Research

Sustainability as applied to electronics has many aspects:

• Reducing greenhouse gas emissions to face the climate emergency,
• Product life-cycle analysis,
• Ethical sourcing,
• Reduction of waste and water resources.

Electronics developers influence the sustainability of their systems through their decisions.

Assessing this sustainability, measured in terms of greenhouse gas emissions, water consumption, primary resources and energy, requires complex methods and models that are often unavailable. Once the impacts have been assessed, more sustainable alternatives need to be invented. 
ESOS research focuses on these challenges to create more sustainable electronic systems.

Research reports related to sustainable electronics:

• GHG emissions of semiconductor manufacturing in 2021 : https://hal.science/hal-04112708
• Streamlined Models of CMOS Image Sensors Carbon Impacts : https://hal.science/hal-04632499
• Ecodesign in electrical engineering - Fundamentals : https://www.techniques-ingenieur.fr/base-documentaire/energies-th4/outils-d-analyse-en-electronique-de-puissance-et-metrologie-42278210/ecoconception-en-genie-electrique-d3087/
• Ecodesign in electrical engineering - Examples : https://www.techniques-ingenieur.fr/base-documentaire/energies-th4/outils-d-analyse-en-electronique-de-puissance-et-metrologie-42278210/ecoconception-en-genie-electrique-d3088/

The energy transition in power generation, mobility and industry requires skills and innovation in electronics, particularly for:

• Renewable energy transitions,
• Efficient energy conversions,
• Smart grids and energy electrification.

Electronic systems for sustainability

Many innovations in sustainable technologies currently rely on electronics, whether power electronics, control electronics or measurement electronics. ESOS research on electronics for sustainability aims to amplify the positive impact of electronics, particularly in the transition to renewable energies.

The ESOS project aims to participate in the rapidly expanding hardware open source movement. This movement is integrating open development practices, hitherto reserved for software technologies, into hardware design. In particular, the ESOS project is studying the impact of open source hardware on the sovereignty and sustainability of electronic systems.

How can we reduce the environmental impact of electronic component production?

The production of electronic circuits faces three main challenges:

• the high consumption of resources (energy, rare raw materials, water and toxic compounds) in the manufacture of semiconductors,
• the management and recycling of electronic waste,
• economic dependence due to the relocation of the industry to Asia.

To overcome these challenges, the inkjet printing process has been developed for the manufacture of electronic components. This process is eco-responsible, requiring less heat and water and using non-toxic solvents. In addition, research supported by the ESOS project aims to replace conductive metals with sustainable bio-sourced materials. These innovations facilitate the waste management of electronic products and enable the economic relocation of chip production.

Find out more about bio-sourced electronics