The incorporation of CeO2 and Dy2O3 to ZnO leads to a marked increase in the electrical conductivity. The absolute values of the Seebeck coefficients of Zn1-xCexO and Zn1-xDyxO increase with CeO2 and Dy2O3 contents up to x = 0.003 and 0.005, respectively, and then decrease with further increases of their concentrations. The highest power factor (4.46 x 10(-4) Wm(-1) K-2 at 800 degrees C) is attained for Zn0.995Dy0.005O. The power factor is approximately 56 times larger than that of ZnO (0.08 x 10(-4) Wm(-1) K (-2) at 800 degrees C). The introduction of a small amount of Dy2O3 is highly effective for improving the thermoelectric properties of ZnO. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.