Thermoelectric generators in 2026: overview
Thermoelectric generators use the Seebeck effect to convert a temperature difference into electrical power without moving parts. Their compact, solid-state design suits remote sensors, spacecraft and places where heat would otherwise be discarded. The central engineering challenge is maintaining a useful temperature gradient while balancing electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity, durability and cost. System design matters as much as material performance: heat exchangers, electrical contacts and cooling determine how much power a device can deliver in real operating conditions.
Recent work is pushing toward flexible devices and better thermal management. In October 2026, Xuchang University reported a hybrid thermal-evaporation and solution-selenization route for flexible Ag₂Se films. A September 2026 study from Hangzhou Vocational and Technical College, Zhejiang University of Science and Technology and the University of Canterbury examined impinging-jet cooling for flue-gas heat harvesting. In August 2026, Beijing Institute of Technology reported a moisture-adaptive hydrogel and copper-foam cooling layer for wearable generators. Same Sky also announced an SPG module-line expansion in September 2026.
- 1From material to system: Recent work targets heat transfer, cooling and module architecture because material improvements alone do not resolve real-world output limits.
- 2Flexible power gains ground: Ag₂Se films, hydrogel thermal management and wearable generator designs point toward conformable harvesters for body heat and low-power electronics.
- 3Research shifts unevenly: Overall activity declined 20.4% in the latest 12-month window, while nanostructured-material activity grew 40.3%, highlighting a shift toward targeted materials research.
Top organizations working on thermoelectric generators
Ranked by Linknovate activity score · last 24 monthsThe activity score adds up the relevance of every patent, publication, grant and news item linking an organization to thermoelectric generators. Showing 7 of 717 organizations.
| # | Organization | Approach | Signals (24 mo) | Momentum | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 
NASA
Other · United Kingdom |
General | PUB 3 · NEWS 178 | +26% | NASA uses radioisotope thermoelectric generators to supply long-lived electrical power to spacecraft operating far from the Sun. |
| 2 | 
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Research · United States |
High-temperature compounds | PUB 2 · NEWS 75 | +135% | JPL supports radioisotope thermoelectric generator technology for space missions, including research and verification work on silicon-germanium components used in GPHS-RTGs. |
| 3 | 
Wuhan University of Technology
Research · China |
General | PUB 30 | +50% | Researchers at Wuhan University of Technology study thermoelectric generators for industrial heat recovery, vehicle exhaust, and wearable energy harvesting, including segmented and stacked system designs. |
| 4 | CA
Chang'an University
Research · China |
Organic and flexible materials | PUB 30 | -12% | Researchers at Chang’an University study flexible thermoelectric generators, including carbon-based designs and wearable systems. Recent work reported flexible single-crystal Bi₂Te₃-film generators. |
| 5 | 
Beijing Institute of Technology
Research · China |
Organic and flexible materials | PUB 20 | +22% | Researchers at Beijing Institute of Technology investigate vehicle-exhaust thermoelectric systems and flexible generators for wearable energy harvesting, including device integration and heat-exchanger design. |
| 6 | 
Harbin Institute of Technology
Research · China |
High-temperature compounds | PAT 1 · PUB 28 | -29% | Harbin Institute of Technology studies silicon-germanium alloys for high-temperature thermoelectric applications, including radioisotope generators, and investigates thermoelectric energy harvesting systems. |
| 7 | FH
Ferrotec Holdings Corporation
Corporate · Japan |
General | NEWS 17 | -79% | Ferrotec supplies thermoelectric modules and related components used in thermal-management and energy-conversion systems. |
| 8 | ··Hidden organizationCompany | Approach | PAT 00 · PUB 00 GRANTS 0 · NEWS 00 | +00% | Available to registered users. |
| 9 | ··Hidden organizationCompany | Approach | PAT 00 · PUB 00 GRANTS 0 · NEWS 00 | +00% | Available to registered users. |
| 10 | ··Hidden organizationCompany | Approach | PAT 00 · PUB 00 GRANTS 0 · NEWS 00 | +00% | Available to registered users. |
Leading research centers
Leading research institutions 650 total
- Jet Propulsion LaboratoryUnited StatesJPL supports radioisotope thermoelectric generator technology for space missions, including research and verification work on silicon-germanium components used in GPHS-RTGs.
