Introduction

Energy is a scarce resource.1Nevertheless, heat (thermal energy) can be found escaping unused almost everywhere you look. In the future, exploiting waste heat to produce reusable energy may contribute to the more efficient utilization of existing resources by using so-called energy harvesting or waste heat recovery approaches. Highly efficient, cost-effective thermoelectric (TE) generators are being proposed to convert waste heat in automobiles and large-scale industrial plants, such as furnaces and refuse incinerators, into reusable energy—with no moving parts. Thermoelectrics, as a recycler of “nomadic” energy supplies, will play an important role in complementing renewable energies and furthermore make a significant contribution to climate protection.