Ambient Photonics, a company that has been developing low-light solar cell technology for use in a variety of electronic devices, is set to present its products at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in 2024. The firm’s technology is designed to provide power for a wide range of connected devices such as remote controls, building sensors, and other ambient Internet of Things (IoT) technology, potentially replacing the need for traditional batteries.
Ambient Photonics’ technology is centered around dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSC) that are reported to deliver up to three times more power than other indoor solar solutions, even in low-light conditions. The company’s early investors include Amazon’s Climate Pledge Fund and leading venture capital firms.
The CEO of Ambient Photonics, Bates Marshall, highlighted the need for ongoing power for connected electronics, which often rely on disposable or rechargeable batteries. The new solar cell technology developed by Ambient Photonics aims to be a high-performance solution for mass-market devices. The cells are designed to be suitable for real-world, low-light applications and use new molecules and manufacturing processes to capture both indoor and outdoor ambient light efficiently.
According to the company, these cells have demonstrated a threefold improvement in light-harvesting efficiency compared to conventional solutions. This higher efficiency means that smaller Ambient Photonics cells can produce the same amount of power as larger indoor solar cells.
Ambient Photonics claims that their technology not only provides a power solution but also contributes to environmental sustainability by reducing the number of batteries that end up in landfills and helping companies lower their carbon emissions.
Several leading electronics manufacturers have already started to integrate Ambient Photonics’ solar cells into their products. Universal Electronics is using these cells in their ETERNA remote control platform, Chicony is employing them in a new sustainable, wireless keyboard, and E Ink is incorporating them into next-generation electronic shelf labels.
At CES 2024, Ambient Photonics plans to conduct demonstrations comparing the efficiency of their standard and bifacial DSSC solutions. These demonstrations are to showcase the capability of Ambient-powered remote controls to harvest three times more power than devices with legacy amorphous silicon cells and 1.5 times more power than devices with single-sided DSSC.
Ambient Photonics has started shipping their solar cells to device manufacturers, indicating that the use of their battery-free electronics will soon become more widespread.
For further information on Ambient Photonics and their solar cell technology, please visit their website.
