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Phononic Devices gets $3 million in U.S. Dept. of Energy research backing

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CARY, N.C. — Phononic Devices will partner with researchers at three universities to push its work with thermoelectric technology, using a $3 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy's Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy (ARPA-E).

Phononic, along with the University of Oklahoma, California Institute of Technology and University of California at Santa Cruz, is among 37 entrants selected in a $151 million round of funding for research on what ARPA-E called "ambitious" projects to "pioneer a low-cost, secure, and low carbon energy future for the nation.

Phononic's goal is to commercializing advanced thermoelectric materials and devices that are expected to dramatically improve heat-to-electric energy conversion efficiency.

"We are honored to partner with ARPA-E to develop our unique thermoelectric technology," said Dr. Anthony Atti, Phononic president and CEO. "With ARPA-E resources and support from our venture investors Venrock and Oak Investment Partners, we can expand our research team and accelerate device engineering."

ARPA-E described the funded project as exploration of a new class of high-efficiency thermoelectric devices and materials that use thermally insulating semiconductors with high thermal-to-electric conversion efficiencies. "An astounding (60 percent) of U.S. energy is lost in the form of waste heat from power plants, industrial processes, and vehicles. High-efficiency thermoelectrics hold great promise to tap into this vast hidden energy resource while reducing U.S. greenhouse gas emissions," ARPA-E said in explaining why Phononic and its partners got the award.

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