Abstract
Wind energy is seen as a promising option for sustainable energy, but its implementation also has environmental impacts. The environmental impact of wind energy systems, particularly on-shore and off-shore wind turbines, has been extensively researched using methodologies such as Life Cycle Assessment. However, creating more sustainable wind turbines involves rethinking their creation, production, and consumption. To reduce environmental impact, companies must overcome barriers to implementing eco-design and develop innovative solutions. Understanding these barriers is crucial for designing effective solution strategies in the wind energy sector. A case study was carried out on one of the top five original equipment manufacturers in the wind energy sector. Eco-design has become one of the most effective ways of incorporating environmental considerations into design activities, but also has led to increased innovation in wind turbine design and development, as well as in associated processes such as manufacturing, transportation, installation, operation, and maintenance. However, despite experience in environmental management systems and eco-design in particular, obstacles, both external and internal to the company, still need to be overcome to succeed in product eco-design. Among other barriers, technicians and managers often lack specialised ecodesign skills, which can hinder the process, and the labour market does not adequately respond to the demand for professionals with specific knowledge in this field. Top management should also develop more effective methods or improve existing ones to meet the expectations of product design and development technicians.
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Acknowledgments
We acknowledge support provided by Centre de Documentation et de Recherches Européennes (Université de Pau et des pays de l'Adour, France), the Environmental Sustainability and Health Institute (Technological University of Dublin, Ireland), and the Euskampus Foundation Programme within the projects ZIRKBOTICS and SOFIA. The researchers are part of the IT1691–22 research team of the Basque University System.
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García-Alonso, R., Landeta-Manzano, B., Arana-Landín, G., Jiménez-Redal, R. (2023). Analysing Barriers to Achieving SDG 7. Managing Green Product Development in the Wind Energy Sector. In: Alfnes, E., Romsdal, A., Strandhagen, J.O., von Cieminski, G., Romero, D. (eds) Advances in Production Management Systems. Production Management Systems for Responsible Manufacturing, Service, and Logistics Futures. APMS 2023. IFIP Advances in Information and Communication Technology, vol 692. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-43688-8_46
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