What is eco-design ?
Eco-design is the integration of environmental aspects into the product and solution design process. It is an approach that will reduce the negative impact of these products and solutions from their conception and throughout their life cycle.
At KOHLER Power Control & Distribution, we decided on an eco-design approach very early because energy efficiency and natural resources conservation are part of our priorities.
The beginnings of eco-design at KOHLER Power Control & Distribution
Our eco-design approach started as soon as 2008 with the SSD program. We entered it in partnership with Neopolia to find sustainable solutions for the marine market.
This program was dedicated to the life cycle analysis of a starter panel.
Thanks to this analysis, we decided to reduce the weight of our mechanic structures, which contributed to energy savings for ships.
The atlant’IS approach
When we started the design of the atlant’IS switchboard, we wanted to minimize its environmental impact. Since then, we’ve constantly been questioning ourselves on how to reduce it even more and taking actions consequently.
The beginnings of the atlant’IS switchboard
In 2013, we decided to design a switchboard with a low environmental impact.
Several topics were considered during the life cycle analysis :
- Material recyclability
- Parts number reduction
- Weight reduction
- Power consumption optimization
- Supplier selection (distance and time)
- Packaging optimization and lost packages reduction
- Carrier selection
Thanks to that approach, we took real measures from the beginning of the atlant’IS design.
ECOPROM project
In 2023, we entered the ECOPROM project to learn more about life cycle analysis from the design to the end of life of a product.
We are using an LCA (Life Cycle Analysis) methodology, which requires the use of Sapiologie (an AI-assisted eco-design tool) and an impact analysis of each component in the product under study.
This will help find solutions to limit the atlant’IS switchboard carbon footprint. For example, we are studying copper availability and recyclability to purchase it more locally.
Producers environmental responsability
KOHLER Power Control & Distribution stands with the GIMELEC in its eco-design approach.
As an alliance of the electrical equipment, control-command and services industries, the GIMELEC is currently running an eco-design program with CSTB. The goal is to develop a tool to measure the carbon footprint of a product or solution depending on all its components.
And what about the future ?
We will keep questioning ourselves on component relocation since their carbon footprint has a major impact on the footprint of our final products and solutions (logistics, energy mix, packaging, etc).
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