In this paper, we present a simulation platform designed to study coupled charge transport in dye-sensitized solar cell (DSC) devices. The platform, SLICE, is used to study the influence of ions in the electrolyte on electron transport in the nanoporous medium. The simulations indicate that both cationic and anionic properties should be considered when modelling DSCs and similar systems. Additionally, it was found that the effective permittivity coefficient, epsilon, has no influence on the electron transport when the ionic concentration is sufficiently high due to the strong coupling between the respective charged species. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.