Pierre Le Gargasson

This paper presents a detailed carbon-centered Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) of a video streaming device designed for long-term operation. We chose a development board with a screen to have full control on its operation, for which we have detailed information on its components allowing us to accurately model emissions from the production to the use of the device. Concerning its use, we perform a dedicated measurement series to determine the actual power consumption in different video playback scenarios and develop a linear power estimation model, which we use to evaluate different usage scenarios. The resulting LCA indicates that potential savings are highest when exploiting low-power sleep modes or switching off the device during its lifetime. When operating the device in a country with low carbon intensity, production and usage show similar emissions, while in countries with medium to high carbon emissions, the usage of the device causes significantly higher emissions.

This paper examines available data to model the carbon intensity of Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs). Our aim is to provide insight into PCB design decisions and highlights the need for more robust data to enhance the accuracy of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of PCBs. A study of the literature reveals significant variations in reported results. To achieve a more accurate estimate of carbon intensity, we propose two approaches. First, we analyze the annual reports of the world's leading PCB manufacturers to determine an overall gate-to-gate carbon intensity. Second, independently of the first, we develop a cradleto-gate carbon intensity model based on the number of layers. Additionally, we localize the PCB production by standardizing the electricity mix.