Solid state cooling – we might in time get rid of our fridges with their sometimes noisily running motors…
We may be on the verge of a cooling revolution
The next big disruption may well be semiconductor cooling. It's been around for a hundred years in little Peltier devices that power some little refrigerated coolers and cool computer chips, but now startup Phononic has scaled it up and made it more efficient. They are making thermoelectric heat pumps that can power refrigerators and other devices with no moving parts, no toxic refrigerants, and finally, no noise.
Phi Beta Iota: Cooling is roughly 15% of total energy consumption in the Western world. Energy alternatives center on renewable creation, radical improvements in energy storage, and complete displacement of energy needs — hence cooling is a big one.
See Especially:
SchwartzReport: New Cooling Device Could Eliminate 15% of Current Energy Use
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