Thermoelectric strategy for consumer applications

It is possible to increase the thermoelectric market in the consumer segment as much as 50 to 100 times the existing size even with today´s level of technology. There are three important things for it, which are very inexpensive to do. First of all, thermoelectric experts should enlighten people in an application oriented manner. Most experts always talk about only figure of merit and COP which are very misleading. Secondly, the importance of configuration of a cooling system has to be recognized. With the present level of figure of merit, it depends largely upon the efficiency of a cooling system, not of a module, whether thermoelectrics has an opportunity or not. And thirdly, thermoelectrics is not a mere replacement of other cooling technologies. Compact or light weight have long been said as benefits. The benefit of thermoelectrics go beyond such physical things to provide new valuable food storing means. Planning of new application products, not just a quiet refrigerator but something to solve consumers´ complaints about present technology, taking advantage of such benefits as more precise temperature control, freedom of setting any temperature, high humidity necessary for fresh food preservation and so forth, would bring a tremendous business opportunity. The author concentrates on the first two points