Ecodesign

The fourth (weekly) session at the Leonardo ENERGY 3D Forum takes place this Friday October 19, from 14h00 - 15h00 Europe Daylight Time, where you can meet with the Leonardo ENERGY team and other users of the Leonardo initiative inside the 3D forum.

During the session, you can power-chat (chat in parallel with multiple visitors), talk by VoIP, exchange business cards or browse the pavillons of the 3D world, which is updated weekly. The pavillions comprise virtual stands where you have access to information and 3D models of a number of appliances.

You are also invited to listen to past recorded presentations in the archive room.

For this Friday, following side presentations are scheduled during the session:

The social session will be followed by a webinar in Conference Room A by Ivan Benes on Energy Security and Critical Infrastructure Resilience. It should start around 15h00, European Daylight Time.

If you have not already done so, download & install the 3D World and register for the 3D Forum.

We hope to see you there regularly as our virtual guest in our weekly sessions every Friday, but you are invited to visit and investigate the Leonardo ENERGY 3D Forum at any time.

 

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The Leonardo ENERGY team is a group of individuals dedicated to sustainable energy.

The Leonardo ENERGY 3D Forum is a highly innovative virtual environment for meeting & interacting with peers.

From this Friday September 28 onwards, from 14h00 - 15h00 Europe Daylight Time, you can meet weekly with the Leonardo ENERGY team and other users of the Leonardo initiative inside the 3D forum. We will animate the forum with short presentations, you can power-chat (or talk by VoIP) with us or others, exchange business cards, or browse the pavillons of the 3D world.

We will repeat this event weekly, on Fridays, while adding more content. Mark some of the future dates on October 5, 12, 19 and 26.

On selected Fridays, the social session at 14h00 will be followed by a webinar at 15h00. We already have 2 speakers lined up:

• On October 5, Angelo Baggini will explain resilient wiring architectures
• On October 26, Stefan Fassbinder will give the latest insights into copper motor rotor technology

If you have not already done so, download the 3D World, install it on your PC and register for the 3D Forum. We hope to see you there regularly as our virtual guest.

 

Following a successful Phase 1 of the project “Ecodesign Toolbox for EuP”, Leonardo ENERGY has developed the project with a Phase 2, this time including a systems approach.

The objective of the project was to enlarge the number of products possible for modelling and improve the robustness of the models, but at the same time provide further simplification on the user perspective. Alongside this, the boundaries shifted from ecodesign of simple products to ecodesign of energy consuming products in a system view, also including energy provision aspects.

The system focus is on heating and cooling equipment and on non-complex electricity using products (excluding IT and ICT), including the possibility of using different power provision systems based renewable and non-renewable energy carriers.

The toolbox interface was designed to facilitate the use of the models by non-LCA experts, providing an automated report compiling the results of the study.

The scheme bellow illustrates how the Ecodesign Toolbox Phase 2 models are articulated and how the different products are treated and integrate the model.

The numbers represent the product groups as follows:

1 – electricity consuming products, industrial equipment, cooling equipment and heavy duty appliances

2 – Thermal energy products

3 – Power producers, wind or hydro power plants and non-renewable based power plants

 

 

Results: Studies made with the Ecodesign Toolbox.

For further information, please contact Sergio Ferreira.

Creating a sustainable energy system requires commitment and firmness. A suggestion to the latter is to put warning labels on low-performing equipment and has been presented on workshops in Korea.

Going Green – CARE INNOVATION

13 – 16 November 2006, Vienna

This four day event provides a platform to discuss the latest ideas on sustainable development, eco-efficient electronics and automotive products.

An invited session organised by Leonardo ENERGY introduced the “Ecodesign Toolbox for Energy Using Products” with three presentations covering:

1. the need and motivation for ecodesign in general, showing case studies for ecodesign of electric motors, transformers and cables (download)

2. expansion into a generic model on energy using products (EuPs) applied in a system, i.e. heating equipment and electricity consuming products (download)

3. case studies applying the generic model (download)

As the toolbox not only includes a model of energy-using products but also allows changing the power generation mix, the emphasis shifts from ecodesign of products to ecodesign of systems. Currently, a feasibility assessment is ongoing to apply the ecodesign methodology to complex energy-using systems, for example buildings.

If you are interested to work with Leonardo ENERGY on the toolbox, please contact Sergio Ferreira.

This mini-booklet introduces the concept of the 'big 6' environmental impact categories, i.e. 6 impacts that have a fundamental impact on the earth's eco-system, that are universally applicable and for which a scientific approach for quantification exists.

A close look at the Ecodesign Directive

Where does it come from, and where does it go to?

