Editor's comment: A few thoughts on designing for energy efficiency...
Author : Mark Gradwell | Editor | EPDT
03 March 2020

Mark Gradwell, Editor, EPDT
Everywhere you look, the climate crisis is becoming a key issue – in the media, for governments & politicians, for companies & their leaders, and for consumers & citizens. In some quarters, it may still be questioned & debated, but surely most sensible folk listen to the science & recognise the overwhelming imperative? And of course, it will chiefly be engineers, along with scientists, that need to come up with, design & implement the solutions...
This editorial introduction was originally featured in a special supplement on Designing for energy efficiency, brought to you by EPDT & RS Components [read the digital issue].
As the climate issue has come increasingly to the fore, governments and corporations are coming under more and more pressure – whether driven by legislation, consumer/citizen demand or even shareholders – to not only to take more responsibility for resource and energy consumption (and its contribution to the climate crisis), but also to more actively offer solutions. This often begins with better energy monitoring (if you can’t measure it, you can’t fix it), but also requires a dedication to designing for maximum energy efficiency.
But as more and more products incorporate electronics for intelligence and connectivity (smart products that form part of the internet of things), demand for ubiquitous power places additional pressure on energy consumption. Meanwhile, engineers and scientists are working hard to improve battery technologies and integrate renewable energy sources, energy efficient designs and energy harvesting to balance these competing twin demands.
This special supplement, a collaboration between RS Components & EPDT, looks at designing for energy efficiency, providing insights, best practices and real-life application examples of how electronics design engineers can help drive energy efficiency for products & services, workplaces, homes and people. Read more on what's inside this special 'Designing for energy efficiency...' supplement...
Mark Gradwell
Editor
Electronic Product Design & Test
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