Innovation in low-pressure UV lamp driver technology
How innovation improves energy efficiency of UV systems
The effectiveness and energy efficiency of a UV system for water treatment are largely determined by the optimal interaction of several key components:
Innovations in low-pressure UV lamp driver technology
Electronic lamp drivers are the standard now in powering UV solutions because of their capabilities to optimize lamp performance and regulate UV power required to meet the necessary UV dose. In water disinfection systems, low-pressure UV lamps are the most used UV source due to their high energy efficiency, typically ranging from 30% to 40%. To further improve energy efficiency, several key aspects in low-pressure driver technology have been widely adopted by UV integrators worldwide and are commonly used in the market.
Proper lamp control extends lamp lifetime and prevents unnecessary energy losses. Lamps are frequently dimmed to around 80% UV output.
Lamp temperature is essential for optimal performance and lamp lifetime. Therefore, lamp manufacturers provide unique lamp IDs.
Pre- heating the lamp filaments prevents negative impact of on/off switching on lifetime of lamps.
Nedap has implemented the following innovations over the last years:
Dimming of lamps
Dimming of low-pressure UV lamps down to 30%
Proper lamp control extends lamp lifetime and prevents unnecessary energy losses. Water disinfection systems are often oversized to ensure performance under all operating conditions. As a result, lamps are frequently dimmed to around 80% output and can generally be dimmed down to approximately 60% output. Further dimming normally causes the lamp temperature to drop below its optimal range, leading to accelerated wear and a reduction in lamp lifetime.
To enable deeper dimming, Nedap developed its patented Additional Filament Heating technology. This innovation allows low-pressure UV lamps to be dimmed instantly down to as little as 30% output without negatively affecting lamp performance or lifetime. The ability to operate lamps at lower power levels significantly increases the overall energy efficiency of UV disinfection systems.
To achieve optimal performance, proper lamp temperature management is essential. All UV lamp manufacturers provide each lamp with a unique lamp ID, which contains information about the optimal operating parameters required to maintain the correct lamp temperature. These lamp IDs are pre-programmed in Nedap’s low-pressure lamp drivers. We have an extensive database with lamp IDs of all major brand UV lamp manufacturers. By facilitating this, we increase lamp lifetime and improve lamp efficiency in UV systems.
Smart controls and pre-heating of lamp filaments
In situations where there is no flow or no disinfection demand for an extended period, the lamps can be switched off completely. Via intelligent controls and smart UV driver technology (via ModBus), remote dimming and on/off switching of low-pressure can be part of the process planning. This further increases system efficiency. UV lamps only require a warm-up period of approximately 1 to 2 minutes before reaching full output again after swithing it on. By pre-heating filament technology, on/off switching of lamps does not negatively impact the lifetime of lamps.
Optimized waveform and frequency control
Optimizing all elements of the power supply – from power line, driver, lamp cable to waveform/frequency – can result in energy savings of 11 to 23%. Current waveform design and frequency control present a critical remaining lever for improving UV-C output. Designing power supplies that maximize operation within the optimal frequency window – and minimize harmonic distortion – can lead to meaningful gains in energy efficiency and disinfection performance. See also publication in the Q4 2025 issue of UV Solutions Magazine.
While UV-C lamp efficiency has plateaued in terms of traditional optimization, innovation around low-pressure technology is still in progress. Although UV LED technology has made notable progress in recent years, it still requires 5 to 7 times more energy to generate the same UV output as low-pressure lamps.
As the current RoHS exemption review progresses, it is essential that UV source technologies are assessed from a complete system perspective, including the driver technology that powers them. Low-pressure UV-C driver technology has continued to evolve through significant innovations. We therefore urge the European Commission to fully consider these ongoing technological advances when evaluating future restrictions. A premature phase-out of low-pressure UV lamps would not only disregard decades of innovation, but could also result in substantially higher energy consumption, increased CO₂ emissions and a greater environmental footprint for critical water treatment applications.