- Wuhan University of TechnologyChinaResearchers at Wuhan University of Technology study thermoelectric generators for industrial heat recovery, vehicle exhaust, and wearable energy harvesting, including segmented and stacked system designs.
- CAChang'an UniversityChinaResearchers at Chang’an University study flexible thermoelectric generators, including carbon-based designs and wearable systems. Recent work reported flexible single-crystal Bi₂Te₃-film generators.
- ··Hidden research institutionCountryAvailable to registered users, with their key researchers.
- ··Hidden research institutionCountryAvailable to registered users, with their key researchers.
Where thermoelectric generators innovation happens
Share of documents with at least one organization from each country.
Open the interactive map with all 717 organizationsMain technical approaches
Last 24 months| Approach | What it is | Documents | Leading organizations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bismuth telluride alloys | A leading choice for near-room-temperature conversion, these alloys offer useful performance but can be brittle and less suited to wide operating-temperature ranges. | 567 |
Ferrotec Holdings Corporation, Tohoku University, Xi'an Jiaotong University |
| High-temperature compounds | Materials such as silicon-germanium and skutterudites suit hotter sources, but processing complexity and performance across broad temperature ranges remain challenges. | 337 |
Ferrotec Holdings Corporation, Gentherm, Alphabet Energy, Inc. |
| Oxide ceramics | Oxides offer thermal and chemical stability for harsh environments, but their thermoelectric performance can limit device output. | 13 |
Autonomous University of Barcelona, Technical University of Denmark, Instituto De Microelectronica De Barcelona |
| Organic and flexible materials | Polymers, composites and thin films conform to curved surfaces and suit wearables, but often trade power output and durability for flexibility. | 199 |
KRICT, National Research Foundation, Carbon Energy Ltd |
| Nanostructured materials | Nanoscale structures can tune charge and heat transport, but interface control and scalable, repeatable manufacturing remain difficult. | 173 |
Tokai University, Waseda University, Setsunan University |
Emerging trends
Last 12 months vs previous 36 monthsTerms whose frequency in the last 12 months grew the most compared with the previous 36 months.
Funding and investment
Recent funding rounds
Funding data lists $53.1M in grants across 58 awards since 2020 and $2.90B across 10 rounds. The round total is broad ecosystem finance, not a clean measure of thermoelectric-generator-specific investment.
Patent landscape
Top patent holders · last 24 monthsRecent developments
Latest news, duplicates removed- Sep 2026Same Sky SPG Thermoelectric Generator – Same Sky® and its Thermal Management Group today announced the expansion of its thermoelectric generator (TEG) modules product line. Utilizing the temperature difference between…Electronicsmedia
- Aug 2026Voyager 1 is still operating, and the predictable decline of its nuclear power supply is the mission’s central limiting resource. That much is true. The rest of the headline needs qualification. Voyager 1 has been…Space News From SpaceDaily.Com
- Aug 2026And it could explore all areas, regardless of illumination. Did you know that Curiosity and Perseverance have full-scale replicas here on Earth, which scientists use to test features and updates before beaming them up…Engadget is a web magazine with obsessive daily coverage of everything new in gadgets and consumer electronics
- Jul 2026It traverses the ocean of stars that lies beyond our solar system, both the oldest spacecraft still in operation and the farthest object ever made by human hands. Launched before the parents of some of the team who…Jalopnik
- Month 20XXHidden developmentAvailable to registered users with alerts enabled.
Frequently asked questions about thermoelectric generators
What companies are working on thermoelectric generators?
