What BrightSpot Automation does

BrightSpot Automation LLC is a U.S.-based (Boulder, Colorado) limited liability company that designs and sells specialized non-contact imaging and electrical measurement equipment for the photovoltaic industry. Its portfolio spans Electroluminescence (EL), Photoluminescence (PL), Ultraviolet Fluorescence (UVF), and Contact Resistivity systems, including the unified IMPEL software platform that coordinates cameras, light sources, and power supplies, and the recently introduced IMPEL Ai module for automated defect identification. Hardware products cover R&D cell imaging (CellSpot EL/PL), laboratory and production-line panel inspection (PanEL-Spot, PLus-Spot), portable and field inspection (TravEL-Spot, UVF-Spot, UVF Kit), drone-based aerial inspection (UVF-DroneSpot), and electrical measurement (ContactSpot), with customization for unique applications.

The company sells through direct enterprise sales led by a Head of Sales, supported by an authorized representative in India (Aster e Technologies), and drives demand through heavy participation in PV industry events (RE+, Intersolar, EUPVSEC, IEEE PVSC, Space Power Workshop, NABCEP) and a library of peer-reviewed publications and white papers. Revenue mechanics combine hardware sales, professional services (testing, QC program development, due diligence, training), and software customization for PLC and enterprise system integration, with custom quote-based pricing and multi-year contracts; pricing is not publicly disclosed.

BrightSpot serves manufacturers, PV researchers, EPCs and O&M firms, space/aerospace solar builders, and emerging end-of-life/decommissioning stakeholders across 40+ countries and 200+ customers, including named relationships with university labs (UC Boulder, Georgia Tech), perovskite startups (Caelux, Swift Solar, Tandem PV, SunFlex Solar, Mirai Solar, Cubic PV, Aptera), utilities and service firms (Open Waters Solar, Go Solar Wolf River, PV Lab, Solen Energy), and aerospace customers (MMA Space, D2 Solar), alongside research collaborations with NREL (CRADA) and QEERI.

Name

BrightSpot Automation

Legal name

BrightSpot Automation LLC

Website

https://brightspotautomation.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

BrightSpot Automation designs and sells specialized non-contact imaging and measurement systems (EL, PL, UVF, contact resistivity) and the IMPEL software platform for solar cell and panel manufacturers, PV researchers, EPC/O&M firms, and aerospace/satellite PV builders across 40+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Photovoltaic Testing & Metrology Equipment

NAICS

Instrument Manufacturing for Measuring and Testing Electricity and Electrical Signals (334515), Other Measuring and Controlling Device Manufacturing (334519)

SIC

Instruments For Meas & Testing Of Electricity & Elec Signals (3825), Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823), Measuring & Controlling Devices, Nec (3829)

akta.pro primary industry

Solar Quality, Testing, Certification & Standards (Lab Testing, Inspections, Compliance) (EUAMABAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

Solar Design, Engineering & Performance Software (PV Modeling, Digital Twins, Monitoring) (EUAMABAH), Performance Optimization & Analytics (Monitoring, Forecasting, Aerial Thermography, IV Curves) (EUACAGAI)

Keywords

• Photovoltaic testing equipment
• Solar cell imaging
• Electroluminescence inspection
• Photoluminescence imaging
• UV fluorescence testing

Headquarters

HQ city

Westford

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Specialized Testing Equipment Sales: Sale of specialized EL, PL, UVF, and contact resistivity imaging equipment and systems for solar panel testing across R&D, manufacturing, field, and end-of-life applications.
2. Professional Services: In-house testing, QC program development, image analysis and reporting, risk assessments, consulting, training sessions (online and in-person), and due diligence investigations.
3. Software Customization: Customization of IMPEL software for customer-specific applications including PLC handshaking, enterprise software integration, quantitative analysis, data management, and GUI interface screens.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

BrightSpot Automation designs, manufactures, and sells specialized imaging and electrical measurement systems for the photovoltaic industry, including Electroluminescence (EL), Photoluminescence (PL), Ultraviolet Fluorescence (UVF), and Contact Resistivity instruments used by solar panel manufacturers, researchers, EPCs, and aerospace customers to detect defects and verify quality in cells, panels, and fielded solar arrays. The hardware portfolio is unified by the proprietary IMPEL software platform, which coordinates cameras, light sources, and power supplies with recipe-driven workflows for image capture, enhancement, analysis, and reporting. BrightSpot also delivers professional testing, consulting, and software customization services across the PV lifecycle from R&D through manufacturing, field inspection, and end-of-life decommissioning.

