Energy Harvesting Technology Using Dye Sensitized Solar Cell for Low Power Devices

The present day's silicon dominated photovoltaic market statistics show the rapid rate at which photovoltaic power is growing and the amount of power modern panels generate. The main reason for this significant growth is the drop in prices of silicon photovoltaic. The emerging solar technologies promise to be even more cost-effective. Silicon solar cells primarily focus on harnessing the outside sunlight. Though the light in the indoor environment is of less intensity, it has enough potential to drive devices working in the low power range. Dye Sensitized Solar Cells (DSSC) make it possible to harness electrical energy from indoor lighting environment with very low illuminance level. The conventional silicon solar cells have a limitation to perform efficiently in the indoor medium and this fact restricts its deployment. An attempt is made to understand the behaviour of DSSC through an experimental study. Fabrication of the cells has been carried out using thin film technology. The potential of DSSC to charge a battery is realized with the help of a circuit model. The battery charging pattern is examined. It demonstrates that indoor light can be effectively harnessed to power on low power sensors.