A system comprising: a first layer of electrocaloric capacitors and insulation regions, the first layer arranged to form a first row of electrocaloric capacitors separated by a first set of insulation regions; a second layer of electrocaloric capacitors and insulation regions, proximate the first layer of electrocaloric capacitors, the second layer arranged to form a second row of electrocaloric capacitors separated by a second set of insulation regions, wherein the proximity enables heat transfer between the first and second layers of electrocaloric capacitors (1012, 1022); and an actuator configured to shift the first layer of electrocaloric capacitors in a linear reciprocal motion relative to the second layer of electrocaloric capacitors; wherein a first electric field is applied to the first layer of electrocaloric capacitors and a second electric field is applied to the second layer of electrocaloric capacitors, and wherein the first and second electric fields are complementary such that when the first and second electric fields are applied to their respective electrocaloric capacitors the temperature of the first electrocaloric capacitor rises in accordance with a rising first electric field and the temperature of the second electrocaloric capacitor decreases in accordance with a decreasing second electric field or the temperature of the first electrocaloric capacitor decreases in accordance with a decreasing first electric field and the temperature of the second electrocaloric capacitor increases in accordance with a rising second electric field, and wherein the actuator is configured to shift the first layer of electrocaloric capacitors relative to the second layer of electrocaloric capacitors in correspondence with the raising and lowering of the first and second electric fields, and wherein the magnitude of the sum of each insulation region width and adjacent electrocaloric capacitor width is substantially the same for all or a portion of the electrocaloric capacitors in the system, and wherein the first and second layers have insulation regions which include more than one insulation region width. a first layer of electrocaloric capacitors and insulation regions, the first layer arranged to form a first row of electrocaloric capacitors separated by a first set of insulation regions; a second layer of electrocaloric capacitors and insulation regions, proximate the first layer of electrocaloric capacitors, the second layer arranged to form a second row of electrocaloric capacitors separated by a second set of insulation regions, wherein the proximity enables heat transfer between the first and second layers of electrocaloric capacitors (1012, 1022); and an actuator configured to shift the first layer of electrocaloric capacitors in a linear reciprocal motion relative to the second layer of electrocaloric capacitors; wherein a first electric field is applied to the first layer of electrocaloric capacitors and a second electric field is applied to the second layer of electrocaloric capacitors, and wherein the first and second electric fields are complementary such that when the first and second electric fields are applied to their respective electrocaloric capacitors the temperature of the first electrocaloric capacitor rises in accordance with a rising first electric field and the temperature of the second electrocaloric capacitor decreases in accordance with a decreasing second electric field or the temperature of the first electrocaloric capacitor decreases in accordance with a decreasing first electric field and the temperature of the second electrocaloric capacitor increases in accordance with a rising second electric field, and wherein the actuator is configured to shift the first layer of electrocaloric capacitors relative to the second layer of electrocaloric capacitors in correspondence with the raising and lowering of the first and second electric fields, and wherein the magnitude of the sum of each insulation region width and adjacent electrocaloric capacitor width is substantially the same for all or a portion of the electrocaloric capacitors in the system, and wherein the first and second layers have insulation regions which include more than one insulation region width.