Auckland Airport's UV-C Success Story

High-output UVC Emitters reduce energyexpenditures even as an airport expands.

Becoming a major gateway to green. That’s precisely whatNew Zealand’s Auckland airport’s newly remodeled interna-tional passenger terminal was tasked with in 2007. NewZealand’s largest commercial building, handling 13 millionpassenger movements per year, had a goal to reduce theircarbon footprint by 5% before 2012.

This was a seemingly Herculean effort, because the terminalwas also to be soon taking on more retail space whileincreasing passenger numbers by 4.9%. More people con-suming, but less energy expended? How would that bepossible? Enter Superior Air Solutions, with the unsurpassedSteril-Aire UVC coil-cleaning and air contamination controlEmittersTM installed in the HVAC system. According to MartinFryer, the airport’s Sustainability Advisor, these were amajor part of the solution.

Mr. Fryer states “This was a real win-win-win for AucklandAirport – reduced energy costs, reduced carbon footprint andimproved air quality for our passengers and tenants."

Although they wanted to reduce their carbon footprint by 5%by 2012, they actually achieved that goal 2 years ahead ofschedule, and much of that success was directly linked to thedecrease in energy expenditure of their HVAC systems.

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An audit done by Auckland Airport showed that 77% ofelectrical energy use was related to air conditioning showingthat the efficiency of the HVAC units is critical to energysavings. This efficiency is extremely hampered by biofilmthat builds up on the cooling exchange plates, inhibitingthe heat transfer process and reducing airflow. By destroyingthe biofilm, Steril-Aire’s high-output Emitters eliminate theneed for manual coil cleaning and chemical usage. Coils,drain pans and plenums stay free of mold and bacteria –restoring equipment to their original performances withoutusing harmful toxins or requiring expensive maintenance.

$272,000 savings each year!

Keeping biofilm from the coils in over 100 air-handlingunits has resulted in a return on investment in merely 1.5years, according to Martin Fryer. This is well under theirambitious time-frame goal. And all the while, there was nodisruption of service and no passenger interruption. “Wereduced our carbon footprint by just over 400 tons” saidFryer, “because Steril-Aire produces the highest outputUVC Emitters available.”

The overall cost savings are a verified $272,000 eachyear and a 2,480MWh reduction each year. That’s anincredible reduction of 2,480,000 kWh.

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Summing Up Steril-Aire Savings

• Reduction in mandatory carbon footprint well ahead of schedule

• Reduction in energy costs of $272,000 per year

• Reduction in carbon emissions

• Reduction in AHU microbial load, resulting in improved indoorair quality

• Reduction in costs of HVAC maintenance• ROI of less than 18 months

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Contact Us today, and find out how Steril-Aire can increase your businesses effeciency, while reducing your costs.

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