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The use of Ultraviolet Germicidal Irradiation (UVGI) devices in the upper zones of occupied buildings has gained increased attention as one of the most effective mitigation technologies for the transmission of COVID‐19. To ensure safe and effective use of upper‐room UVGI, it is necessary to devise a simulation technique that enables engineers, designers, and users to explore the impact of different design and operational parameters. We have developed a simulation technique for calculating UV‐C fluence rate within the volume of the upper zone and planar irradiance in the lower occupied zone. Our method is based on established ray‐tracing light simulation methods adapted to the UV‐C wavelength range. We have included a case study of a typical hospital patient room. In it, we explored the impact of several design parameters: ceiling height, device location, room configuration, proportions, and surface materials. We present a spatially mapped parametric study of the UV‐C irradiance distribution in three dimensions. We found that the ceiling height and mounting height of the UVGI fixtures combined can cause the largest variation (up to 22%) in upper zone fluence rate. One of the most important findings of this study is that it is crucial to consider interreflections in the room. This is because surface reflectance is the design parameter with the largest impact on the occupant exposure in the lower zone: Applying materials with high reflectance ratio in the upper portion of the room has the highest negative impact (over 700% variation) on increasing hot spots that may receive over 6 mJ/cm2 UV dose in the lower occupied zone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • ASHRAE et al. recommends increasing indoor fresh air supply to mitigate COVID-19 spread. • Increased fresh air supply may double energy costs when operating a conventional HVAC system. • We propose an HVAC solution which couples novel radiant systems with natural ventilation. • We estimate this solution would address thermal comfort needs in all major climate zones. • Where adopted, this solution could reduce building HVAC energy demand by 10–45%. Radiant cooling-assisted natural ventilation is an innovative technical approach that combines new radiant cooling technology with natural ventilation to increase fresh air delivery into buildings year-round with minimal energy cost and improvment of air quality. Currently, the standard paradigm for HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) is based on central air systems that tie the delivery of heating and cooling to the delivery of fresh air. To prevent heat loss, the delivery of fresh air must be tightly controlled and is often limited through recirculation of already heated or cooled air. Buildings are designed with airtight envelopes, which do not allow for natural ventilation, and depend on energy-intensive central-air systems. As closed environments, buildings have become sites of rapid COVID-19 transmission. In this research, we demonstrate the energy cost of increasing outdoor air supply with standard systems per COVID-19 recommendations and introduce an alternative HVAC paradigm that maximizes the decoupling of ventilation and thermal control. We first consider a novel analysis of the energy costs of increasing the amount of conditioned fresh air using standard HVAC systems to address COVID-19 concerns. We then present an alternative that includes a novel membrane-assisted radiant system we have studied for cooling in humid climates, in place of an air conditioning system. The proposed system can work in conjunction with natural ventilation and thus decreases the risk of indoor spread of infectious diseases and significantly lowers energy consumption in buildings. Our results for modeling HVAC energy in different climates show that increasing outdoor air in standard systems can double cooling costs, while increasing natural ventilation with radiant systems can halve costs. More specifically, it is possible to add up to 100 days' worth of natural ventilation while saving energy when coupling natural ventilation and radiant systems. This combination decreases energy costs by 10–45% in 60 major cities globally, while increasing fresh air intake. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]