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CONTENT

• Abstract Improvements
• Introduction Comparison
• Why use solar cells? Applications
• Conventional solar cell Conclusion
• Working of conventional solar cell
• Disadvantages
• Infrared solar plastic cell
• Construction
• Working
• Advantages
• Limitations

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ABSTRACT

• Nanotechnology is the nexus of sciences.

• It includes anything smaller than 100 nano meters with novel properties.
• The conventional solar cells that are used to harness solar energy are less efficient and cannot
function properly on a cloudy day.
• The use of nano technology in the solar cells created an opportunity to overcome this problem,
thereby increasing the efficiency.

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INTRODUCTION

• The plastic solar cells uses nanotechnology and contains the first solar cells able to harness the
sun’s invisible, infrared rays.
• Plastic solar cells could one day become five more times more efficient than current solar cell
technology.
• The working of this type of solar cell is same as that of conventional solar cells but these solar cells
are of small size and harness all the rays from sun’s radiation.
• Because of their small size and light weight, they exhibit unusual and interesting properties.

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WHY USE SOLAR CELLS?

• Low maintenance
• Easy installation
• Non polluting
• Renewable power
• Convenient and flexible sources of power

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CONVENTIONAL SOLAR CELL

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WORKING OF CONVENTIONAL SOLAR CELL

• Basically a solar cell is made up of silicon based layer called PV cells in which it absorbs heat from
the sun and produces energy.
• This energy from the sun excites the electrons to flow freely between the cells and this produces
current and is absorbed by the conductor around the cells.

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DISADVANTAGES

• In conventional solar cell it is observed that only 35% of the sun’s total energy is being used
• The conventional solar cells are not so favorable on cloudy days
• In order to overcome these disadvantages we use INFRARED PLASTIC SOLAR CELL

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INFRARED SOLAR PLASTIC CELL

• Infrared plastic solar cell can turn the suns power into electrical energy on a cloudy day
• The plastic material uses nanotechnology and contains the 1st generation solar cells that can
harness the sun’s invisible infrared rays
• Nano particles called quantum dots are combined with a polymer to make the plastic that can
detect energy in the infrared

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Contd…

• It uses specially designed nano particles called quantum dots

• The quantum dots with a polymer to make the plastic that can detect energy in the infrared

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INFRARED PLASTIC SOLAR CELL

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CONSTRUCTION
The plastic solar cell created by
Berkeley research group is actually
a hybrid, comprised of tiny nano-
rods dispersed in an organic
polymer or plastic.

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Cont..

• The length of the nanorods may be approximatley 60nanometers

• Nanorods are made od cadmium selenide, blended with P3HT(poly-3hexylthiophene)
• The heart of a solar cell is a 200nm thick film
• This layer of around 200 nanometers thickness is sandwiched between electrodes and can produce
at present about 0.7 volts
• The electrodes are coated with aluminium

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FIG..

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WORKING

• Nanorods in the plastic solar cell acts like wires when they absorb light of specific wavelength they
generate an electron and an electron hole vacancy in the rod that moves around just like an electron
• This electron travels the length of rod until it is collected by aluminium electrode
• The hole is transferred to the plastic which is known as a hole carrier and conveyed to the electrode
creating current

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ADVANTAGES

• They are considered to be 30% more efficient when compared to conventional solar cells.
• They are more efficient and more practical in application.
• Traditional solar cells are bulky panels. This is very compact.
• Conventional solar cells are only used for large applications with big budgets. But the plastic solar
cells are feasible as they can be even sewn into fabric-thus having vast applications.
• Flexible, roller processed solar cells have the potential to turn the sun’s power into a clean, green,
consistent source of energy.

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LIMITATIONS

• They are very costly.

• Relatively shorter life span when continuously exposed to sunlight.
• It requires higher maintenance and constant monitoring.

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IMPROVEMENTS

• Some of the obvious improvements include better light collection and concentration, which already
are employed in commercial solar cells.
• In their first generation solar cells, the nanorods are jumbled up in the polymer, leading to losses of
current via electron-hole recombination and thus lower efficiency.
• They also hope to tune the nanorods to absorb different colors to span the spectrum of sunlight. An
eventual solar cell has three layers each made of nanorods that absorb at different wavelength.

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COMPARISON

PV CELLS IR PLASTIC SOLAR CELL

• Made of some special material called • Constructed using nano-technology
semiconductors
• Cost is less because less material is used
• Expensive because of manufacturing process • Compact and require less space, efficiency is
• Requires large space, efficiency is less more
• It wont work under cloudy days • Work under cloudy days
• It cant harness the sun’s invisible infrared rays • It can harness the sun’s invisible infrared rays

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APPLICATIONS

• A hydrogen powered car painted with the film could potentially convert energy into electricity to
continually recharge the car’s battery
• Any chip coated in the material could power cell phone or other wireless devices
• Development of a super thin disposable solar panel poster

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FIG..

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CONCLUSION

• Plastic solar cells help in exploiting the infrared radiation. More effective when compared to
conventional solar cells.
• They can even work on cloudy days
• Though at present cost is a major drawback, it can be solved in the near future.

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 THANK YOU

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