It's Getting Hot in Here:

The Next Generation of Thermoelectrics

Thermoelectric materials generate electricity directly from heat.
Only a few known materials can do this efficiently. When a material is efficient at
converting heat to electricity, it is said to have a high "ZT" number. Waste heat from
exhaust is a prime target for thermoelectrics with high ZT.

Alphabet
PowerBlocks

1.5
Historically, ZT was too low and material costs
were too high to make thermoelectrics broadly
marketable. Finally, new materials like
tetrahedrite and silicon nanowires open
T (Thermoelectric Efficiency)

1.0 1.12
From 50C to 400C

the door to generating inexpensive

future potential
electricity from wasted heat.
0.65
0.5 0.58

0.45 0.49
0.40
Z

0.0
e

$1
Te

is id Ha Le e Sk ra Si
e

s s
id

c
B

mu lf H e u sl e r e
r ad
Te l l u r i
d u tt e r u d ite he ili li c
o n N a n o w ir
s

t h Te l l u
t

d rite / S
$3
$4

$10 $24
Cost ($/kg)
1

$84
$100
$110
$146

$1000

Thermoelectric Material

Factories Cars & Trucks Mining Oil & Gas Defense

$10 Billion $100 Billion $14 Billion $5 Billion $10 Billion

Efficient, inexpensive thermoelectric materials have big market potential in many
applications. They can significantly improve energy efficiency and carbon
footprint, and pay for themselves quickly.

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energy
We make waste heat valuable

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1.
Cost per kilogram based on raw materials alone - LeBlanc et al. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews: 32 (2014) p.313.
2.
Yan, et al. Nano Lett. 2011: 11, p. 556, Snyder, J. Appl. Phys. 2011: 109, 063713, Morelli et al. Chem. Phys., 2013: 15, 5762.