A dye-sensitized solar cell including ZnO nanowire arrays grown of a flat
substrate for harvesting solar energy is integrated with a piezoelectric
nanogenerator for harvesting ultrasonic wave energy. The two energy
harvesting approaches work simultaneously or individually and can be
integrated in parallel or serial for raising the output current, voltage
or power, respectively. A solar cell employs an optical fiber and
semiconductor nanowires grown around the fiber. A p-n junction based
design, organic-inorganic heterojunction, or a dye-sensitized structure
is built at the surfaces of the nanowires. Light entering the fiber from
a tip propagates through the fiber until it enters a nanowire where it
reaches a photovoltaic element. Light entering the fiber cannot escape
until it interacts with a photovoltaic element, thereby increasing the
solar conversion efficiency. The fiber can transmit light, while the
nanowires around the fibers increase the surface area of light exposure.