While no one cooling method is ideal in all respects and the use of thermoelectric modules will not be suitable for every application, TE coolers will often provide substantial advantages over alternative technologies. A TE module works electrically without any moving parts so they are virtually maintenance free. In addition, a variety of standard and special sizes and configurations are available to meet strict application requirements. Unlike a conventional heat sink whose temperature necessarily must rise above ambient, a TE cooler attached to that same heat sink has the ability to reduce the temperature below the ambient value. This feature eliminates the necessity of providing separate heating and cooling functions within a given system.
Thermoelectric modules exhibit very high reliability due to their solid state construction.
Although reliability is somewhat application dependent, the life of typical TE coolers is greater than 200,000 hours. They are also acoustically silent. Thus they are popular in many aerospace applications. Modules having a wide range of input voltages and currents are available. Thermoelectric devices do not use or generate gases of any kind.