In July 2005, the European Parliament and Council officially signed the Ecodesign Directive for Energy Using Products (2005/32/EC). The final aim is to oblige manufacturers to reduce, by the design of a product, its energy consumption and other negative environmental impacts over its life cycle. It is a framework directive that clears the way for the introduction of specific implementation measures, which must be agreed to by July 2007.

ECEEE scrutinized the directive and wrote its findings in a policy brief. The article gives a concise overview of the origin of the directive, its content, the implementation process currently on-going, and the monitoring and enforcement mechanisms that are incorporated.

Reference:

Ecodesign Directive for Energy Using Products

Date: October 10
Time: 14h00 - 15h30 (European Standard Time)
Presenter: Constantin Herrmann, PE Europe

In this interactive session, a generic method and tool will be introduced, allowing fast turnaround ecodesign of energy products and systems. This ecodesign toolbox allows to compare up to 3 design alternatives for any thermal or electrical energy system. The effect of variations in the electricity generation mix, or efficiency of power stations can be demonstrated. The tool produces environmental declarations along the 'big 6' impact categories, but other impact categories, where relevant, can be explored as well.

Leonardo ENERGY has developed an ecodesign toolbox for energy-using equipment, in partnership with material producers, equipment manufacturers and academic organizations. The tool harnesses the full power of the GABI software and database, yet presents a simple interface to users, who need not be experts in lifecycle assessment (LCA). It allows for fast turnaround, yet accurate LCA of equipment such as motors, transformers and cables in up to 3 design alternatives. It can be used for a variety of applications:

This new minute lecture introduces the concept of the 'big 6' environmental impact categories, i.e. 6 impacts that have a fundamental impact on the earth's eco-system, that are universally applicable and for which a scientific approach for quantification exists:

• acidification potential
• eutrophication potential
• global warming potential
• ozone depletion potential
• photochemical ozone creation potential
• primary energy use

November 13-16, 2006 - Vienna, Austria

The International CARE Electronics Office is pleased to announce the Going Green – CARE INNOVATION 2006 conference and exhibition on Electronics and the Environment to be held in Vienna, Austria. This Symposium is the only platform for presenting the up-to-date progress on sustainable development and the development of eco-efficient electr(on)ic & automotive products.

This year’s program will feature the latest in environmental design, clean manufacturing, new eco-efficient technologies, collection, reverse logistics, refurbishment, re-use, recycling and policy making from leading experts in industry, academia, consulting, recycling and public policy area around the globe.

Increasing efficiency of rural transformers can produce significant environmental benefits. A 25% loaded 100 kVA high efficiency transformer saves almost 37 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions over its 30 year lifetime. Around the world, over 100 million distribution transformers are in use (source), many of which in rural areas.

Increasing efficiency of industrial transformers can produce significant environmental benefits. A 50% loaded 1.6 MVA high efficiency transformer saves almost 400 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions over its 30 year lifetime. The environmental payback on the additional material used for improving efficiency is more than a factor 100, according to this eco-sheet.

The global installed base for distribution transformers is well over 100 million units (source), with around 10% of these industrial transformers.

There is certainly no lack of newsletters, but CE's twice yearly CEMissions describing ongoing sustainability projects in the environment sector merits attention. The spring issue features a number of projects on transport, emission trading, suasion approaches for consumers and corporations, the sustainability of biomass, etc.

On June 2, the ecodesign toolbox for electrical equipment was presented by Wim Deprez at the 13th CIRP International Conference on Life-cycle Engineering:

• View paper
• View presentation

Abstract:
Since there is a strong relation between the materials used in manufacturing, and the efficiency in use, a life-cycle approach is needed to design industrial electrical equipment with minimum environmental impact. Simplification is needed to ensure that eco-design remains a practical options. At the same time, careful modelling is essential to ensure an acceptable accuracy level. With a partnership of materials producers, equipment manufacturers, eco-design experts and academia, a toolbox for fast turnaround eco-design has been developed, which can be used by non-experts in life-cycle assessment. It quantifies environmental impacts and produces related environmental reports automatically.

Eco-design case study, based on the engineering studies in the transport download section, demonstrating the environmental benefit of upgrading the equivalent cross-section for 1.5 kV DC railway lines.

The World Business Council offers a free, fully developed learning module on eco-efficiency, in the form of a practical guidebook and accompanying PowerPoint presentations. Useful for self-learning, or for setting up a training session in your organization. See also:

• Teach yourself ecodesign in one day

Improving the efficiency of a 22 kW motor - 50% loaded by 3% reduces lifetime emissions for CO2 by almost 19 tonnes, as shown in a new eco-sheet developed using the ecodesign toolbox for motors, transformers and cables. Efficiency improvement equally improves environmental performance for other impact categories.