ICFUST 2024 - Lit Thinking - Opportunities and challenges for far-UVC in 2024

Summary

The speaker emphasizes the importance of translating scientific advancements into marketable solutions, particularly in the Internet of Things. They stress the necessity of a feedback loop through sensors to measure effectiveness and call for a significant reduction in the cost of far UVC technology for broader deployment. The speaker advocates for compliance with standards and shares five key points, including the high cost of filtered fire UVC, the need for progress in efficacy, and the importance of context in discussions about secondary chemistry. They also address the challenge of measuring infection transmission rates and the need for clear benefits in organizational decisions, concluding with an interest in developing more efficient and cost-effective LEDs for far UVC.

Takeaways

• 🔬 The speaker emphasizes the importance of translating scientific advancements into marketable solutions.
• 🌐 A significant focus is placed on the Internet of Things, highlighting the necessity of feedback loops through sensors.
• 💸 The current cost of far UVC technology is deemed too high for broad deployment, necessitating a significant price reduction.
• 📈 The company has adopted a cautious and compliant approach to entering the US market, emphasizing regulatory approvals and certifications.
• 🌟 Efficacy of far UVC is improving, with the technology proving to be more effective than initially thought.
• 🚫 The speaker advocates for a balanced debate on secondary chemistry, suggesting that far UVC should not be disproportionately scrutinized compared to other building materials.
• 🏢 There is a call for equal scrutiny of all indoor environmental factors, including ozone levels and man-made products in buildings.
• 🔑 The speaker stresses the importance of being able to measure and control what is being managed, particularly in terms of infection transmission rates.
• 💡 The potential of LEDs in far UVC technology is highlighted, with a focus on improving power conversion efficiency to reduce costs.
• 📉 The speaker points out the inverse relationship between efficiency and cost, suggesting that as far UVC LEDs become more efficient, their cost will decrease.

Q & A

What are the three key areas the speaker's company focuses on?

The speaker's company focuses on making solutions, having a big focus on the Internet of Things, and ensuring affordability of their products.

Why is the feedback loop with sensors considered essential?

The feedback loop with sensors is essential because it allows for the measurement of what is being controlled or outputted, which is crucial for the effectiveness of their solutions.

What is the speaker's stance on the current pricing of far UVC technology?

The speaker believes that far UVC technology is currently too expensive and needs a significant price reduction to be deployed more broadly.

What compliance measures has the speaker's company taken before releasing their products?

The speaker's company has taken a conservative and compliant approach, ensuring their products are UL 882 approved, SEC Part 15 Chapter A compliant, EPA compliant, and CARB certified.

What is the significance of the UL testing for the speaker's diffuse model?

The UL testing for the diffuse model is significant because it validated the model at less than five ppb, which is a very low level, ensuring the product's safety and effectiveness.

What are the five points of feedback the speaker has for the team?

The five points of feedback include the importance of robust scientific discussions, the high cost of filtered fire UVC, the need for lower-cost sources of fire UVC, the debate on efficacy and exposure limits, and the focus on secondary chemistry.

Why is the speaker concerned about the debate on secondary chemistry?

The speaker is concerned because the debate on secondary chemistry is being conflated with the benefits of far UVC, potentially derailing its adoption despite its potential to mitigate airborne infections.

What does the speaker suggest about the scrutiny of other indoor environment products?

The speaker suggests that other indoor environment products like carpets and ozone-absorbing paints should be scrutinized similarly to far UVC technology.

What is the speaker's view on the adoption of far UVC technology?

The speaker views the slow adoption of far UVC technology as a problem, suggesting that it is held back by a lack of clear return on investment and the difficulty in measuring infection transmission rates.

Why is the speaker interested in LEDs for far UVC technology?

The speaker is interested in LEDs for far UVC technology because of the inverse relationship between power conversion efficiency and cost, suggesting that as efficiency improves, the cost will decrease, making the technology more accessible.

What does the speaker believe is the biggest competitor to the adoption of new technologies?

The speaker believes that the biggest competitor to the adoption of new technologies is the status quo, or 'doing nothing,' as it requires no immediate decision-making.