Clean Energy Patent Surge continues in 1st Quarter- Clean Energy Patent Growth Index

The CLEAN ENERGY PATENT GROWTH INDEX (CEPGI), published quarterly by the Cleantech Group at Heslin Rothenberg Farley & Mesiti P.C. provides an indication of the trend of innovative activity in the Clean Energy sector. Results from the first quarter of 2011 reveal the CEPGI to have a value of 540 granted U.S. patents which is the second highest quarter since tracking of the CEPGI began and lags only the previous quarter (by 35 patents), along with being up 161 over the first quarter of 2010.

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The granting of patents by the United States Patent and Trademark (PTO) is often cited as a measure of the inventive activity and evidence of the effectiveness of research & development investments. Patents are considered to be such an indicator, because to be awarded a patent, it requires not only the efforts of inventors to develop new and non-obvious innovations but also successful handling by patent counsel to shepherd a patent application through the PTO. Thus, the granting of a patent is an indicator that efforts at innovation have been successful and that an innovation had enough perceived value to justify the time and expense in procuring the patent.

The CEPGI (shown below quarterly) tracks the granting of U.S. patents for the following sub-components: Solar, Wind, Hybrid/electric vehicles, Fuel Cells, Hydroelectric, Tidal/wave, Geothermal, Biomass/biofuels and other clean renewable energy.

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The components breakdown of the CEPGI shows fuel cells to be down 37 patents relative to the 4th quarter of last year at 250 while being up 42 relative to the year before. Granted solar patents (138) continued to top the remaining components of the CEPGI, and in particular its closest competitor, wind (71), by 52. Solar and wind were both up slightly over the previous quarter - wind by two (at 86) and solar by six (at 138). Both also greatly exceeded the results of the first quarter of 2010 with wind topping the previous year by 51 and solar almost doubling, up 71. Hybrid/electric vehicle patents (38) were down one relative to the 4th quarter and down 12 as compared to a year prior. Biofuel patents (17) were down 5 from the 4th quarter and up 4 relative to the 1st quarter of 2010. Hydroelectric patents were at one patent equaling the quarter of a year prior and down four as compared to the 4th quarter. Tidal patents were down 3 at 9 from the 4th quarter and up one over the year before.

General Motors followed up on winning the leader’s position in 2010, and the top spot in the 4th quarter, by taking the quarterly Clean Energy Patent crown in the first quarter of 2011. GM’s patents were primarily in Fuel Cells at 34 with an assist from Hybrid/Electric vehicle patents at 6 and 2 solar patents. Samsung followed with 26 Fuel Cell patents and 3 solar patents. Longtime leader Honda was in third place with 25 fuel cell and 2 solar patents (tieing GM’s 2 solar patents). GE’s wind dominance continued with 21 wind patents to go along with two fuel cell and one solar patent. Toyota was in fifth place with 16 fuel cell and 7 hybrid/electric vehicle patents. Vestas had 15 patents all in wind energy. Nissan had 10 patents with 6 in fuel cells and 4 hybrid/electric vehicle patents. Mitsubishi had 7 clean energy patents (3 solar, 4 wind) leading Canon and Hyundai by one patent. Canon’s patents were exclusively fuel cells while Hyundai had 4 fuel cell and 2 hybrid/electric vehicle patents.

As depicted below in the geographic charts, Japan was the first quarter leader among non-U.S. holders of U.S. clean energy patents and the individual U.S. states with 131, up 13 over the fourth quarter, and up 35 over the same period in 2010, to again claim the geographical clean energy patent crown. California was in second place for the second consecutive quarter at 59 clean energy patents, down 16 from the fourth quarter and up 21 compared to a year prior, leading longtime second place holder Michigan with 52 patents, which was down 2 from last quarter and up 4 against the same time period in 2010. Korea followed with 41 patents (down 18 over the fourth quarter and up 10 over the year before) trailed by New York with 35, down 1 and up 24 compared to last quarter and the year prior, respectively. Taiwan and Germany had 27 and 24 clean energy patents, respectively. Denmark (17), Massachussets (13) and New Jersey (12) had clean energy patents in the teens while France, Pennsylvania, and Connecticut had 7 patents. Illinois and Florida each had 6 clean energy patents.

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Trend lines by quarter through the third quarter of 2010 for the CEPGI and for each of the CEPGI components are depicted below:

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CEPGI yearly totals through 2010 are depicted below:

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The CEPGI is updated quarterly and is occasionally supplemented with related articles posted on www.cleanenergypatentgrowthindex.com or http://www.cepgi.com/

CLEAN ENERGY PATENT GROWTH INDEX.COM 

Heslin Rothenberg Farley & Mesiti P.C.

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© 2011 Heslin Rothenberg Farley & Mesiti P.C. 

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