Clean Energy Patent Growth Index 3rd. Quarter 2009

The CEPGI tracks the granting of patents in the Clean Energy sector and monitors important technological breakthroughs in this field.  Victor Cardona, Co-chair of the firm’s Cleantech Group stated, “we are pleased to announce that the Clean Energy Patent Growth Index reached its second highest quarterly value and is on a record pace for 2009.  Toyota took the quarterly Clean Energy patent Crown from Honda, closely followed by GM and Nissan.  Hybrid/ electric vehicle patents rose while solar and wind patents continued to converge toward each other.  Fuel cell patents dominated the other sectors.”

The Clean Energy Patent Growth Index (CEPGI) provides an indication of the trend of innovative activity in the Clean Energy sector since 2002 in the U.S., along with Leading Patent Owners and Leading Country and State information.  Results from the third quarter of 2009 reveal the CEPGI to have a value of 271 granted U.S. patents which is the second highest quarterly value since the tracking of the CEPGI began, along with being down 3 from the second quarter of 2009 and up from a value of 230 in the third quarter of 2008.  Quarterly results are illustrated in the figure.

The components breakdown of the CEPGI shows fuel cells are up 1 granted patent relative to the second quarter at 157, the highest level since the first quarter of 2005.  As is evident from the chart, fuel cell patents dominate the other components of the CEPGI in absolute numbers and in the third quarter were at a level greater than a combination of all the granted patents in the other sectors.  Granted wind (35) and solar patents (33) continued to converge in the third quarter to within two of each other.  Wind patents were down 8 relative to the second quarter (43) and up 3 compared to a year prior.  Solar patents were down 3 compared to the second quarter and up 20 relative the third quarter (36) of 2008 which was a record low.  Hybrid/electric vehicle patents (22) were up 2 from the second quarter returning to an upward trend after a big drop in the second quarter which ended a three quarter streak of gains.  Biofuel patents tied the second highest number of patents granted in a quarter (11), which last occurred in the third quarter of 2007.  Biofuel patents were down two from the all time quarterly high of 13 in the second quarter and up 8 over the same period in 2008.  Geothermal patents (5) reached an all time quarterly high, which was up three over the second quarter of this year and the third quarter of 2008.  Also, Tidal/Wave Energy granted patents (9) were up 1 over the second quarter and up 5 compared to the same period of the year before.

Toyota snatched the quarterly Clean Energy Patent crown from perennial holder Honda primarily based on its fuel cell (12) showing with an assist from its hybrid/electric vehicle (3) patents.  Upstart Nissan tied GM for second place with 14 patents in fuel cell (11) and hybrid/electric vehicle (3) patents.  GM had clean energy patents in both the fuel cell (10) and hybrid/electric vehicle (4) sectors.  Honda and Samsung trailed GM by two.  Honda’s patents were in fuel cells (11) and hybrid/electric vehicle (1) patents while Samsung’s were in fuel cells (11) and solar (1).   GE followed with 4 fuel cell and 4 wind patents.  Panasonic Corp. again followed GE this quarter with 5 fuel cell and 1 solar patent adding to its 17 earlier patents this year, while only having 6 in the entire seven-year period from 2002-2008.  Toshiba had 5 fuel cell patents while Ford added 2 fuel cell patents and 3 hybrid/electric vehicle patents.  Denso Corp., an automotive technology supplier from Japan, had 2 fuel cell and 2 hybrid/electric vehicle patents.  Nordex Energy GmbH and Aloys Wobben of Enercon GmbH each had 4 wind patents.  Nan Ya Printed Circuit Board Corporation and Delphi Technologies each had 4 fuel cell patents.  If Delphi (4) had still been a division of General Motors then GM would have led the field by 3 patents with 18. 

Geographically, Japan held steady relative to the last quarter at 75 granted clean energy patents to again lead the geographic areas tracked, which is up 18 over the same period in 2008, to again claim the geographical clean energy patent crown.  California was again second with 25 granted Clean Energy patents, down 4 over the second quarter and up 10 over the second quarter of 2008.  Michigan (down 6 from the same period in 2008) and Germany (up 6 over 2008) again tied for third with an identical 23 granted patents as in the second quarter.  Korea (up 6 over the second quarter and 14 over 2008) beat New York with 21 clean energy patents.  New York had 13 patents, which is down 2 from the second quarter and down 9 over the same period of 2008.  Canada had 4 patents down 3 from the second quarter results and down one over the third quarter of last year.  Connecticut trailed Canada with 5 granted clean energy patents, down one from the second quarter and the third quarter of 2008.

Further information regarding the CEPGI is available at www.cleanenergypatentgrowthindex.com.  Heslin Rothenberg Farley & Mesiti P.C. is dedicated exclusively to representing clients in the protection and commercialization of intellectual property, both domestic and foreign, including patents, trademarks, copyrights and trade secrets. The firm has gained national recognition in the area of Intellectual Property Law and was listed among the “Top Patent Firms” and “Top Trademark Firms” in Intellectual Property Law Today.