Enviro News Asia, Bandung — The National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) is developing thermoelectric technology that could convert wasted heat into electricity, potentially improving energy efficiency across industrial, automotive and electronic applications.
Researchers at BRIN’s Research Center for Electronics (PRE) estimate that around 66 percent of energy used by humans is currently lost as waste heat, while only about 34 percent is effectively utilized. Thermoelectric devices could recover part of this wasted energy by exploiting the Seebeck effect, a physical phenomenon that converts a temperature difference directly into electrical voltage without moving mechanical components.
BRIN researcher Asep Ridwan Nugraha said the current research focuses on developing high-performance and economically viable semiconductor materials, including bismuth-based alloys. Researchers are using nanoscale structural engineering, defect engineering and secondary-phase additions to improve the materials’ figure of merit (ZT) and energy conversion efficiency.
According to BRIN, the material engineering approach has increased electrical conductivity while reducing lattice thermal conductivity by up to 23 percent, supporting more efficient thermoelectric energy conversion.
The development process includes material synthesis, compaction using BRIN’s Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS) facility, and cutting N-type and P-type material pellets before assembling them into thermoelectric modules.
The technology has potential applications ranging from micro-scale electronic devices to larger systems. Possible uses include computer chip and laser cooling, temperature sensors, electric vehicles, active cooling for automotive window films and autonomous power generation for Internet of Things (IoT) devices.
Asep said BRIN’s research facilities are available for collaboration with universities and industry to accelerate the development of thermoelectric technology and its practical applications.
Head of PRE BRIN Yusuf Nur Wijayanto said the technology could recover heat generated by industrial processes, vehicles, electronic devices and even the human body.
He noted that the main challenge is developing thermoelectric materials that are efficient, stable and affordable. Researchers are exploring approaches including doping, composite materials, structural engineering and improved fabrication processes.
Yusuf added that future thermoelectric research will increasingly focus not only on improving material performance but also on transforming laboratory advances into practical technologies that can support energy efficiency and low-carbon development.
He emphasized that progress in thermoelectric technology requires close collaboration between materials science and electronic engineering. Integrating the two fields could accelerate the development of more efficient and applicable technologies for converting waste heat into electricity. (*)
