German boost for automated low-light PV cell factory
Ambient Photonics has started mass production of low-light photovoltaic (PV) cells in the US with equipment from Manz in Germany.
The 43,000-square foot Fab 1 facility in Scotts Valley, California, is one of the world’s largest low-light PV cell manufacturing factories capable of producing tens of millions of units a year and is the first of its kind in the U.S. Ambient was able to rapidly achieve automated production with funding from its $48.5m Series A, which was co-led by Amazon through its Climate Pledge Fund and Ecosystem Integrity Fund (EIF).
Ambient’s proprietary technology is based on novel molecular chemistry and a digitally defined manufacturing process, which enables highly scaled production of power dense PV cells on robust, optically clear glass substrates. The technology has three times more power density than conventional technology and is produced at mass-market price points says Ambient.
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The company is supporting markets such as consumer electronics, retail and IoT by powering devices like remote controls, keyboard and mice, electronic shelf labels and sensors. It is already working with the world’s largest electronics brands for their highest volume devices, including the ETERNA Platform remote from Universal Electronics (UEI).
“Congratulations to Ambient Photonics for bringing Fab 1 online,” said Arsham Hatambeiki, SVP Product & Technology for Universal Electronics. “We see our partnership and the integration of Ambient’s products into our offerings as an important step toward our vision of sustainable, battery-free products.”
“In less than a year since we invested in Ambient via the Climate Pledge Fund they’ve opened this new production facility, and we look forward to the technology and innovation that this factory will bring to end-users,” said Matt Peterson, Director at Amazon’s Climate Pledge Fund. “It’s exciting to see Ambient continue to make progress in its goals to both reduce waste for customers by eliminating disposable batteries and remove carbon emissions from battery-powered devices – these together will create more ways to promote a circular and low-carbon economy.”
“We are thrilled to see our best-in-class industrial systems utilized by forward-thinking innovators like Ambient Photonics,” said Martin Drasch, CEO of Manz. “Their investment in advanced manufacturing has positioned Ambient to lead the sustainable electronics movement from its manufacturing facilities in California and beyond.”
“Day 1 of our factory operations marks a major milestone for the growing Ambient team as we celebrate surpassing our aggressive growth targets and global expansion goals,” commented Ambient CEO Bates Marshall. “With our new-to-the-world, highly automated production process now online, we are significantly stepping up our impact on cutting carbon emissions from the world’s largest device manufacturers.”
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