Integrated Energy-Harvesting System by Combining the Advantages of Polymer Solar Cells and Thermoelectric Devices

摘要

A polymer solar cell-thermoelectric (PSC-TE) hybrid energy-harvesting system was designed and fabricated, which realizes harvesting electricity from solar light and solar heat simultaneously. A series of measurements has been performed to study the relationship between the PSC—TE hybrid system and individual devices. The PSC—TE system improved the total power output compared with individual PSCs when a temperature gradient across TE module was introduced. The physical process that determines the overall power generation of the PSC—TE hybrid system was also studied and analyzed. The optimal power output of PSC—TE hybrid system is given, which can act as a guideline for further optimizing the hybrid energy-harvesting system. Interestedly, we demonstrate that the hybrid system can drive a commercial light-emitting diode by effectively utilizing solar energy, while it cannot be realized by an individual device. The hybrid system is proved to be a more efficient way for obtaining electricity by integrating multiple devices with different.functions.