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Does Peltier effect decrease temperature? Such as infamous flashlight from your hand temperature. It use Peltier effect to generate light while your hand has more heat than air.

So, whenever thermoelectric effect is in action, I think it should decrease overall temperature even a little. Or is it just transfer all heat and harvest energy from tranfering without affect overall temperature?

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It transfers heat inefficiently, and also expends energy doing so, which adds to the heat as well. When it acts as a generator it tends to even out the temperature of the two sides with which is in contact. They are also rather inefficient at converting heat to electricity. What they are, is convenient and with no moving parts.

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  • $\begingroup$ So if it has material with higher conductivity and more energy conversion coefficient it may decrease temperature, or not? I think to even out temperature mean it should decrease temperature of you to increase temperature of air so OVERALL (means your and air's) temperature should drop, because it cause electron to be more excited so heat should be converted, or not? $\endgroup$
    – Thaina
    Commented Nov 1, 2014 at 9:11
  • $\begingroup$ However you use a Peltier, the universe ends up warmer than it started. $\endgroup$
    – user56903
    Commented Nov 1, 2014 at 11:02
  • $\begingroup$ In conclusion, if we have a heat source and put an high efficient peltier with led on it. it will act like an optical heat pump? $\endgroup$
    – Thaina
    Commented Nov 1, 2014 at 12:35

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