Product overview

BrightSpot Automation offers a unified platform of specialized imaging and measurement tools for photovoltaic testing, spanning Electroluminescence (EL), Photoluminescence (PL), Ultraviolet Fluorescence (UVF), and Contact Resistivity testing. The portfolio includes IMPEL Software as the central control platform, complemented by specialized hardware systems: CellSpot EL/PL and PanEL-Spot for laboratory EL/PL imaging; PLus-Spot for large-area production-line PL; TravEL-Spot for portable field EL; UVF-Spot, UVF-DroneSpot, and UVF Kit for high-throughput UV fluorescence inspection; and ContactSpot for electrical measurements. Custom solutions are also available for specialized applications.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• IMPEL Software: Unified control platform for BrightSpot imaging systems, enabling seamless coordination of camera, light sources, and power supply for EL, PL, and UVF systems.

Products and services

• CellSpot EL/PL EL and/or PL imaging system for small to medium areas within a dark enclosure, enabling defect and non-uniformity imaging in solar cells and minimodules without room light artifacts; supports non-contact PL imaging for partially processed cells. Designed for R&D and pilot-line cell characterization at solar manufacturers and academic labs.
• PanEL-Spot Laboratory system for Electroluminescence imaging of solar cells and panels, supporting samples from individual cells to full-size commercial panels. Includes a 1D & 2D (QR code) barcode scanner for panel identification; designed for solar manufacturers, O&M labs, and testing services.
• PLus-Spot Photoluminescence testing system for large areas, enabling imaging of defects and non-uniformities in solar panels (partially processed or finished) in a fast, non-contact mode without cable connections. Compatible with silicon, perovskite, CdTe, CIGS, and III-V multijunction space cells; intended for in-line production QC and large-area laboratory characterization.
• TravEL-Spot Portable Electroluminescence imaging system for field and indoor use that can be quickly set up with same-day deployment, with optional wide-angle lens for on-module imaging. Targets EPCs, O&M firms, and field inspection crews needing rapid deployment for installation verification and storm-damage assessment.
• UVF-Spot High-throughput, non-contact UV Fluorescence imaging system for panel defects and bill-of-material variations; pole-mounted and capable of imaging multiple panels every 5 seconds. Designed for O&M inspection crews and end-of-life assessors who need rapid large-scale field screening without panel biasing.
• UVF-DroneSpot UV Fluorescence imaging system designed for drone-based aerial inspection of solar farms, enabling fast detection of PID, delamination, and encapsulant degradation from the air. Targets utility-scale O&M and asset managers needing fleet-wide aerial surveys.
• UVF Kit Lightweight, portable UV Fluorescence kit including a handheld UV light source and compact camera system for on-the-spot inspections, training, or field research. Used by training providers and field inspectors as an entry-level diagnostic tool.
• ContactSpot Contact resistivity measurement system that measures contact resistivity between metal gridlines and semiconductor, line resistance, and sheet resistances using circular TLM patterns hidden within busbar regions for non-destructive testing. Used by R&D and factory QC teams to characterize metallization quality.
• IMPEL Software Unified control platform for BrightSpot's imaging systems providing device control, image capture, enhancement, analysis, and reporting, with recipe workflows, PLC integration, and enterprise software integration. Includes the emerging IMPEL AI capability for machine-learning-based identification and grading of cell and panel defects from EL, PL, and UVF images. Sold standalone to be customized for customer-specific applications.
• Professional Testing and Consulting Services In-house solar panel testing, QC program development, image analysis and reporting, risk assessments, expert consulting, online and in-person training sessions, and due diligence investigations for insurance carriers, investors, and technical due-diligence teams. Branded under Solar Energy International courses for NABCEP continuing education.

