Life Cycle Assessment of Thermoelectric Cooling Modules for Thermal Management: From Manufacturing to Lifetime Useful Cooling

The life cycle environmental impact of a thermoelectric cooling module operated under a reference condition is presented. Cradle-to-gate and cradle-to-grave system boundaries were considered to distinguish manufacturing from the use and end-of-life stages. A foreground life cycle inventory was developed for a commercial thermoelectric module, considering a functional unit of 1 kWh of useful cooling delivered on the cold side. Moreover, a sensitivity analysis addressing service life, electricity mix, bismuth economic allocation modelling, consideration of auxiliary electronics, and end-of-life scenarios was conducted. When expressed per functional unit, the results indicate that the environmental impacts of the thermoelectric cooling module are governed primarily by use-phase electricity demand, making lifetime and electricity mix decisive parameters in the cradle-to-grave approach. At the manufacturing level, the main cradle-to-gate burdens are related to semiconductor material production, alumina manufacturing, and auxiliary components. Overall, sustainable improvement of thermoelectric systems requires an integrated design strategy. Material substitution alone is insufficient unless it is combined with high thermoelectric efficiency, low-impact ceramic and metallisation processes, efficient auxiliary power conversion, robust thermal management, low-carbon electricity supply, and extended service life.