In places that are consistently experiencing extreme heat, is it possible to convert some of that heat energy into electricity?

Question

In places that are consistently experiencing extreme heat, is it possible to convert some of that heat energy into electricity?

In: Technology

Answer 1

To turn heat into something useful, you need a temperature difference. You need both hot and cold. The maximum efficiency with which you can use heat energy is 1 – Tc/Th, where the temperatures are in some scale (like Kelvin) where 0 degrees is absolute zero. If Tc (cold temp) = Th (hot temp), then the efficiency is 0%. If Tc is 0 (absolute zero), then the efficiency can be as high as 100%.

So yes, if the air temp is *hot* and there is a nice cold lake nearby, you can use that heat. At least until you’ve heated up the lake too much. But lacking a cold sink, there is no way.