 The optimization of thermoelectric devices has been studied for decades, focusing on how to reduce entropy production while maintaining maximum efficiency. The compatibility approach, which considers the relationship between optimal performance and local entropy production, has been used to analyze this problem. By using the relative current density and the thermoelectric potential, it was found that the thermoelectric potential must be at a specific, optimal value in order to minimize entropy production. This optimal value maximizes the efficiency of the device, resulting in the best possible performance. This article was authored by Eckhart Muller, G. Jeffrey Snyder, Wolfgang Seifert, and others.