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CIBSE AWARDS | SIGNIFY UV-C LUMINAIRES Keeping it clean The germicidal effects of UV light were discovered in 1877. Now, in the shadow of Covid-19, an application of UV-C is winning plaudits and a CIBSE Building Performance Award. Phil Lattimore reports T he aggressive spike in Covid-19, was the catalyst for the launch of our UV-C lighting portfolio and business stream, says Clark Morrow, UK&I marketing manager at Signify. That, and the fact the lighting company had also been working on lighting propositions that aligned with the overall market trend for health and wellbeing. Launched in late-2020, Signifys UV-C upper air disinfection luminaires were the winner of Product or Innovation Air Quality at the CIBSE Building Performance Awards 2022. Judges praised the technological solution, which effectively and safely eliminates airborne viruses and bacteria including the SARS-CoV-2 virus responsible for Covid-19. Ultraviolet (UV-C) radiation is used as a thoroughly thought-through and researched product that addresses the current need to disinfect indoor air. The UV-C upper air disinfection luminaires are part of Signifys portfolio of professional UV-C products and solutions that cover air, surfaces and water disinfection applications. The BPA judges commended its novel application of existing technologies to address the threat from Covid-19. They also highlighted the level of research and development documented in the award entry, the use of independent studies to verify safety and efficacy, and the provision of information on actual in-use performance. Threat Airborne viruses and bacteria contaminate the air trapped indoors, posing a threat to the health of people. Upper air UV-C systems which use the highest energy portion of the UV radiation spectrum, between 200 nanometers (nm) and 280nm can disinfect air circulating in a room, with the UV-C radiation breaking the nucleobases of DNA and RNA of bacteria and viruses. Signifys entry for the CIBSE award cited several independent studies to establish the effectiveness and safety of its solutions. For example, a laboratory test conducted by Innovative Bioanalysis found that the luminaires inactivated 99.99% of SARS-CoV-2 in the air of a room within 10 minutes; at 20 minutes, the virus was below detectable levels. In addition, all other bacteria and pathogens tested have responded to the UV-C solution. Signify says its upper air luminaires can provide the equivalent of up to 30 air changes per hour and estimates that achieving this with a traditional HVAC strategy would cost 10 times more. Ceiling and wall-mounted options The luminaires come in two standard forms, with ceiling- and wall-mounted units supported by various brackets and suspension kits. The system can be installed with basic on/off control, or it can be linked to timers to manage its operational periods. Luminaires are designed to be mounted above 2.4m to ensure that UV-C safety limits and exposure levels do not exceed the relevant standards, with the omnidirectional units creating an effective UV-C zone safely above head height. Careful design and implementation of the systems are essential to ensure they are effective and safe, as UV-C overexposure is harmful. All our installations are designed and implemented to strict European standards [ISO 15858], says Morrow. Specialist lighting design software calculates performance and efficiency, as well as safety levels, and these parameters are verified during commissioning. According to ISO 15858 and ASHRAE guidelines, human exposure to UV-C (at 254nm) should not exceed 6.0 for an eight-hour day, 40-hour working week. So, detailed designs for the installation of the luminaires must calculate the maximum A laboratory test by Innovative Bioanalysis found that the luminaires inactivated 99.99% of SARS-CoV-2 in the air of a room 56 September 2022 www.cibsejournal.com CIBSE Sept 22 pp56-57 Signify UV Supp.indd 56 26/08/2022 14:01