Ultraviolet Disinfection Equipment Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Component (UV Lamps, Xenon/LED), By End-use, By Application (Water & Wastewater Treatment, Air treatment), And Segment Forecasts, 2020 - 2027

Report Overview

The global ultraviolet disinfection equipment market size was valued at USD 2.3 billion in 2019 and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 19.0% from 2020 to 2027. The rising investments for the expansion of wastewater facilities coupled with the rising prevalence of Hospital-Acquired Infections (HAIs) are expected to boost the market growth over the forecast period. In addition, increasing the use of reclaimed water in landscape irrigation, car washing, and urinals has led to the demand for disinfection technologies, which is expected to propel the market growth over the forecast period. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has approved ultraviolet (UV) disinfection for small and medium-sized public water systems on account of the increasing demand. Furthermore, EPA is also considering including the conventional UV treatment technologies, such as medium-pressure UV, UV oxidation, and pulsed UV as “emerging” technologies, which in result will create a wide range of opportunities for product manufacturers in the U.S. over the coming years.

Product manufacturing has increased since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Defense Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has launched UV Blaster, which is useful for disinfecting high-tech surfaces and areas with a large flow of people, such as airports, hotels, offices, metros, shopping malls, and factories.

Ease of installation and low maintenance, supervision, and space requirements have also led to the growing demand for this technology. In addition, the equipment also provides improved safety, minimum service time, and low sensitivity to pH and temperature variations compared to traditional disinfection technologies, such as chlorination.

UV radiation is not fit for water with high levels of soluble organic matter, suspended solids, or turbidity, as it makes it difficult for radiation to penetrate water. However, rising demand for the UV oxidation process in water & wastewater treatment plants is anticipated to boost the UV disinfection equipment market growth over the forecast period.

Component Type Insights

UV lamps led the market and accounted for 31.0% of the global revenue share in 2019 on account of the increasing demand in water and wastewater treatment plants. The growing traction for proper disinfectant technologies along with increasing concerns for hygiene and safety, especially in the healthcare and food & beverage industries, is likely to drive demand.

The annual operating costs for this equipment is highly dependent on the maintenance and replacement costs of sleeves, lamps, ballasts, and other staffing requirements. The prices for UV disinfection equipment have decreased over the past few years on account of the improvement in lamp and system designs, which has increased competition among manufacturers.

UV lamps usually last up to 14,000 working hours and are generally changed after every 12,000 hours. Quartz sleeves are expected to last up to 8 years and are generally replaced after five years. In addition, the life cycle of ballasts is approximately 15 years and is usually replaced every ten years, according to the U.S. EPA wastewater technology fact sheet.

Medium-pressure mercury UV lamps are anticipated to grow at the highest rate as they are exclusively used in wastewater treatment plants and drinking water applications. Low-pressure bulbs are mostly used in applications where the flow rates are low, and exposure times can be longer. Amalgam lamps are used in commercial-type applications as they can efficiently treat microbiological contamination.

Application Insights

The adoption of UV disinfection equipment in water & wastewater treatment applications led the market and accounted for 70.4% of the global revenue in 2019. According to the food net report published by the Center for Disease Control in 2019, the infections from 5 common foodborne pathogens including Cyclospora, Vibrio, STEC, Yersinia, and Campylobacter are on the rise. As a result, the demand for disinfection equipment is expected to drive demand for UV technology.

Infections linked to poultry industries and leafy green produce is an area of concern. As a result, the Center for Disease Control’s report also stresses the need for increased widespread disinfection technologies, such as UV, to reduce the contamination during food processing, preparation, and production.

The product finds a wide range of applications in point-of-entry, points-of-use, points of fill, post-carbon filter, pre membrane filtration, pre reverse osmosis system, post water, and pre syrup storage tanks, post reverse osmosis storage tank, prior to process and distribution loops, and where there is a bio-contamination problem, as UV disinfection stops bacterial growth that may occur from seepage of surface water or sewage.

Since COVID-19 can be passed directly from person to person by respiratory droplets, it can also be transmitted through fomites and contact. In addition, the incubation period for infected individuals is approximately 1 to 14 days, which is expected to drive demand for UV disinfection technology in institutional isolation centers.

End-use Insights

The municipal segment led the UV disinfection equipment market and accounted for over 45% of the global revenue in 2019 on account of the increasing penetration of the technology in water & wastewater treatment plants in developed countries. A number of municipal wastewater treatment plants have started adopting UV disinfection treatment solutions over conventional technologies as it is cost-effective, safe, and eco-friendly.

