APL's Double-Efficiency Solid-State Refrigeration Breakthrough
2025-09-21
Researchers at Johns Hopkins APL have developed a new solid-state thermoelectric refrigeration technology using nano-engineered materials, boasting double the efficiency of commercially available bulk materials. This scalable technology, called CHESS, addresses the growing demand for energy-efficient cooling solutions. Tested in real-world refrigerators, CHESS demonstrated nearly a 75% efficiency improvement. Its minuscule material requirements allow for mass production using semiconductor chip manufacturing, driving down costs and paving the way for wider adoption, potentially extending from small-scale refrigeration to large-scale HVAC applications and beyond.