

The TEG Power Info Site The TEG Power site is brought to you by Tegpro, designers of Thermoelectric Generators; devices that convert heat (temperature differences) into electricity. Here at TEG Power Info our focus is educating you in the various applications of Thermoelectric Generators which offer practical alternative energy solutions for industrial, commercial, military and consumer applications. Being able to convert heat into usable electrical energy allows many new energy sources to be harnessed. Expanding our energy options with the use of TEG Power Generators opens the doors to self powering many devices and allows us to harness countless amounts of waste heat. US Made Thermoelectric Generators Tegpro currently makes AmeriTEG, the only Thermoelectric Generator for Wood and Gas Stoves that is made in the USA with US Made thermoelectric modules. The AmeriTEG Water and Air Cooled models employ their patent pending magnetic coupling technology with their patent pending Energy Management technology that features power prioritization, maxium power point tracking (MPPT) and wireless telemetry (including stove performanace) via Bluetooth/Wifi. Tegpro is also produces the Stove Lite, Thermoelectric Generator Lantern which will also be made in their US based factory in Randolph, VT. The Stove Lite is available for purchase at Tegmart.

Featured above are American Made Products by Tegpro. Note the Water Cooled and Air Cooled Magnetic Thermoelectric Generators! What are Thermoelectric Generator Modules? Thermoelectric generator modules are solid-state integrated circuits that employ the Seebeck effect. It is the Seebeck effect that is responsible for electrical power generation and thus the foundation of TEG Power Modules. Thermoelectric Generator Modules are the heart of any Thermoelectric Generator. The thermoelectric generator module is located between the heat receiving surface and heat exiting surface of a thermoelectric generator. The heat from the heat receiving surface passes through the Thermoelectric Generator Module. While most of the heat passes through to the heat exiting surface a portion of it is converted to electrical current. Companies like Tegpro manufacture low & high temperature Thermoelectric Genrator modules for a myriad of applications.You can learn more about Thermoelectric Generators by visiting the links on our Tools page. Tegpro Thermoelectric Generator Modules available at Tegmart How are Thermoelectric Generator Modules made? Construction of a Teg Power Module consists of pairs of p-type and n-type semiconductor materials with a high thermoelectric coefficient. Although many alloys can be used, bismuth telluride is the most common material used today. This material is sliced into small blocks, one forms the p-type conductor and the other the n-type conductor. Each pair forms a thermoelectric couple (TEC). These thermocouples are most often connected electrically forming an array of multiple thermocouples (thermopile). Unlike solder used in the construction of TEC's, thermoelectric generator modules often require solders that reflow well in excess of 400 C. Most thermoelectric generator module manufacturing companies use many thermoelectric couples that are sandwiched between two pieces of non-electrically conductive materials. It is also necessary for this material to be thermally conductive to ensure a good heat transfer, usually two thin ceramic wafers are used, to form what is called a thermoelectric module. Each module can contain dozens of pairs of thermoelectric couples called thermoelectric generator modules, TEC modules and sometimes Peltier or, Seebeck modules, which simply denotes whether they are being used to generate electricity (Seebeck) or produce heat or cold (Peltier). Functionally there is no difference between the two. They both are capable of producing heat and cold or generating electricity, depending on whether heat is applied or an electrical current. There are however differences in performance between various modules depending on what they were manufactured for. For example, if a module is being manufactured for use in a 12 volt dc automotive cooler the thermoelectric couples will be of a thicker gage and so will the wire connecting the modules to the 12 volt dc power source. In most cases the module itself is quite large. This is simply because the module will be conducting a heavy load of current and will need to be able to handle the load. Although these type modules can be used to produce electricity they are not well suited for the task because they have a high internal resistance (lowering output) and lower temperature solder that may melt if used for Seebeck purposes. Meaning the electrical connection may fail when the higher heat needed to produce significant amounts of electricity is applied to the module. If a thermoelectric module is being manufactured for use in a thermoelectric generator it has its own unique requirements. First they need to have lowest internal resistance and high temperature solder comprising of sivler for example, to connect the wires. Also PTFE or Fiberglass coated wire must be employed to handle the high temperatures. Silicoon fiberglass sleeves can be slipped over the wires can provide more protection from the high temperatures. What is a TEG Power Generator? TEG is an acronym for ‘thermoelectric generator’. A TEG is a device utilizing one or more thermoelectric models as the primary component/s, followed by a cooling system that can be either passive or active. An open air heat sink, fan cooled heat sink, or hydronics cooling system are examples of ways to cool Thermoelectric Generators. These components are then fabricated into an assembly to function as one unit called a TEG. Often when an active cooling system is required, electronics and firmware are needed to prioritize power to ensure the system is adequately cooled. Products like this one offered at Tegmart are designed to ensure that the active cooling system always is given priority before any net gain of power can be utilized. This also allows some devices to start up on their own power rather than rely on a battery system to start, especially if the battery system is completely depleted. When heat is applied to the hot side of a TEG, electricity is produced. Almost any heat source can be used to generate electricity, such as solar heat, geothermal heat, even body heat! In addition the efficiency of any device or machine that generates heat as a by-product can be drastically improved by recovering the energy lost as heat. Many companies are now realizing the potential of Thermoelectric Generators in heating systems, to lessen the demand on the grid as well as self-power the device in the event of power outages. Can you really generate that much electricity from waste heat? You may be surprised just how much you can! Even though a Wood Stove is not considered a waste heat source, below is an example of how much power you can generate. Below is a 15 Watt Devil Watt Generator built with Tegpro thermoelectric modules. The output from this simple thermoelectric generator (TEG) is up to 15 watts and the light is a 10 watt EverLed LVL2 flush mount fixture. Tegpro has designed Thermoelectric Generators for Wood Stoves that have exceeded 200 Watts in Thermoelectric Power Generation!