The UV disinfection process only adds ultraviolet light and, therefore, has no impact on the water’s oxygen levels and require low contact time required. The product demand is also expected to see a surge in the disinfection of wastewater for reuse across various applications in the municipal, commercial, and industrial sectors.

A large number of pharmaceutical companies depend on UV equipment for water disinfection as the water used in healthcare and pharmaceutical products must be free of chemicals like ozone, pathogens, and chlorine. In addition, the process also finds its application in the cosmetics industry on account of the high demand for clean water to ensure shelf life and quality of cosmetic products.

UV technology has also replaced the traditional techniques used to ensure clean water in swimming pools, as chemicals present in these processes could react with many other organic matters and form hundreds of new chemicals that could be harmful to humans. In addition, this technology is also used in water and amusement parks, farms and ranches, golf course water holes, and animal husbandry centers.

Regional Insights

Asia Pacific led the market and accounted for over 34% of the global revenue in 2019. Countries, such as China and India, are investing heavily in start-ups or established companies to develop products that can be used to combat COVID-19. For example, Icar-Ciphet developed an ultraviolet-C disinfection system (UViC), which can be used to sterilize daily-use products.

The product demand in the U.S. is expected to register a steady CAGR over the forecast period. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, at any point in time, 1 out of 25 hospitalized patients in the U.S. are affected by HAIs. These infections are among the significant causes of mortality and morbidity in the U.S. and account for a substantial escalation in healthcare costs every year.

Several national guidelines or standards related to cleaning and disinfection practices in the European region are anticipated to have a positive impact on global market growth. Furthermore, the dependence of various countries on traditional water & detergent cleaning is expected to open new avenues for product demand in the region.

The adoption of ultraviolet light for the disinfection of operating rooms, intensive care units, patient rooms, infection/protection isolation, dialyze units, and outpatient clinics are limited to a few countries in Europe. Rising awareness regarding surface disinfection coupled with changing EN standards is expected to positively impact the product demand over the forecast period.

Key Companies & Market Share Insights

The major manufacturers are focusing on technological advancements and product innovations on account of the increasing demand for UV equipment amid the COVID-19 outbreak. For instance, germfalcon is using a UV-C light system that is explicitly designed for airplanes and can clean a 30-row aircraft in less than 3 minutes. In addition, Puro is supplying UV-C light to the New York City transportation services to clean subway cars and buses. Companies, such as Xylem and Evoque Water Technologies, are focusing on leveraging their water disinfection solutions with digital transformation in the water industry and acquiring privately held companies to gain a competitive edge in the market. Furthermore, consumer durables firm, Voltas, has launched a new line of UV-based surface disinfectants that compliments the immediate and long-term need for safety in shared spaces. Some of the prominent players in the ultraviolet disinfection equipment market include:

• Xylem Inc.

• Trojan Technologies

• Halma PLC

• Kuraray Co., LTD

• Atlantic Ultraviolet Corporation

• Evoqua Water Technologies LLC

• Advanced UV, Inc.

• American Ultraviolet

• Atlantium Technologies LTD.

• Hoenle AG

• Lumalier Corporation

• Xenex

• ITT Wedeco

• Trojan Technologies

• Siemens Water Technologies

Ultraviolet Disinfection Equipment Market Report Scope

Segments Covered in the Report

This report forecasts revenue growth at global, regional, and country levels and provides an analysis of the latest industry trends in each of the sub-segments from 2016 to 2027. For the purpose of this study, Grand View Research has segmented the global ultraviolet disinfection equipment market report on the basis of component type, application, end-use, and region:

• Component Type Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2027)

  • UV Lamps

    • Mercury

      • Low-pressure

      • Medium-pressure

      • Amalgam

    • Xenon/LED

  • Ballasts/Controller Units

  • Quartz Sleeves

  • Reactor Chambers

  • Others

• Application Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2027)

  • Water & Wastewater Treatment

  • Air treatment

    • Health facilities

    • Residential and Commercial Buildings

    • Bio-Terror agents

  • Others

• End-use Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2027)

  • Municipal

  • Residential

  • Commercial

  • Industrial

• Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2027)

  • North America

    • The U.S.

    • Canada

    • Mexico

  • Europe

    • Germany

    • France

    • Italy

    • The U.K.

  • Asia Pacific

    • Australia

    • China

    • India

    • Japan

  • Central & South America

    • Argentina

    • Brazil

  • Middle East & Africa

    • South Africa

    • UAE