BACKGROUND
IAC was commissioned to identify the key upcoming technological developments and breakthroughs in the four main components of a single-phase UPS and to develop design scenarios aimed at minimizing the product’s environmental footprint while maintaining its competitiveness.
THE IAC APPROACH
- Assessment of the environmental impact of each subassembly using our “Smart LCA” (Life Cycle Assessment) methodology,
- Survey of recent innovations and ongoing research in various industries relevant to the product. Working sessions with experts helped confirm the applicability and assess the technical maturity of the various ideas identified. Interviews and workshops provided qualitative information that made it possible to assess the ideas’ applicability to UPS systems and their technical readiness level (TRL),
- Development of short-, medium-, and long-term redesign scenarios. For each scenario, the impacts on greenhouse gas emissions, costs, and the effort required to implement the product were assessed.
RESULTS
IAC has proposed a roadmap for the next 10 years aimed at reducing the carbon footprint of:
- 70% across extraction, manufacturing, and end-of-life,
- 80% on distribution,
- 4% on operation and maintenance. The proposed design changes will also reduce costs by 14% in the long term.
