PowerLight Technologies

PowerLight Technologies (formerly LaserMotive), founded in 2007 and headquartered in Kent, Washington, is the pioneer and leading commercial developer of laser power beaming — using high-intensity laser beams to transmit electrical energy wirelessly over distances from meters to kilometers, converting photons back to electricity at the receiving end through photovoltaic cells optimized for the specific laser wavelength.

PowerLight's laser power beaming technology works by generating a high-power (hundreds of watts to kilowatts) laser beam at a specific near-infrared wavelength (typically 1064 nm or 1550 nm), transmitting it through air or vacuum to a receiver equipped with bandgap-matched photovoltaic cells that convert the monochromatic laser light to electricity at efficiencies exceeding 50% (far higher than broadband solar cells because the cells are tuned to one wavelength rather than the full solar spectrum). This enables transmitting 400+ watts of electrical power over 1 kilometer with demonstrated hardware — the achievement that won the NASA Centennial Challenge Power Beam competition.

Applications span several markets: persistent high-altitude pseudo-satellite (HAPS) platforms and stratospheric drones that can receive continuous laser power from ground stations to stay aloft indefinitely without onboard fuel; tethered underwater vehicles and ROVs powered through fiber optic power-over-fiber rather than electrical cables (eliminating insulation and grounding challenges); remote sensing platforms in locations without electrical infrastructure; and ultimately space-based solar power (SBSP) — beaming solar energy collected in GEO orbit to Earth's surface as microwave or laser power.

PowerLight is developing power beaming for US military forward operating base power supply, where diesel fuel resupply creates logistical vulnerabilities and cost. The company competes with Emrod (New Zealand) and Virtus Solis in the commercial laser and microwave power beaming market, holding a technology lead from its decade-plus development experience and NASA challenge validation.