Quick Links
On this page you'll find information on UVC case studies for various industries.
UVC Case Studies
Opened in 2008, Auckland Airport’s new international passenger terminal is one of the first buildings in New Zealand to receive world-recognised accreditation for its sustainable and energy efficient design. Its success has inspired a formal energy management programme across the entire international terminal complex, which is already delivering results.
As the main gateway into NZ, Auckland Airport’s international passenger terminal is the first impression of this country for most overseas visitors. And in keeping with New Zealand’s clean green image, the airport is continually seeking opportunities to improve energy efficiency and reduce environmental impact.
In 2007, the airport made a commitment to reduce its carbon footprint by 5% over the next five years (CO2 emissions at that time were around 10,000 tonnes of carbon per annum). So when a new international pier was required to meet projected visitor growth, the board demanded best practice in energy efficient design.
The new $50 million Pier B opened in October 2008 and was one of the first buildings in New Zealand to receive Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) certification, a US qualification that recognizes the best in sustainable building worldwide.
The roof of the building incorporates 300 square metres of photovoltaic cells, which produce 49,000 kWh every year towards lighting, as well as solar water heaters for hot water. The roof also collects 4000 cubic metres of rainwater a year, which is then used by the air-conditioning system’s cooling towers. Other features such as low-flow fittings, lighting controls, glazing to manage solar gain and energy efficient equipment all play their part in reducing overall energy use in the building.
Case Study no.2 - Washington Potato Co.
Keeping coliform bacteria counts below required thresholds is a challenge for
food processors everywhere, and Washington Potato Co. (Warden, Wash.)
understands.
“Though we were generally successful in controlling coliform bacteria levels on our products, the time and costs required to achieve control were excessive,” said Nicholas D. Ross, quality assurance and technical services director for the potato processing company.
Washington Potato is an industrial supplier of dry and frozen potato products that are remanufactured by other processors into products such as snacks, soups, stews, and mashed potatoes. One popular Washington Potato product is an IQF (individually quick frozen) diced potato that is minimally blanched prior to freezing. The product sporadically showed initial coliform bacteria counts that were not acceptable to Washington Potato and its customers.
“In efforts to control the problem, we had to treat product transport systems continuously with allowable sanitation chemicals and shut down the process line for major cleaning,” Ross said. “Sometimes we held product in frozen storage to reduce counts and/or sold the held product to customers with less stringent requirements, for example, for animal feed applications. Though this strategy was effective from a product safety standpoint, it was not efficient or economical.”
Case Study no.3 - Muskogee Community Hospital
Muskogee Community Hospital (Muskogee, OK) is using germicidal UVC (ultraviolet C) Emitters™ from Steril-Aire as part of an innovative infection control measure.
The devices were installed in the air handling units and in custom-designed, ceiling mounted units in the surgical and procedural suites, marking the first time a hospital has used UVC technology in this way.
Steril-Aire devices use high output UVC energy to eradicate airborne viruses and bacteria as well as surface bio film/ mold and pathogens, to improve indoor air quality and help reduce hospital acquired infections.
At MCH, the UVC devices were installed in the outside air intake, in the 77 individual air handling units that serve virtually all patient areas and in seven ceiling-mounted devices that are specially engineered for “after-hours” disinfection of the surgical and procedural areas with cleansing germicidal light.
MCH's environmentally friendly construction has made it the first healthcare facility to garner the EPA’s “Designed to Earn the ENERGY STAR” recognition. MCH is also the first hospital to use a closed-loop ground source geothermal system that covers the facility’s entire heating and cooling needs, in place of a traditional central HVAC system.