The solar technology Ambient Photonics presented at CES 2024 (by the way, here are our favorite CES things) is cool and new and innovative. The whole time I was touring the company’s booth, my mind kept drifting back to the blue TI-108 calculators we would use on math tests when I was in elementary school.
The fact is, a solar cell that powers a small device using light it captures indoors isn’t all that revolutionary. I probably have a calculator powered by solar cells that is older than I am, but what Ambient Photonics demonstrated takes things to another level.
These solar cells, made of two sheets of glass with a dye in between, capture energy from even very low-light indoor environments. The big change compared to the amorphous silicon solar cells in those old calculators is that these cells can yield about three times the energy. That opens up the possibility of powering things that do much more than arithmetic.
Can solar panels save you money?
Interested in understanding the impact solar can have on your home? Enter some basic information below, and we’ll instantly provide a free estimate of your energy savings.
Futuristic CES 2024 Tech Concepts We Can Hardly Wait For
Ambient Photonics showed off examples of keyboards, computer mice, smart home sensors and other devices that used its solar cells. You can’t buy any of them yet, but the company announced partnerships at CES with Primax, to develop an ambient solar mouse, and with Google, to create a “new consumer product” for launch this year.
Powered by indoor light
Ambient Photonics’ solar cells are specifically designed for the low-light environments of your desk, your bathroom and your living room. Chris Turkstra, the company’s chief product officer and chief marketing officer, told me this technology isn’t really designed to generate enough electricity to power your larger appliances. The goal, instead, is to replace all those AA, AAA and lithium-ion batteries in little things around your home.
The company makes solar cells in a trio of sizes, ranging from one barely bigger than a thumbnail to one about the size of a dollar bill. They can determine what kind of surface area is needed based on the device’s power demands and the expected light conditions in the area where it will be used. Something that will be used in a brighter area can probably get by with a smaller solar cell than something used in a darker room.
