The impact of the electrical machines on the environment

Like many other human activities, the manufacture and operation of electrical machines have, in addition to their advantages, a negative impact on the environment, specifically the pollution. Regarding these issues we can discuss about the moment when the pollution occurs, which of the phases of the existence of the machine is more polluting than the others (manufacturing, operating and dismantling), if the level of pollution depends on the size of the machine and how the environmental impacts can be mitigated. In the construction of electrical machines a series of materials are used to build the electrical system (windings), the magnetic system, and also materials necessary to build the mechanical structure and the insulation of the machine. All these materials are the result of complex processes, energy consuming, and more or less polluting. Once obtained, these materials are subjected to machine processing, generating various pollutants alongside the resulting components (Figure 1).