As a major driver of energy efficiency, renewable energies and climate-friendly mobility, power electronics is key to a sustainable future. Here, you’ll find an overview of everything the PCIM – Hub for Power Electronics offers on the topic of sustainability.
Power electronics: the key to a sustainable future
Power electronics is a driver of sustainable transformation: it enables precise and efficient control of electrical energy and forms the backbone for CO₂ reduction, resource conservation and innovation. It supports the integration of renewable energies, optimizes energy efficiency and accelerates the electrification of mobility and infrastructure. Whether in wind turbines, solar inverters or intelligent storage systems – modern power electronics is crucial for a climate-friendly future. The PCIM Expo showcases the solutions harnessing this potential for sustainable development.
Sustainability at the PCIM Expo
From 6 – 8 May 2025, the PCIM Expo will once again serve as an engine of advancement in the power electronics industry by providing information on the latest products, solutions and innovations along the entire value chain. Here, you can find out about sustainable approaches in power electronics and identify new potential for your applications.
Numerous exhibitors at the PCIM Expo will be showing how current sustainability requirements can be translated into future-oriented solutions – from components to entire systems.
And finally, the Technology Stage will feature innovative approaches in power electronics for the energy transition and related discussions in scientific presentations and panels.
Tuesday, 6 May 2025
10:25 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. Vacuum Soldering with Integrated Volatile Capture and Soft Cooling Technologies
Pink Thermosysteme
12:30 p.m. – 12:50 p.m.
Integrated RC Snubber as Cost-Efficient Booster of Wide Bandgap Devices
Melexis
15:00 p.m. – 15:20 p.m.
Power Conversion in a Single Stage Converter for Micro Inverters and Portable Power
Texas Instruments
Wednesday, 7 May 2025
10:25 a.m. – 10:45 Uhr a.m.
DC-POWER Project: Testing MVDC Distribution Networks at Large Scale
ARCEL
Thursday, 8 May 2025
13:20 p.m. – 13:40 p.m.
Anforderungen an die Leistungselektronik im Themenumfeld Energiewende
Littelfuse
14:10 p.m. – 14:30 p.m.
High Power Density Power Module with Flexible Connector Concept for Automotive Traction Inverters
Robert Bosch GmbH
15:50 p.m. – 16:10 p.m.
Power Electronics for Intelligent Energy Storage
University of Twente
Further information can be found in the corresponding program.
Current research results in the field of sustainability will be presented in the University Research Zone, including the project “Power Electronics Enabling Energy Storages” from the University of Innsbruck.
“I really feel the passion for power electronics at the PCIM every year! I appreciate this in combination with the interaction across all nationalities. Together we follow our common goal to develop our society globally towards decarbonization and sustainability.”
“Here we are able to meet our partners and customers, and together we innovate to develop electrification solutions. This event has everything we need to fulfill the goal of achieving sustainability in the future.”
Sustainability at the PCIM Conference
Sustainability in power electronics also plays a key role at the PCIM Conference, as it is becoming increasingly important in the face of global challenges related to environmental protection and resource conservation. With a special session on circular economy, the efficient use of resources and innovative, energy-optimized solutions, we will be presenting in-depth insights into the latest developments and forward-looking approaches. These offer not only perspectives for a sustainable transformation of the power electronics industry, but also specific ideas on how to work toward a resource-conserving and environmentally friendly future.
Any energy supply system must provide a sufficient energy surplus after taking into account the energy required to build and maintain that system, i.e., the EROEI (Energy Return on Energy Invested) must be higher than about 5...10 to support complex industrial societies. This can easily be achieved by burning fossil fuels, which, however, causes global warming. Therefore, a clean energy transition to renewables is mandatory and underway, but with challenges such as the need for energy storage and new power transmission lines over long distances. If these are taken into account, a 100% renewable energy system could show an EROEI of less than 5. Moreover, the transition will require significant quantities of critical minerals, which in some cases exceed known reserves and/or are subject to geopolitical constraints on sourcing and processing. These aspects will be discussed in the presentation, concluding by proposing firstly a “more-with-less” approach in power electronics, i.e., highly compact and highly efficient power converters, and secondly the need to pursue a zero-waste paradigm towards fully circular economy compatible power electronics.
Regina Roos, Typhoon HIL, CH: “Circular Economy in Power Electronics“ - Generate More Energy for More Innovation
To forge a sustainable future, the technology sector must advance beyond mere harm reduction and embrace disruptive business models. This evolution requires a shift from conventional linear sales to innovative as-a-service frameworks, which are crucial for material recirculation and extending product lifespans. Such a paradigm shift is vital for cultivating a resilient economy that can adeptly tackle pressing environmental issues.
Christof Wernbacher, AT&S, AT: Life Cycle Assessment Tool enabling Ecodesign of PCBs for Power Applications
Within the presentation a comprehensive approach for life cycle assessment of power PCBs, focusing on accurate calculation of product carbon footprints (PCF) of boards, considering the actual design and manufacturing parameters, is introduced.
Tobias Keller, Hitachi Energy, CH: Circular Economy in Power Electronics – Power Semiconductors
Today's power semiconductors are known for their reliability and a service life of more than 20 years. While the power semiconductors in trains and various network applications are also used for this period and are sometimes even replaced with a new generation of power semiconductors at the end of their service life, there are other applications where the required service life is significantly less than these figures. In such applications, power semiconductors with a longer service life.
Raphael Hartwig, Volkswagen, DE: Sustainability in Power Electronics for Automotive Applications
The automotive industry is facing increasing requirements on sustainability. Also, OEMs like Volkswagen additionally applied voluntary commitments to contribute to the fulfillment of the Paris Agreement. This includes Reduction of material usage and CO2-footprint, recycling and re-use. Much higher efforts will be necessary and the contribution of vehicle electronics must be assessed more critical in the future.
