Overview: This article explores the significance of sustainable development throughout the lifecycle of electronic product manufacturing, highlighting the impact of regulations and standards promoting energy efficiency and environmental responsibility.

Power electronics (PE) is vital in modern electrical and electronic systems, with wide-ranging applications and significant impacts. It is essential to the energy transition because it makes it easier to convert electrical characteristics from renewable energy sources and satisfies the needs of contemporary electrical loads.

What are the environmental impacts of power electronics?

However, the lifetime of power electronics components negatively affects the environment due to their high energy consumption, freshwater usage, chemical exposure, and waste production. Sustainable development of electronics manufacturing is essential to decrease the environmental impact of electronic products across their whole lifecycle and increase their lifespan.

Sustainable Development in Electronics Manufacturing

The development of sustainable PE products has been significantly impacted over the last 20 years by the incentives and restrictions set by laws and standards. It establishes specifications and directs designers to create PE products that are more resilient, resource-energy-efficient, repairable, and recyclable.

The purpose of these regulations is to restrict the use of hazardous materials in their manufacturing process. The particular guidelines that regulate the manufacturing of electronics according to the different phases of the life cycle, as shown in Fig. 1, are discussed, which include:

  • Guidelines for raw material extraction and production 
  • Guidelines at the Usage Stage 
  • Guidance of Circularity Scenario
  • End-of-life (EoL) management standards

Fig. 1 Regulation and Directives for sustainable electronics manufacturing in different life cycle phases. Source: MDPI

Guidelines for Raw Material Extraction and Production

Extracting raw materials and manufacturing is the initial phase of the PE life cycle. Challenges in this phase include:

  • The use of hazardous compounds can potentially have an adverse effect that contaminates the soil, water sources, and air at their end-of-life stage. They can accumulate in the food chain and eventually reach humans.
  • Enormous energy and natural resources are consumed, resulting in greenhouse gas emissions.

Regulations and standards have implemented constraints on using hazardous substances to address these issues. The two European Union (EU) requirements in terms of selecting material composition and the chemicals used in the manufacturing process are:

  • REACH (EC 1907/2006)
  • ROHS (Directive 2002/95/EC)

Registration, Evaluation, Authorization, and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH)

REACH (EC 1907/2006) is the primary standard that protects human health and the environment from chemical risks. The companies that produce more than one ton of chemicals annually must register those substances in a central database maintained by the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA). The ECHA will assess the registered compounds to determine the possible dangers. Substances of Very High Concern (SVHCs) listed in the REACH legislation require authorization. 

Restriction of Hazardous Substances (ROHS)

RoHS (Directive 2002/95/EC) directive restricts using certain hazardous substances, such as lead, mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium, polybrominated biphenyls, etc., in electrical and electronic equipment. 

The concentration limits of these substances must be 0.1% for all except Cadmium, which must be 0.01% by weight. This necessitates taking the proper steps to reduce the usage of dangerous substances and, whenever possible, switching to safer substitutes. For example, silver oxide/tin contacts should be used instead of silver oxide/cadmium contacts since they work well at low voltages but wear down more quickly at high voltages.

Guidelines at the Usage Stage 

Improving the operational energy efficiency of PE is vital to significantly lowering energy losses throughout a range of usage times. 

Ecodesign Directive 2009/125/EC

It was created to establish an ecodesign framework providing minimal standards that must be met to produce energy-using products (EuPs). Therefore, products that do not achieve these requirements will be excluded from the EU market.

Directive 92/75/EC 

It specifies standard information labels for energy consumption and resource usage (rated from class A to G) on household appliances that identify to encourage manufacturers to produce more energy-efficient goods. 

Directive 2010/30/EU

It broadens the scope of offering standard product information labeling for energy consumption and resource usage on energy-related products in general. 

Directive 2017/1369/EU

It added new labeling rules for energy-related items. The old A+++ to D scale has been replaced by a revised A to G scale, as shown in Fig. 2, as part of the new labeling standards to make it easier for customers.

Fig. 2 Energy labelling based on the Directive 2017/1369/EU. Source: MDPI

Guidance of Circularity Scenario

The primary goal is to minimize waste and increase the usage of resources. The key ideas under the concept of circularity include refuse, rethink, reduce, reuse, repair, refurbish, remanufacture, repurpose, recycle, and recover. The circular economy's policies are designed to support waste reduction, material circularity, and reintroducing materials' residual value in product manufacturing. 

EU Circular Economy Action Plan (CEAP)

It was introduced in 2020 to improve the tracking of secondary materials and encourage their usage in product manufacturing to accelerate the circular economy. The goal is to reduce waste and make repair services more accessible and available.

Anti-Gaspillage pour une Économie Circulaire (AGEC)

This law is a significant piece of French legislation introduced in February 2020 to promote the transition from a linear take–make–use–dispose approach to a circular economy. The objective is to motivate manufacturers to consider repairability during the design phase and inform consumers of the repair options available when purchasing a device.

Right to Repair (R2R) Directive 


It is a significant directive recently adopted by the European Union in 2023 to promote product repairability and sustainability. The aim is to provide consumers with enhanced rights to repair goods without replacing them, making them easier and more cost-effective by promoting the availability of repair services.

Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) 


A significant new EU regulation in the European market, which replaces the previous Ecodesign Directive 2009/125/EC, aims to make reusable products. The objective is to broaden the ecodesign directive to include a variety of material efficiency factors, including product upgradability, repairability, maintenance, and refurbishment, in addition to energy efficiency during the use phase.

End-of-Life (EoL) Management Standards

Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) 

This directive is a key regulation in the European Union addressing e-waste management. The WEEE Directive 2012/19/EU aims to minimize waste further, guarantee effective resource use, and encourage the recovery of important secondary raw materials. About EoL treatments, PECs may include materials and components such as capacitors, mercury-containing parts, batteries, and PCBs that need to be disposed of or recovered using specific methods to avoid harming the environment.

Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)

Many nations have set up EPR programs to meet the appropriate management of product recycling and end-of-life disposal requirements. Instead of depending on the public to pay for trash collection and management through taxes, these programs require producers to make financial contributions to manage their products at their EoL.

To conclude, the future of sustainable electronics will likely involve continued innovation in materials science, manufacturing processes, and circular economy principles. As consumer awareness grows and regulations tighten, the industry is assured of a transformative shift towards more environmentally responsible practices.

Summarizing the Key Points

  • Sustainable development in power electronics is vital for minimizing environmental impacts, focusing on energy efficiency, resource conservation, and reducing waste throughout the product lifecycle.
  • Regulatory frameworks promote repairability, recyclability, and sustainable design, encouraging manufacturers to adopt eco-friendly practices.
  • The transition from a linear to a circular economy requires collaboration among manufacturers, consumers, and policymakers to ensure effective waste management and resource recovery at the end of product life.

Reference

Brocal, Francisco, Cristina González, Genserik Reniers, Valerio Cozzani, and Miguel A. Sebastián. “Risk Management of Hazardous Materials in Manufacturing Processes: Links and Transitional Spaces between Occupational Accidents and Major Accidents.” Materials 11, no. 10 (October 9, 2018): 1915. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma11101915

Fang, Li, Tugce Turkbay Romano, Maud Rio, Julien Mélot, and Jean-Christophe Crébier. “Enhancing Sustainability in Power Electronics through Regulations and Standards: A Literature Review.” Sustainability 16, no. 3 (January 25, 2024): 1042.
https://doi.org/10.3390/su16031042