Abstract
This paper investigates the possibility of recycling light emitting diodes from damaged electronic devices, and using them in a similar way to photovoltaic cells in order to reduce environmental pollution. The study used a number of tests with a variety of different parameters for measuring the capability for light emitting diodes to harvest the sun’s rays and to convert them into a useful form of electrical power. The different configurations involved variations of light emitting diode wavelength and number, as well as the connection types between the light emitting diodes (series and parallel) and the angle of incidence of the sun’s rays to the light emitting diode’s base. The results showed promising voltage data for parallel-connected light emitting diodes of lemon (yellow-green) and green colour. The variations in voltage produced by tilting the light emitting diode’s base exhibited similar behaviour to that seen in solar panels. The power that was harvested from the light emitting diodes was extremely low, but the voltage gains showed promising trends that could be employed in useful applications. Hence, light emitting diodes could be re-used to reduce environmental pollution and thus to contribute towards environmental enhancement.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.