An innovative dye-sensitized solar cell based on achiote seeds with a new dual electrical generation mechanism is presented. This dye-sensitized solar cell, in addition to the well-known mechanism, where the conduction electrons are released from the dye molecules due to their interaction with photons, shows a distinct chemical mechanism that produces an effective electric current under dark conditions. Both mechanisms operate simultaneously; however, the electrical signal obtained from the photoelectrical mechanism is stronger. Additionally, during a rapid transition from darkness to illuminate conditions, non-linear oscillations in the current signal are produced when the system is shifted rapidly far from equilibrium conditions. Copyright (c) 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.