Ferrotec Holdings Corporation, Bloom Energy, Same Sky and Halliburton Co. are among the companies connected to thermoelectric modules, power systems or patents. Ferrotec supplies modules and related components; Same Sky expanded its SPG TEG module line in September 2026. Patent activity also names RTX Corporation and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, while NASA and the European Space Agency work on space power systems.
Who are the main thermoelectric generator manufacturers or suppliers?
Ferrotec Holdings Corporation and Same Sky are named suppliers of thermoelectric modules, while Gentherm and Kyocera Corporation appear among organizations active in industrial waste-heat applications. Same Sky announced an expansion of its SPG generator modules in September 2026. These examples span component supply and application-focused activity rather than proving every company offers standalone TEG products.
Which universities and research centers lead thermoelectric generator research?
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Wuhan University of Technology and Chang'an University are prominent research organizations in the field. JPL supports silicon-germanium components for radioisotope power systems, while Wuhan University of Technology studies industrial heat recovery and stacked designs. Chang'an University investigates flexible generators, including single-crystal Bi₂Te₃-film designs. These organizations represent distinct research directions, from spacecraft power to wearable energy harvesting.
How much funding has thermoelectric generators received?
Funding data records $53,085,091 in grants across 58 awards since 2020, alongside $2,903,750,337 across 10 funding rounds. These figures describe funding associated with organizations and activity linked to the topic, not necessarily investment dedicated only to thermoelectric generators. Bloom Energy accounts for two large listed rounds, so the round total should not be treated as a direct measure of TEG market financing.
Who holds the most thermoelectric generator patents?
Japan National Institute of Materials Science and Halliburton Co. lead the listed patent holders, with 5 patents each. Bloom Energy and RTX Corporation follow with 4 each. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, TLV Corporation, ABB Schweiz AG and Royce Rolls each have 3 listed patents. These counts identify patent holders in the dataset and do not establish the commercial value or technical importance of each patent.
Is thermoelectric generator patent activity growing?
No: patent activity declined 53.0% in the latest 12-month comparison. Publication activity also fell 7.9%, and overall activity was down 20.4%. The declines contrast with growth in nanostructured-material activity, which rose 40.3%. These indicators describe recent recorded activity rather than the full commercial outlook or the rate of technology adoption.
What are the latest developments in thermoelectric generators?
Recent developments include flexible Ag₂Se films from Xuchang University in October 2026 and wearable thermal management work from Beijing Institute of Technology in August 2026. A September 2026 study examined impinging-jet arrays for flue-gas heat harvesting, while Same Sky announced an SPG module-line expansion that month. Together, these efforts target flexible form factors, improved heat transfer and practical module supply.
What new methods or terms are emerging in thermoelectric generators?
Flexible electronics, waste heat recovery and tellurium compounds are among the emerging terms, with 28, 32 and 55 documents respectively. Recent methods include hybrid thermal evaporation and solution selenization for Ag₂Se films, moisture-adaptive cooling layers, and impinging-jet arrays for flue-gas heat harvesting. These directions reflect interest in scalable flexible materials and more effective management of heat at the device level.
What are the main approaches in thermoelectric generators and how do they differ?
The main approaches are bismuth telluride alloys, high-temperature compounds, oxide ceramics, organic and flexible materials, and nanostructured materials. They differ in operating temperature, mechanical properties and ease of integration. Bismuth telluride suits near-room-temperature uses; high-temperature compounds target hotter sources; flexible materials fit wearable devices. Nanostructuring can tune transport properties, while oxide ceramics are attractive for thermal and chemical stability.
What are the applications of thermoelectric generators?
Electronics and sensor power is the largest listed application, with 999 documents. Other applications include industrial waste heat, with 340 documents; automotive and transport, with 331; space and remote power, with 274; and wearables and body heat, with 229. These range from recovering energy from industrial processes to powering remote equipment and harvesting low-grade heat from the body.