Distributed energy and ecodesign: a necessary path toward sustainability. By Antía Míguez (Genesal Energy)

By Antía Míguez, Sustainability Coordinator at Genesal Energy

For decades, backup power generation has always been an essential technology, although it has been largely invisible. Its mission was—and continues to be—to ensure the operation of critical infrastructure, hospitals, data centers, and key industries in the event of a grid failure. However, its role has traditionally been associated with a considerable environmental burden, particularly due to its dependence on polluting fuels like diesel. Today, this narrative is changing. It is doing so out of necessity, but also out of conviction.

We find ourselves in a time of accelerated transformation, where sustainability has become a strategic pillar for all sectors of the global economy, including traditionally industrial ones, such as the power generation sector. In this sense, regulatory pressure, social commitment, and technological advancement are coming together to pave a new path: cleaner, more efficient, and responsible energy generation.

Design with environmental awareness

Incorporating environmental criteria into backup energy production requires rethinking the entire life cycle of the equipment. And this is where ecodesign comes into play: a methodology that isn't limited to reducing waste or using recyclable materials, but rather addresses the root of the problem. In other words, it extends from the very conception of the product.

Applying ecodesign to a generator set means analyzing from the outset how to minimize its environmental impact without compromising its technical performance or reliability. It involves working with more sustainable materials, reducing the weight and volume of the equipment, prioritizing modular and repairable components, and opting for alternative fuels such as HVO (Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil), which can significantly reduce carbon emissions compared to conventional diesel.

Efficiency and sustainability as a driver of change

But this isn't a future aspiration. International regulatory frameworks and certifications, such as ISO 14006, already exist, enabling a systematic and measurable approach to ecodesign in industrial environments. Integrating it is crucial because, in addition to improving the product's environmental efficiency, it can generate real competitive benefits: greater durability, lower maintenance costs, and alignment with the ESG objectives that customers, investors, and governments set as standard.

Beyond its environmental impact, ecodesign also provides tangible benefits for industry. It optimizes manufacturing processes, reduces energy consumption in production and transportation, and minimizes waste generated at every stage. But it also drives innovation: it forces us to rethink components, redesign elements, seek new materials, and work with smarter solutions, such as more efficient control systems or hybrid architectures.

Transforming the productive model z

Furthermore, it responds to a growing market demand: customers who value—and demand—solutions that combine reliability with environmental friendliness. In sectors where operational continuity is critical, such as hospitals or data centers, offering sustainable backup systems is no longer just an added value: it is an essential condition for being part of the major projects of the future.

On the other hand, this approach helps companies anticipate future environmental regulations, which will become increasingly stringent. Investing in ecodesign today is, in a way, another way to strengthen competitiveness in the medium and long term.

Sustainability in distributed generation cannot be understood as an appendage to the production process. It must be structural. This involves integrating environmental criteria from product design to logistics, including supplier selection, the after-sales service model, and end-of-life management of equipment.

Building a cleaner energy future

Ecodesign is, in this sense, a lever for deeper transformation: it forces companies to review their processes from a cross-cutting perspective and to incorporate sustainability as part of their corporate DNA, not as an isolated or one-off action.

Furthermore, these practices allow them to proactively respond to the demands of increasingly regulated sectors committed to the energy transition, such as healthcare, technology, and industry. For these sectors, having sustainable backup solutions helps them reduce their own footprint while protecting their operational continuity and maintaining their environmental commitments.

Today, thinking about sustainability in the energy sector doesn't mean sacrificing reliability. On the contrary, it means building more robust, adaptable solutions with a lower environmental impact. The distributed energy of the future will be quieter, but above all, less polluting and more efficient. And that change starts at the drawing board.

And, in this process of change, some companies are already taking firm steps. This is the case of Genesal Energy, a pioneer in the application of the ISO 14006 standard to the design of generator sets, which has successfully integrated ecodesign criteria throughout its entire value chain, from initial design to delivery of the final product. Its commitment demonstrates that it is possible to combine technical reliability with environmental responsibility and that the sustainable transformation of the sector is necessary and perfectly viable. And this begins with those who dare to redesign it from the ground up.

Antía Míguez Sustainability Coordinator at Genesal Energy

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