Peltier voltage

I read somewhere that optimal voltage for a peltier is somewhat lower than maximum voltage. Is this correct? I thought the peltier got colder with increasing voltage.
If that is the case, what would be optimal voltage for a 156W/15.8V/10A peltier?

Cheers,
Rob

It all boils down to your particular setup's sweet-spot. A peltier has the potential to get colder with more voltage, but because TECs are highly inefficient, the heat produced at higher voltages easily cancels out the extra cooling that is being done. If you had a 'perfect' heatsink or watersetup that could remove all of the heat the instant it was generated, the peltier would function best at max voltage. However, this is not the case, and you must determine what voltage suits your setup best. Start with about 12-13v. Chances are your sweet-spot is in the 11.5-13.5v range. Many powersupplys have a trim pot that allow you to adjust the voltage slightly, with a bit of expirimentation you will be able to determine the voltage your setup requires.

Power your pelt at 12 volts. It will retain about 95% of its cooling capacity, but create much less heat.

This exactly answers your question.

Thanks for asking this question because I've been wanting to read that again, but couldn't find it until now.