Material Demand Analysis for Power Electronics in the German Energy Transition across Generation, Storage, and Electric Vehicles

The German government aims to reach greenhouse gas neutrality by 2045, necessitating a comprehensive transition of the energy system. The substantial need for installation of renewable energy generation and storage technologies translates to a tremendous demand for raw materials in these sectors. Despite the key role that power electronics plays in facilitating the energy transition, there has been limited research on the materials utilized in these devices. This paper addresses this gap by analyzing the material demand of power electronics in key sectors driving the energy transition, including photovoltaic, wind, passenger electric vehicles and battery energy storage systems. Additionally, based on the energy transition roadmap simulated by the Fraunhofer ISE energy system model REMod, the study estimates the total material demand for power electronics in Germany until 2045. The research lays the foundation for future work in this field.