Ambient Photonics Opens Low-Light Photovoltaic Cell Factory

Ambient Photonics has started mass production on low-light photovoltaic (PV) cells at its low-light PV cell factory in Scotts Valley, south of Silicon Valley. According to Ambient, the company's PV cell technology transforms indoor light into energy with 3× more power density than conventional technology. The technology provides power for electronic devices and can also eliminate the need for disposable batteries and reduce carbon emissions of battery-powered devices by as much as 80%, the company said.

Ambient co-founders Bates Marshall (left), CEO, and Kethinni Chittibabu, CTO. Courtesy of Ambient Photonics.

Ambient’s proprietary technology combines molecular chemistry and a digitally defined manufacturing process that enables highly scaled production of power-dense PV cells on optically clear glass substrates. Ambient’s finished PV cells combine high indoor light energy density with very low production costs, which the company said enables it to offer its power solutions across a wide range of industries seeking to reduce carbon emissions from their product lines. Ambient said it is initially focused on supporting markets such as consumer electronics, retail, and IoT by powering devices such as remote controls, keyboards and mice, electronic shelf labels, and sensors.

The 43,000-sq-ft California facility, which Ambient said is online less than one year after groundbreaking, will enable the company to produce tens of millions of units per year, and is the first of its kind in the country, Ambient said. The company has established an automated production process at its low-light PV cell factory, using funding from a $48.5 million series A round co-led by Amazon, it said.