Workshop Report: Eco-design for Power Electronics 2024

The ECPE workshop on "Eco-design for Power Electronics," held on November 26-27th in Grenoble, showcased 19 engaging presentations from both industry and academia. These presentations covered a broad spectrum of topics, including materials, methodologies, applications, and approaches from EU projects focused on design for circularity.

One of the key highlights was the presentation by Sebastian Schormann from REMONDIS Electrorecycling, who provided valuable insights into current recycling routes for Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE). He emphasized the importance of not disregarding existing recycling channels, urging participants that "the best idea doesn't help when it doesn't lead to the desired result." This remark underscored the practical challenges in the recycling process and the need for efficient, feasible solutions.

Key takeaways from the workshop included the recognition of poor data quality or the lack of data for compiling profound and comparable Life Cycle Assessments (LCA), especially concerning power electronics. Participants agreed on that these gaps should be closed in the near future to ensure consistency, reliability, and transparency in evaluating the environmental impact.

Material developments and recycling processes emerged as the most exciting topics for attendees. However, there was also some criticism of the over-reliance on technosolutionism. But the increasing electrification of the world demands ever more power electronics. This growing need necessitates the development of technical solutions for a functioning circular economy that minimizes the environmental impact of technologies which are supposed to help keeping the world running also in the future.

ECPE continues its activities with research projects both in the Joint Research Programme and with a study on  the ECPE e.V. side, which is open to all network member companies. The study "Environmentally Compatible Power Electronics" will start in January and will be conducted by Jonas Huber from ETH Zürich.