Seeking crowd funding through Kickstarter.com, Tellurex Corporation of Traverse City is ready to complete the design, engineering, and tooling for its Tellurex tPOD1™ (thermoelectric Power On Demand). The tPOD1 is designed to convert the heat energy of the common tea candle to electricity in a thermoelectric semiconductor device, the size of soup can. The device can produce enough electricity for a LED light or a compatible battery pack. Target markets include backpackers, campers, and homes experiencing power outages (recharge cell phones to make an emergency call or send a text message). The company plans to begin production in July 2012. Most tea candles are made from natural and renewable resources such as palm oil and other plant sources.