For an article I produced about germicidal ultraviolet (GUV) for the June issues of ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR, I had the pleasure of engaging the Illuminating Engineering Society’s Mark Lien in a short interview about GUV. The IES recently produced a guide to GUV.
DiLouie: The COVID-19 pandemic has sparked new interest in germicidal UV (GUV) radiation. What is your overall take on this?
Lien: It is both potentially good and bad. This pandemic has demanded solutions for situations previously unencountered. The history of GUV disinfection dates back ninety years but applications have changed and newer research is better informed on usage and safety concerns. Reusing personal protective equipment safely is one new application prompted by this pandemic. Using upper air GUV disinfection could potentially save the lives of our front line medical workers. There is also a potential for users to misapply these products resulting in health and safety concerns.
DiLouie: The pandemic will have cultural as well as practical and economic effects on how spaces are designed and used. If GUV can play a viable role in reducing infection in buildings, do you see greater adoption occurring, and more importantly, do you see that adoption extending for a substantial period of time beyond the pandemic?
Lien: There is a heightened awareness of GUV due to this pandemic. New users that find this solution to be effective and preferable to alternatives will continue to use the GUV equipment that they acquired.
DiLouie: What common misconceptions and mistakes are occurring among building owners and consumers around GUV?
Lien: There is a false perception that disinfecting a space is always beneficial. GUV is a targeted solution to be used only in spaces where disinfection is necessary. What precautions should electrical distributors and contractors take when talking about, selling, applying, and installing this technology? Using GUV properly requires learning about the technology. The IES has a report available to help educate anyone considering GUV. It is written in an indexed FAQ format making it easy to focus on specific concerns. The report is available at no charge.
DiLouie: What should electrical distributors and contractors be doing right now to make sure GUV is properly applied with their customers?
Lien: Make sure you are buying products from companies you trust. This is an unregulated area with dubious and potentially dangerous products being marketed. I have been told that recently multiple GUV vendors did not issue proper cautions or in some cases even understand the risks for misapplication.
DiLouie: If you could tell all electrical distributors and contractors just one thing about GUV, what would it be?
Lien: Anything strong enough to help you is strong enough to hurt you. Being well informed about this helps your customer and your credibility.
