Phononic Devices Raises $10 Million To Turn Heat Waste Into Energy

A Raleigh, North Carolina-based maker of thermoelectric coolers and generators, Phononic Devices , closed a $10 million series B investment from Venrock and Oak Investment Partners, the companies revealed today. Often explained as “solid-state heat pumps,” thermoelectric technology (a.k.a. thermoelectrics) can capture wasted heat, and convert it into power. They can also displace heat and maintain a cool temperature in everything from laptops to refrigerators and lasers. The technology provides an environmental benefit versus compression-based refrigeration and other power generating technologies, because thermoelectric modules don’t use toxic coolants or burn fossil fuels, and generate no noise. They have no moving parts...