John Reifenberg, Jeff Weisse, and Tapan Patel from the start-up company Alphabet Energy join the podcast to discuss something all around us: heat. Alphabet Energy is trying to harvest waste heat and, in doing so, increase the energy efficiency of cars, chemical plants, refrigerators, and much more. We focus on thermoelectrics — devices that convert heat into electrical energy. We discuss what’s needed for thermoelectrics to become mainstream products, what’s missed when peak materials performance is overemphasized, and the difficulty of translating laboratory-based fabrication techniques into large-scale manufacturing. (Recorded on October 18, 2016)
Show Notes:
Reid Wilson - "The South’s Disastrous Response to the Winter Storm, in Pictures"
DOE - "Waste Heat Recovery: Technology and Opportunities in U.S. Industry"
Allon Hochbaum et al - "Enhanced Thermoelectric Performance of Rough Silicon Nanowires"
Adam Lorimer, Co-Founder & VP of Engineering of Alphabet Energy
Suzanne Jacobs - "Thermoelectric Material to Hit Market Later This Year"
Katie Fehrenbacher - "This Startup Is Turning Gas Flares Into Power"
Jessica Shankleman - "Tim Cook Tells Climate Change Skeptics to Ditch Apple Shares"