I absolutely wouldn't recommend it. Thermoelectric generators are far far less efficient than simple generators (say a Stirling engine). The benefit to them is

I absolutely wouldn't recommend it. Thermoelectric generators are far far less efficient than simple generators (say a Stirling engine). The benefit to them is that a) they are very compact and b) they need no mechanical parts. It makes sense to put a thermoelectric generator in a satellite or rover because the mechanical parts found in a traditional engine are typically very heavy and more likely to fail. So if you aren't concerned with a couple dozen pounds and the occasionally maintenance call, just use a wood-burning generator. You'll save about an order of magnitude on costs. edit: what you're looking for is micro-cogeneration (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MicroCHP http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MicroCHP)