solid-state refrigeration technology

Scientists at Johns Hopkins and Samsung have developed a
nano-engineered thermoelectric material that is twice as efficient at
material-level cooling as existing alternatives, paving the way for
broader adoption of solid-state refrigeration technology.

Commercial refrigeration and air conditioning tend to use compressors
that pump vaporized refrigerant through a cooling system. The
chemicals used in this process aren't great for the environment, and
it's bulky and energy intensive at scale.
...
The Nature Communications paper documents the researchers' claim that
thin-film thermoelectric components are ready for mainstream
refrigeration applications. The research team said it achieved
thermoelectric cooling that was almost 100 percent more efficient at
room temperature (300 K, ~80F, ~27C) than other thermoelectric
materials. And when implemented in thermoelectric modules built with
the CHESS materials, the efficiency improvement amounted to about 70
percent.

https://www.theregister.com/2025/07/03/cold_without_the_compressor_boffins/