Thermoelectric generators have been in use for many years by NASA to power spacecraft and the oil and gas industry to power remote monitoring stations around the globe. Only in recent years has this technology become available to the general public and TEG Power Generators by Tegpro are at the forefront of this thermoelectric energy revolution. Tegpro manufactures and provides practical and affordable thermoelectric generators to the energy conscious consumer. Almost any heat source can be used to generate electricity, candles, home heating systems, space heaters, water cooled boat motors, gas/propane water heaters, industrial waste heat from foundries, gas lights and many more! Thermoelectric Generator Advantages . . .

NOTE: One 800 watt solar panel produces 2.4 kWh of electricity per day in Northern Vermont. A Thermoelectric Generator System that averages 100 watts an hour implemented on a heating system, such as a wood stove, can also produces 2.4kWh of electricity per day, (provided you have 24 hr continuous heat source). When you compare the costs of solar and thermoelectric generators living in the cold northern climate (based on the actual amount of electricity they actually produce per day) you'll find that TEG Power Thermoelectric Generators cost far less per kWh than solar. The Photovoltaic equivalent of 100 watts of TEG power operating on a wood stove is 660 watts of solar panels or 2.4 kWh per day. This means that averaging 125 watts of thermoelectric power in a Vermont house can produce the same amount of electricity in a day as 1000 watts of solar PV panels. If comparing costs, the price range for 1000 watts of solar would be as much as $3,000 depending on the particular brand. Whereas the cost of 125 watts of thermoelectric power can be as low as $1,200. Unlike solar, TEGs aren't dependent on the sun to produce power. If you have a continuous heat source, like a wood or pellets, TEGs can produce power 24 hours a day. Unlike fossil fuel generators, TEGs have few moving parts, other than cooling fans or water cooling pumps, and can be rated to last for more than 100,000 hours of continuous operation. Thermoelectric Home Power Thermoelectric generators can provide supplemental electricity for home owners who use wood/biofuel furnaces or stoves. The video below reflects just one of the possible thermoelectric home power stations that could be setup using TEG Power modules. It should be noted that just 250 watts of thermoelectric power added to a wood/propane stove like the one below can produce almost 6 kWh of electricity per day, which is enough to reduce the average Vermont household electric bill by more than one third. The majority of new wood burning stoves/furnaces now use gasification technology which produces clean burning hydrogen gas, making them extremely efficient and clean burning. EPA approved wood stoves/furnaces are eligible for a federal tax credits. Here is an example of a new TEG Power Generator System for converting heat to electricty from a Wood Stove.

Note: The Video on the Left is showing an Englander NC-30 Wood Stove with 2 Devil Watt 50 Watt Water Cooled TEGs with Tegpro's patent pending TEG Power Energy Management System. Check out the complete system at Tegmart.



A Need for Thermoelectric Generator Power Electricity is a necessity. If you've ever had to suffer through an extended power outage, you'd know what it is like to loose all the food in your refrigerator. If you live in a cold climate your house was cold because you have no heat, as the majority of heating systems require powetr to run. Every millions of folks have been in this position when a winter storm knocked out power over large areas. Solar panels are a great renewable energy source, but they only produce power in the daytime. Their daily output is significantly reduced during the shorter days in the winter months. Using TEG Power Generators in cold climates, in conjunction with solar, can provide all off your home’s energy needs. TEG Power Modules vs. TEG Power Generators It's not correct to refer to a TEG Power module as a “TEG Power Generator”. The thermoelectric generator modules are just one electrical component. They are the equivalent of an LED, in a lighting fixture. To generate Thermoelectric Power, you must design/build a TEG Power Generator, which involves heat receiving/heat exiting plates, thermally conductive materials such as graphite, heat sinks/fan sinks to transform a thermoelectric module into a thermoelectric generator. Some systems require active cooling with a micro-controlled electronics package. Tegpro specializes in active cooling control systems.











