Net Zero Power Converter Design and Manufacturing: Where Are We Now?

The transition to a sustainable energy future call for a paradigm shift in all the aspects of R&D, including the design and production of power converters, integral components of modern energy systems. Achieving net-zero carbon (NZC) emissions throughout the life cycle of power converters is critical to advancing towards a truly decarbonized economy. At IEEE ECCE 2024 in Phoenix, a special session titled "Net zero carbon power converter design and manufacturing: where are we now?" explored this novel topic. Discussions covered the current state of the power converter manufacturing, challenges, and technological advancements in materials, design methodologies and manufacturing processes, the significance of supply chains, circularity and life cycle assessment impact in achieving NZC goals were emphasized. NZC power converter design focuses on performance-driven design, while enhancing circularity, maintaining reliability and minimizing environmental impact. Such designs promise along-term cost- effectiveness, significant reduction in CO2 emissions, and decreased electronic waste. The need to design power converters for easy disassembly for reuse/recycle, shedding light on the critical role of raw materials' origin and their sustainability, innovations, and challenges shaping the industry's trajectory towards a more sustainable and resilient energy future have been highlighted. Forming a consortium to standardize data sharing, ensuring data privacy, and fostering a clear value proposition to engage manufacturers in contributing non-sensitive data for research can be a way. Finally, the closing remarks pointed out the importance of decarbonization strategies such as circular design, life cycle assessments, supply chain and consumer expectations in guiding sustainable practices.