Abstract
Energy saving in power generation, industry, transport, and residential applications by using waste heat with thermoelectrics (TE) may be important for an environmentally sound and sustainable energy system. It is probable that operable TE generators (TEG) will be developed for numerous applications and will save energy and reduce CO2 emissions from plants. However, the environmental profile of a technology is not sufficiently described by just the energy and CO2 inputs and outputs of the core process. Necessary preceding and subsequent processes, other environmental impacts, and competing technologies have to be considered as well. Furthermore, sustainability covers aspects beyond environmental soundness. So far, comprehensive studies on TE and the environment/sustainability have not been available. In this paper, the following selected aspects are discussed: resource availability, specific energy consumption of TEG production, specific energy and CO2 savings in different application fields by TE and competing technologies, and the global potential of TE.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
C.B. Vining, Nat. Mater. 8, 83 (2009).
G. Angerer, L. Erdmann, F. Marscheider-Weidemann, M. Scharp, A. Lüllmann, V. Handke, and M. Marwede, Rohstoffe für Zukunftstechnologien (Stuttgart: Fraunhofer IRB Verlag, 2009).
World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED), Our Common Future (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1987).
US Geological Survey (USGS); US Department of the Interior (USDOI), Mineral Commodity Summaries 2009 (Washington, 2009).
Website of metalsplace.com (http://metalsplace.com). June 2009.
Website of metalprices.com (http://www.metalprices.com). June 2009.
Verband der deutschen Automobilindustrie (VDA), Annual Report. Frankfurt, 2008.
Website of Hi-Z (http://www.hi-z.com). August 2008.
R. Frischknecht, ed., Ecoinvent data v2.0 (Dübendorf: Coinvent Centre, EMPA, 2007).
H. Höpfner, W. Knörr, A. Patyk, U. Fritsche, C. Hochfeld, and W. Zimmer, Potenziale zur Minderung von Treibhausgas- und Schadstoffemissionen: Integrierte Betrachtung von Kraftstoffen und Antrieben. Report in order of the German Bundestag, Berlin/Darmstadt/Heidelberg 2006.
P. van der Sluis, (Philips Research): personal communication. 2009.
Wissenschaftlicher Beirat der Bundesregierung Globale Umweltveränderungen (WBGU), Welt im Wandel: Energiewende zur Nachhaltigkeit (Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer-Verlag, 2003).
European Commission 2007, PVGIS—PV Estimation Utility (http://re.jrc.ec.europa.eu/pvgis/apps/pvest.php?lang=de). 2007.
S. Teske, J. Béranek, E. Blomen, W. Graus, W. Krewitt, T. Pregger, O. Schäfer, S. Schmid, S. Simon, S. Tunmore, and A. Zervos, Energy [r]evolution—A Sustainable Global Energy Outlook. Scientific Research: DLR Stuttgart, Ecofys Utrecht, 2008.
T. Kyono, R.O. Suzuki, and K. Ono, IEEE Trans. Energy Convers. 18, 330 (2003).
T. Hendricks and W.T. Choate, Engineering Scoping Study of Thermoelectric Generator Systems for Industrial Waste Heat Recovery (Washington: USDOE, 2006).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Patyk, A. Thermoelectrics: Impacts on the Environment and Sustainability. J. Electron. Mater. 39, 2023–2028 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11664-009-1013-y
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11664-009-1013-y