinfection day and night, guaranteeing ideal hygiene conditions, without highs and lows. On the contrary, chemical disinfectants are effective only during their actual use. Using LIGHT PROGRESS equipped luminaires, operating costs are negligible; it could be said that “LIGHT PROGRESS” UV-C systems do not require maintenance except for the normal replacement of the lamps. The cost/benefit ratio is considered excellent; the devices are both powerful and long-lasting. Hence the elimination of germs using UV-C technology is low-cost and highly effective compared to (or in combination with) other systems.

UV-C really does work when applied correctly and with the necessary precautions. The difference between a quality project and an unsuccessful application is in-depth knowledge and experience gained over time. Since 1987, Light Progress has been carrying out successful projects all over the world and has acquired a clientele of major companies in all sectors that require verified hygienic conditions to produce quality products and services.