Sustainable Electronics
than idling. For LLMs, work is measured in tokens processed, and tokens per watt and dollar is the most important factor in buying decisions for technology giants investing in data centre infrastructure. In mobile and connected devices such as smartphones, wearables and IoT endpoints, board space and power budget are highly constrained design elements. Precision timing devices are up to seven times smaller than traditional timing devices; MEMS resonators, specifically, have up to 3000x less mass, saving PCB real estate and driving down BOM. MEMS features such as lower voltage and output clock gating reduce system power consumption and increase energy efficiency. MEMS-based oscillators deliver precise reference clocks that enable power efficiency. Because the clock signal is more accurate, RF interfaces such as 5G, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth can complete their activation and deactivation cycles in less time, spending fewer microseconds in their power-hungry active state before returning to sleep. The same principle applies to GNSS/GPS systems, where a more accurate clock signal shortens the lock acquisition time, reducing the period during which the receiver draws peak current.
The new generation of Endura timing components also offers higher resilience to
www.cieonline.co.uk
shock (MEMS-based oscillators withstand up to 30,000g of mechanical shock), vibration (70g vibration resistance and 0.004 ppb/g acceleration sensitivity), and temperature variation (operating across a range of -55°C to +125°C). That resilience reduces troubleshooting and field repair visits, translating directly to lower fuel consumption and emissions.
A ‘sustainability dividend’ for renewable energy and agriculture Precision Timing’s role in sustainability extends well beyond board level. In smart metering, energy storage systems, solar inverters, and electric vehicle charging, accurate synchronisation is essential to the operation of grid-connected equipment to support the energy transition. MEMS-based Super-TCXOs offer precision timing benefits to precision agriculture; enabling centimetre-level GNSS positioning accuracy in autonomous farm equipment. This enables operators to reduce field overlap, cut fuel consumption, and improve yield from every acre. Seismic sensing networks — which are used to locate renewable energy infrastructure, monitor carbon sequestration sites and provide early warning of geological events — rely on ultra-stable OCXOs for timing continuity
and synchronisation across arrays spanning hundreds of kilometres, even when individual nodes lose GPS lock. Clean timing references translate into cleaner data, reducing the compute resources consumed in analysis.
Supply chain, governance, and the bigger picture
Demonstrating sustainability at the product level is only part of the picture. Research indicates that 77-87 per cent of
digital and electronics industry emissions (3)
occur upstream during material extraction and component manufacturing. Addressing this requires sustainability to become a supplier selection criterion, not just an internal target.
At system level, the implications of timing component choice are clear. While timing is rarely the first variable considered in a sustainability assessment, precision timing’s role as an architectural efficiency driver means it should be taken into account from the earliest stages of product development.
References: 1
2 3
Take the cumulative benefits of a more stable oscillator. This single advantage can equate to a series of sustainability wins, for example; fewer components on the board, shorter active periods for radio interfaces, increased product longevity, and can help simplify system design and associated supply chains. As we face pressure to account for and justify every watt and each gram of material, timing becomes a sustainability enabler.
Sustainability is not a design compromise
Sustainability is not a constraint on timing innovation, but rather, a consequence of it. When the goal is to make a timing device that is more accurate, more resilient, and more power-efficient than its predecessor, the result is also a more sustainable product. In the electronics industry, the heartbeat of desired performance and sustainable engineering is increasingly one and the same.
www.sitime.com
https://www.semiconductors.org/global-annual-semiconductor-sales-increase-25-6-to-791-7-billion- in-2025/
https://www.iea.org/news/data-centre-electricity-use-surged-in-2025-even-with-tightening-bottlenecks- driving-a-scramble-for-solutions?
https://www.nature.com/articles/s44458-025-00022-6 Components in Electronics July/August 2026 25
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48
