Clean Energy Patents at New High in 2d Quarter- Clean Energy Patent Growth Index

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 a record high in the second quarter of 2010, up 15 percent over the first quarter and up almost 60 percent over a year prior.  Clean energy innovation is clearly on the upswing.”  Honda took the quarterly Clean Energy patent Crown for the second straight quarter.  Granted patents for fuel cells, solar and wind hit new highs rose while hybrid/electric vehicle patents fell.  Fuel cell patents dominated the other sectors in terms of numbers.

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 second quarter of 2010 reveal the CEPGI to have a value of 437 granted U.S. patents which is the highest quarterly value since the tracking of the CEPGI began, along with being up 58 (over 15 percent) from the first quarter and up almost 60 percent from a value of 274 in the second quarter of 2009. Quarterly results are illustrated below:

The components breakdown of the CEPGI shows fuel cells, solar and wind at record levels while hybrid/electric vehicle patents fell.  Fuel cells were up 40 granted patents relative to the fourth quarter at 248 and continue to dominate the other components of the CEPGI in absolute numbers.  Granted solar patents (76) continued to climb topping wind (33) for the third straight quarter defying a long history of losses to wind prior.  Solar patents were up 9 compared to the first quarter of 2010 and up 40 relative the second quarter of 2009.  Wind patents were up 20 relative to the first quarter and up 12 compared to a year prior.  Hybrid/electric vehicle patents (33) were down 17 from the first quarter to return to fourth quarter 2009 levels and were up 13 over the second quarter of 2009.  Biofuel patents (12) were down 1 from the first quarter and down 1 over a year prior. 

Honda took the quarterly Clean Energy Patent crown and was pursued by the same three contenders from the first quarter. Honda led the others for the second consecutive quarter primarily based on its fuel cell (28) patents along with three solar and two hybrid/electric vehicle patents. GM fell further behind Honda this quarter at 24 granted clean energy patents dominated by fuel cells at 22, supplemented by two hybrid/electric vehicle patents. Samsung came in third for the second straight time based on fuel cell patents (22) and one solar energy patent. Toyota followed at 17 patents (12 fuel cell, 5 hybrid/electric vehicle) while Ford fell from fifth in the last quarter to a tie for 11th place. GE replaced Ford in the 5th spot based on its strength in wind patents (10) along with 2 fuel cell and 1 solar patent. Panasonic was next with twelve fuel cell patents while Nissan and Hitachi tied for seventh place with 8 clean energy patents, both having fuel cell patents (Nissan 5, Hitachi 6), Nissan with three hybrid/electric vehicle patents and Hitachi two wind patents. Dupont joined the top ten for the first time with two fuel cell patents and four solar patents. Bloom Energy joined the leaders in 11th place with 5 fuel cell patents which added to a big 2009 in which 8 such patents accrued to this high fuel cell company which seemed to appear out of nowhere last year. Electric automaker Telsa, another Cleantech pioneer, tied Bloom with 5 hybrid/electric vehicle patents, adding to its 4 patents of this type in 2009, while Mitsubishi had 5 wind and Ford had 1 fuel cell and 4 hybrid/electric vehicle patents.

Geographically, Japan again led the non-U.S. holders of U.S. clean energy patents and the individual U.S. states with 121, up 25 over the first quarter, and up 46 over the same period in 2009, to again claim the geographical clean energy patent crown. California was second with 50 granted Clean Energy patents, up 12 over the first quarter and up 11 over the second quarter of 2009. Korea jumped to third place with 37 granted clean energy patents, up 6 over the first quarter and up 22 over a year prior. Michigan had 35 granted patents, down 12 over the first quarter, and up 12 over the same period a year ago. Germany was again in fifth place and again had 29 patents as in the first quarter, and was up 6 patents over a year ago. New York had 22 patents, which is up 11 over the first quarter and up 7 over the same period of 2009. Connecticut had 6 granted clean energy patents, up 1 from the first quarter, and even with the second quarter of 2009. Canada also had 6 patents, up 1 from the first quarter results, and down 1 over the second quarter of last year. Other notables for the second quarter include Massachusetts with 8 patents and Illinois and Delaware with 7. The United States as a whole had 188 granted clean energy patents in the second quarter, up 8 from last quarter and up 70 from the second quarter of last year.

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 is celebrating its 40^th anniversary and 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.