by Allexiee Antoinette Sumarlin

The economic growth of ASEAN countries drives higher energy demands. However, those demands are fulfilled at the cost of the environment. ASEAN plays a critical role in the global energy transition, upholding that clean energy and climate action are urgent priorities. Meanwhile, implementing energy shift is very challenging, as new problems has been gradually arisen. For example, electric vehicles reduce urban air pollution, yet the mining of lithium and cobalt for their batteries destroys ecosystems and emits high levels of carbon (Luong et al., 2022). In addition, biofuels reduce dependence on fossil fuels, but when sourced from palm oil, they accelerate deforestation (Glensor & Muñoz, 2019). 

The implementation of technologies that can minimize the use of fossil fuels has become vital to reach a net-zero emission state for ASEAN, given the fact that when conducting business as usual, our current energy mix of oil, coal, and natural gas comprises up to 80% of the region’s energy consumption (Phoumin et al., 2021). Consequently, ASEAN’s push for affordable and clean energy is shaping the policies across the region as innovations ease consumption and reduce waste for the majority. This article explores the possibilities of how ASEAN can balance its efforts to meet the demands for energy with its obligation to fulfill the urgent demand of SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy) and SDG 13 (Climate Action); furthermore, ASEAN must answer the question of whether sustainability can truly be inclusive and accessible for all. 

What can be a solution? 

What if the solution to ASEAN’s clean energy challenge is precisely the main factor that contributes to climate change? According to Simon et al. (2023), in 2022, the industrial sector accounted for over 37% of global energy consumption, and much of this amount is wasted as heat. One promising approach is the utilization of heat in electricity production through thermoelectric devices, especially since nearly two-thirds of the global energy is wasted in heat (Servantez, 2025). ASEAN countries located in the Ring of Fire, like Indonesia, should benefit from the geothermal energy resources; however, from the tropical climate to the high temperatures of its industrial sectors, such as cement, glass, and steel production, Indonesia is rich in heat but underutilized (Fan & Nam, 2018). 

Indonesia has 40% of the world’s potential for geothermal power production, but it exploits less than 9% of this resource (Pribadi, 2020). Thermoelectric technology offers a way to change that by converting this loss into electricity. Moreover, with a projected electricity growth that is already twice the world average, with an annual increase of 7%, ASEAN countries like Indonesia can use their geothermal potential to meet this demand without solely relying on fossil fuels (Vithaya, 2025). 

Through the Seebeck effect, thermoelectric devices convert heat directly into electricity through a temperature difference that drives electrons from hot to cold regions, generating an electric current (Carroll, 2023; Spann et al., 2023). However, such devices face a major challenge, as the materials that can conduct electricity efficiently will also conduct heat well, disturbing the Seebeck effect. Nevertheless, recent breakthroughs are changing that (Chu, 2018). Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) developed gallium nitride nanopillars on thin silicon layers that reduce heat conduction by 21% while maintaining electrical conductivity (Spann et al., 2023). At Penn State University, a research team achieved conversion efficiency of up to 15%, a major increase compared to the 5-6% that is typical in commercial systems, succeeding in making thermoelectricity competitive with small diesel generators or solar panels (Li et al., 2023; Servantez, 2025). 

Furthermore, Zhou et al. (2023) expand beyond traditional heat sources and demonstrate that latent heat released during phase changes, such as evaporation in air conditioners, can also generate electricity. This shows that even tiny temperature differences can generate power. Meanwhile, Habibi et al. (2024) overcame the traditional limits of the thermophotovoltaics process set by Planck’s law through the replacement of a vacuum gap with a glass spacer. This doubles the power density at a lower and safer operating temperature, potentially revolutionizing manufacturing industries by increasing power generation without the need for high-temperature heat sources or expensive materials. Their compact, scalable design can recover waste heat from heavy industries such as steel, cement, and glass manufacturing, and they may achieve up to 20 times higher power density with further material optimization (Servantez, 2025). 

Altogether, these breakthroughs highlight how thermoelectricity has evolved from specialized uses into scalable clean energy solutions. By boosting efficiency, tapping overlooked heat sources, and targeting industrial-scale waste recovery, we can develop a path for thermoelectricity to reduce carbon emissions, cut fossil fuel reliance, and supply sustainable electricity where it is most needed. Overall, this model directly supports SDG 7 by converting wasted industrial heat into a new and reliable source of electricity, advances SDG 13 by lowering dependence on fossil fuels, reduces greenhouse gas emissions from energy-intensive industries, and strengthens SDG 12 by turning industrial waste into value, which improves efficiency in sectors with substantial carbon footprints. 

Limitations on Implementation 

Unfortunately, many of the most efficient thermoelectric technologies are only starting to transition from laboratory experiments to commercial prototypes, and they are still relatively too expensive for widespread implementation. One additional challenge in ASEAN is that much of the electricity generation capacity is monopolized by the government. For example, in Indonesia, the state-owned electricity company, PLN, is the main supplier and producer of electricity. According to its 2023 statistics, around 43.10% of PLN’s electricity supply comes from Independent Power Producer (IPP) who sells the electricity they produce back to PLN (PT PLN, 2023). In accordance with the reports, this marks a notable increase in IPP contributions that rise by 16.35% between 2021-2022, followed by a further 12.20% increase from 2022-2023, reflecting a steady trend towards a bigger private-sector participation in Indonesia’s electricity market (PT PLN, 2022; PT PLN, 2023). This sparks optimism in proposing a facility for geothermal-based electricity generators. 

On the other hand, state-owned monopolies like PLN often face heavy regulatory responsibilities, which make them less likely to invest in unproven technologies (Erdiwansyah et al., 2019; Winters & Cawvey, 2015). Also, Vakulchuk et al. (2022) find that most of the regulatory practices in the renewables sector have been copied and pasted from the fossil-fuel industry, and that no ASEAN country has implemented a major pro-renewable energy governance reform except for Malaysia and Vietnam. As a result, the lack of effort to create tailor-made regulations for renewables complicates efforts to move thermoelectric systems from the experimental stage into industrial-scale deployment. Therefore, overcoming these barriers will require coordinated efforts from ASEAN governments, industries, and research institutions. With the right collaboration of policy, finance, and innovation, these systems can shift from promising prototypes to practical solutions that can transform wasted heat into affordable clean energy. 

Call to Action: A Call for Ethical Innovation 

If ASEAN is to accomplish SDGs 7, 12, and 13 by 2030, the country members must do more than wait for proven technologies to arrive from elsewhere. Heat is already wasted from the numerous industrial processes, released from factories, power plants, and refineries every second. The tool to capture and utilize it exists, but without support, it will remain locked in laboratories. Hence, governments should reward industries that take steps towards green production by giving tax reductions or many other incentives. It is also imperative that governments provide financial tools that can turn prototypes into operational infrastructures and ecosystems that are ready to house these innovations. 

More importantly, investing in thermoelectric innovations is not merely a technological advancement; rather, it is to protect our communities from rising energy costs, reduce dependence on fossil fuels, and position ASEAN as a global model in practical climate solutions. By supporting this transition today with incentives, research funding, and public-private partnerships, ASEAN can ensure that what is currently wasted can actually power a more resilient and inclusive tomorrow. ASEAN must act together and support sustainable projects that better the environment while still supporting and being accessible to all communities.