Quantifiable outcome

• UVF imaging reveals defects even in aged fielded panels that may not be visible in EL
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers20 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

AI capability2 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• MMA SpaceminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 April 2026Joint poster presentation on Non-contact Photoluminescence Imaging for Quality Control of Satellite Solar Panels at Space Power Workshop 2026.
• Qatar Environment & Energy Research Institute (QEERI)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 September 2025Research collaboration on UV Fluorescence testing of bifacial solar panels. QEERI provided field-aged glass/glass panels installed in desert climate for UVF imaging analysis presented at EUPVSEC 2025.
• National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with DOE/NREL with funding from West Gate DOE Lab-Embedded Entrepreneurship Program. Joint research on UV fluorescence imaging for solar panel product development and durability testing.
• Aster e TechnologiescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized Indian Sales Representative for BrightSpot Automation. Located in Bangalore, India. Handles sales inquiries, booth presence at Indian trade shows including Renewable Energy India Expo and Intersolar India.
• Perovskite Connect/The Future of Electrics RESHAPEDminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCo-located conference event where BrightSpot exhibited and presented Perovskite imaging technology white paper.
• PVELminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint research presentation on UV fluorescence imaging for solar panel product development and durability testing at NREL PV Reliability Workshop.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Teledyne Princeton Instruments: Scientific-grade CCD, EMCCD, and InGaAs cameras used for luminescence and spectroscopy imaging in PV research. Incumbent in high-end lab imaging; can credibly serve the same EL/PL applications as BrightSpot with greater scale.
• MKS Instruments (Newport): Through its Newport optics and photonics portfolio, supplies light sources, power supplies, and optical components used in PV test and measurement setups. Adjacent incumbent that could bundle EL/PL capability into broader PV test system offerings.
• Hamamatsu Photonics: Large Japanese manufacturer of scientific cameras, detectors, and imaging components widely used in EL/PL imaging of solar cells. Broader scientific and industrial portfolio but with overlapping camera/sensor products used by the same PV customer base.

Others

• PVEL (PV Evolution Labs): Independent PV testing services laboratory that uses third-party inspection tools (and has joint research with BrightSpot on UVF imaging). Ecosystem partner/complementary services provider rather than a direct equipment competitor.

Direct peers

• Greateyes GmbH: Manufactures scientific CCD and CMOS cameras purpose-built for electroluminescence and photoluminescence imaging of solar cells and modules. Competes directly with BrightSpot's EL/PL hardware in research labs and pilot lines.
• Sinton Instruments: Specializes in photoconductance-based lifetime measurement (Suns-Voc), implied Voc, and PL characterization tools for silicon solar cells. Direct overlap with BrightSpot's CellSpot/PLus-Spot products in PV cell characterization for R&D and production QC.
• Wavelabs Solar Metrology Systems: German maker of LED-based solar simulators and cell/metrology characterization systems used in PV R&D and production. Comparable in targeting inline and lab PV measurement with overlapping customer base in silicon and perovskite cell developers.
• Edinburgh Instruments: Manufactures photoluminescence spectrometers and lifetime mapping systems used widely in PV research labs. Overlaps with BrightSpot's PL imaging products at the materials and device characterization level, especially for perovskite and tandem R&D.
• Bentham Instruments: Supplies monochromators, spectroradiometers, and quantum efficiency measurement systems for solar cell characterization. Comparable to BrightSpot in serving PV research labs and standards-based measurement, particularly for spectral response and EQE.

Emerging players

• Ossila: Sells lower-cost solar cell and perovskite characterization instruments aimed at academic and emerging-perovskite R&D labs. Overlaps with BrightSpot's CellSpot/PLus-Spot at the entry-level research market but with a self-serve, standardized product model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors2 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about BrightSpot Automation