MicroPower Global announces the launch of a comprehensive pilot programme to deploy its PowerRing and PowerBlock thermoelectric generators on industrial power generation equipment in South America, focusing on exhaust heat recovery from stationary generator sets.
The GTW Brasil pilot represents a critical validation opportunity for MicroPower's waste heat recovery technology in real-world industrial conditions. The programme will deploy multiple units across a network of industrial generators operating across Brazil, capturing exhaust temperatures in the 350–500°C range – the optimal operating window for MicroPower's thermoelectric modules.
"Industrial generators represent one of the largest untapped sources of waste heat globally," said a MicroPower spokesperson. "A typical 500 kW diesel generator loses 40–50% of its fuel energy as waste heat through the exhaust system. Our PowerRing and PowerBlock systems wrap around or integrate with exhaust lines to recover that energy as electricity – adding no weight, no moving parts, and no operational complexity."
The three-phase pilot programme will run throughout 2020 and beyond, with each phase designed to validate performance across different operating conditions, generator types, and load profiles. The first phase focuses on baseline characterisation – measuring ambient heat capture, electrical output, and thermal performance across steady-state operations. Phase two will stress-test the systems under variable load and transient conditions. Phase three will explore integration with existing industrial power management systems.
"South America is an ideal validation market," explained company leadership. "The region has heavy reliance on distributed diesel generation, particularly in areas with unreliable grid infrastructure. Industrial operators there understand the value of waste heat recovery and are motivated to improve generator efficiency. The exhaust temperatures we see on generators in this region are textbook applications for our technology."
The exhaust recovery market is fundamentally different from heat source engineering. Most thermoelectric competitors focus on capturing waste heat at the source – boiler stacks, process streams, etc. MicroPower's approach integrates directly with existing equipment. The PowerRing retrofit design requires no modification to the host generator and can be installed on equipment already in the field.
"This pilot will generate critical data on long-term reliability, maintenance requirements, and real-world electrical output," noted MicroPower leadership. "We expect to see 5–15 kW of continuous electricity generation depending on generator size and load. In industrial settings, that translates to meaningful energy cost reduction and improved overall facility efficiency."
The GTW Brasil pilot programme aligns with MicroPower's broader strategy to validate its technology across diverse industrial applications. Earlier validation work focused on biomass cooking stoves and defence applications. This generator exhaust recovery pilot opens a large new market segment and demonstrates the versatility of the thermoelectric platform.
About MicroPower: MicroPower Global develops advanced thermoelectric generators and cooling systems that convert industrial waste heat into clean electricity. With an international patent portfolio and third-party testing and validation across NREL, the U.S. Army Research Laboratory, NIST, Bechtel-Bettis, and Texas State, MicroPower's technology operates at 3–5× the efficiency of any commercial alternative.