A method for converting heat to electric energy, comprising: (a) withdrawing thermal energy from an electrically polarizable material (110, 210, 510, 610, 810, FE 1... FE n) to cool the electrically polarizable material to a temperature T L, wherein the electrically polarizable material is positioned between first and second electrodes (122, 522, 622, 822; 124, 524, 624, 824; 1320... 1329) each formed of a thermally and electrically conductive material and wherein current does not flow between the first and second electrodes while withdrawing thermal energy; (b) subsequently poling the electrically polarizable material by applying a DC poling voltage to the electrically polarizable material; (c) withdrawing thermal energy from the electrically polarizable material while the DC poling voltage is applied to the electrically polarizable material and current is allowed to flow between the first and second electrodes such that the electrically polarizable material develops an overall net spontaneous polarization and screening charges are generated on the first and second electrodes; (d) removing the DC poling voltage from the electrically polarizable material; (e) subsequently adding thermal energy to the electrically polarizable material to heat the electrically polarizable material to a temperature T H while not allowing current to flow between the first and second electrodes, wherein the DC poling voltage is not applied to the electrically polarizable material while thermal energy is added to the electrically polarizable material; (f) subsequently connecting the first and second electrodes across a load (R L); and (g) adding thermal energy to the electrically polarizable material while the first and second electrodes are connected across the load such that electrical energy corresponding to the generated screening charges on the first and second electrodes is output to the load, and wherein the DC poling voltage is not applied to the electrically polarizable material when the electrical energy corresponding to the generated screening charges on the first and second electrodes is output to the load; wherein the electrically polarizable material exhibits spontaneous polarization at T L and wherein the spontaneous polarization exhibited by the electrically polarizable material at T H is lower than the spontaneous polarization exhibited by the electrically polarizable material at T L. (a) withdrawing thermal energy from an electrically polarizable material (110, 210, 510, 610, 810, FE 1... FE n) to cool the electrically polarizable material to a temperature T L, wherein the electrically polarizable material is positioned between first and second electrodes (122, 522, 622, 822; 124, 524, 624, 824; 1320... 1329) each formed of a thermally and electrically conductive material and wherein current does not flow between the first and second electrodes while withdrawing thermal energy; (b) subsequently poling the electrically polarizable material by applying a DC poling voltage to the electrically polarizable material; (c) withdrawing thermal energy from the electrically polarizable material while the DC poling voltage is applied to the electrically polarizable material and current is allowed to flow between the first and second electrodes such that the electrically polarizable material develops an overall net spontaneous polarization and screening charges are generated on the first and second electrodes; (d) removing the DC poling voltage from the electrically polarizable material; (e) subsequently adding thermal energy to the electrically polarizable material to heat the electrically polarizable material to a temperature T H while not allowing current to flow between the first and second electrodes, wherein the DC poling voltage is not applied to the electrically polarizable material while thermal energy is added to the electrically polarizable material; (f) subsequently connecting the first and second electrodes across a load (R L); and (g) adding thermal energy to the electrically polarizable material while the first and second electrodes are connected across the load such that electrical energy corresponding to the generated screening charges on the first and second electrodes is output to the load, and wherein the DC poling voltage is not applied to the electrically polarizable material when the electrical energy corresponding to the generated screening charges on the first and second electrodes is output to the load;