Our devices convert heat into electricity.
Here at MicroPower, we develop advanced thermoelectric products that convert heat from any source directly into electricity.
We do this at:
- high temperatures (300°C to beyond 1000°C)
- high efficiency (3-5x standard thermoelectric devices)
- high energy density (250x solar panels)
- low cost ($0.02/kWh at scale)
Power generators of the future
Charging your devices off-grid
With enough heat passing through them, MicroPower’s current thermoelectric chips can generate up to 6 watts per cm², enough to charge your phone or other electronic devices. And that’s 250 times more power per cm² than solar panels (our 60kW/m² vs PV average of 250W/m²). And pretty handy, whether you’re a camper in the mountains, military personnel in a jungle behind enemy lines or simply in a location without access to the grid.
Any heat source
Generate power from any heat source: cook pots & industrial waste heat to fuel cells & power plants of the future.
Improved efficiency
The efficiency of our devices is five times greater than any other commercially available thermoelectric product.
Superior power density
Our proprietary methods in thermoelectric semiconductor growth enable power densities 250x greater than solar panels.
Scalablity
System design flexibility due to small, lightweight modules that can be integrated to fit applications of different sizes.
Thermoelectrics on steroids
The thermoelectric effect describes the direct conversion of a temperature difference into electricity: apply heat to one side of a thermoelectric material while keeping the other side cold and an electric current will be generated.
Thermoelectrics has been restricted to niche applications for decades because of low efficiency (<5%), high cost and an upper temperature limit of 250°C. But MicroPower’s breakthroughs change all that.
Where can our technology be used?
Industrial Waste Heat Recovery
Numerous industrial processes produce large quantities of heat that is wasted - some of this can be converted into electricity by using waste heat recovery systems based on our technology.
Power Generation
Our technology can augment both fossil fuel-based power generation equipment and processes designed for the future, such as solar-thermal energy, pyrolysis, fuel cells, and LENR.
Humanitarian
Installing MicroPower modules in the base of a cooking pot means you can generate power while you boil water, delivering electricity and clean water to the millions of people without access to either.
Defense
We are working closely with the US Army to deliver portable power devices for troops in the field, as well as high-efficiency thermoelectric applications for the US Navy & Special Forces.
See our assemblies
Our PowerBlock and PowerRing Series 200 products are solid state thermoelectric systems that convert heat to electricity in extreme operating temperatures at high efficiencies. A small footprint and flexibility in installation allow system designers and integrators to take advantage of heat sources that may be hard to use with conventional means of power conversion such as gas turbines or Stirling engines.
PowerBlocks
- Can be used inside combustion chambers or on hot surfaces
- Ideal for portable power generators and chargers, appliances, stoves and boilers, CHP generators, engine exhaust systems, waste heat recovery in industrial manufacturing processes
- Applications in military, consumer, commercial and industrial markets
- Readily available in configurations from 10 to 100 watts for customer evaluation and prototyping. Flexibility in design makes it possible to custom-build PowerBlocks and PowerRings that fit any application. Contact us to discuss volume orders and design specifications that fit your application.
PowerRings
- Can be used on open flames from a camp fire, charcoal or burners with a metal cup, or when cooking used as a cooling heat exchange mechanism
- Ideal for small to mid-size power generators and chargers
- Applications in military, consumer, commercial and humanitarian markets
- Readily available in configurations from 10 to 100 watts for customer evaluation and prototyping. Flexibility in design makes it possible to custom-build PowerBlocks and PowerRings that fit any application. Contact us to discuss volume orders and design specifications that fit your application.
Learn more about us
Working at MicroPower, you’ll be developing and helping to spread the use of a technology that can make a real difference in today’s world. We won’t solve all the problems out there, but we genuinely believe that the widespread adoption of our technology can help create a healthier and more energy efficient world and we’re going to need hard-working and highly-motivated staff to deal with the challenges that new customers and applications undoubtedly bring.
“Everything, anything, is possible; the world is a vast storehouse of undiscovered energy.” — Thomas Edison