Thermoelectric cooling uses a solid state device that acts as a heat pump to move heat from one side of the device to the other.

The device is commonly referred to as a thermo electric cooler (TEC) and is made up of numerous pairs of semiconductors enclosed by ceramic wafers on the top and bottom.

Rather than using a refrigerant gas and a compressor, TECs use only DC power and have no moving parts or complex assemblies.

TECs are very small, light weight and rugged compared to a traditional compressor refrigeration system.