Konark Institute of Science and Technology discusses infrared plastic solar cells. The cells use nanotechnology and quantum dots combined with a polymer to harness infrared rays from sunlight for energy, making them potentially 5 times more efficient than conventional solar cells. The plastic solar cells are also flexible, lightweight and compact, allowing them to be painted on surfaces like cars to recharge batteries. While initial costs are high, the technology could eventually provide a clean renewable energy source for portable electronics.

1. Konark Institute of Science and
Technology
INFRARED PLASTIC
SOLAR CELL
By:-
niraj &
kartik

2. Why Use Solar Cells?
Low maintenance, long lasting sources of energy.
Provides cost-effective power supplies for people remote
from the main electricity grid.
Non-polluting and silent sources of electricity.
Convenient and flexible source of small amounts of
power.
Renewable and sustainable power, as a means to reduce
global warming.
In 2002, the global market for photovoltaic panels and
equipment was valued at 3.5 billion dollars.

3. 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 that current solar cell technology.
The working of this type of solar cells 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.

4. Infrared plastic solar cell
Plastic solar cell can turn the suns power into electric energy
even 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

5. 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.

6. Construction of Plastic Solar Cell
The solar cell created is actually a hybrid, comprised of tiny
nanorods dispersed in an organic polymer or plastic.
Nanorods are made of cadmium selenide.
This layer of around 200 nanometers thickness is sandwiched
between electrodes.
The electrodes are coated with aluminum.

7. Working Of Plastic Solar Cell
Nanorods in the plastic solar cell acts like wires when they
absorb light of specific wavelength they generate an electron
and 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

9. Improvements
Some of the obvious improvements include better light collection
and concentration, which already are employed in commercial solar
cells.
Significant improvements can be made in the plastic, nanorods mix,
too, ideally packing the nanorods closer together, perpendicular to
the electrodes, using minimal polymer, or even none-the nanorods
would transfer their electrons more directly to the electrode.
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.

10. Comparison
PV CELLS
Made of some special
material called
semiconductors.
Expensive because of
manufacturing process
Requires large space,
Efficiency is less
It won’t work under cloudy
conditioned
It can’t harness the sun’s
invisible infrared rays
NANO- SOLAR CELLS
Constructed using Nano-
technology
Cost is less because less
material is used
Compact and require less
space, Efficiency is more
Nano- solar cell that can
turn the suns power into
electricity energy even on a
cloudy days
It contains the 2nd
generation solar cell that
can harness the sun’s
invisible infrared rays

11. Applications
Development of a super thin disposable solar panel poster
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.

12. Advantages
They are considered to be 30% more efficient when compared
to conventional solar cells.
Traditional solar cells are bulky panels. This is very compact.
Flexible, roller processed solar cells have the potential to turn
the sun’s power into a clean, green, consistent source of
energy.

13. Disadvantages
The biggest problem with this is cost effectiveness. But that
could change with new material. But chemists have found a
way to make cheap plastic solar cells flexible enough to paint
onto any surface and potentially able to provide electricity for
wearable electronics or other low power devices.
Relatively shorter life span when continuously exposed to
sunlight.
Could possibly require higher maintenance and constant
monitoring.

14. Conclusions
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.

15. Thank You