Solar Patents Shine in 2010-Shine on Solar edition of CEPGI

Victor Cardona, Co-chair of the firm’s Cleantech Group stated, “Solar patents in 2010 reached levels over twice that of 2009 and vastly outperformed the other non-fuel cell sectors after hitting a record low in the third quarter of 2008.  Solar PV patents spiked in 2010 to record levels with third generation solar PV patents topping the other generations of PV technology. Applied Materials led the other Solar PV patent owners while Solar Thermal patents in 2010 were granted to 24 separate entities led by Fu Zhun Precision Industry and Foxconn Technology Co., Ltd. with only five patents- which moved them into fourth place overall in this highly distributed field.”

The Shine On Solar edition analyzes the solar sector and illustrates where patents are being granted within the solar arena. This edition of our Shine On Solar edition analyzes solar energy trends in general with an emphasis on solar patenting trends in 2010.

As depicted below, solar technology patents in 2010 built on big gains of the previous year to reach levels over twice that of 2009 and vastly out performed the other non-fuel cell sectors after hitting a record low in the third quarter of 2008.

Solar patents in 2010 reached a level second only to Fuel Cell patents which had led the other sectors since the beginning of 2002. Solar patents reached and exceeded the level of wind patents in 2009 which had been in second place to fuel cell patents in the CEPGI since 2006 as per the trends in the quarterly components of the CEPGI below:

The solar thermal race in 2010 was won by Fu Zhun Precision Industry and Foxconn Technology of China with five solar thermal direct patents in solar air conditioning, vaulting to fourth place overall. Each of the remaining nine solar thermal direct patent grantees in 2010 had one patent each. Foreign entities outnumbered US entities 6 to 4. United Technologies and Walmart (for an air heating system) were the only household names.

Applied Materials was first in PV in 2010 over Sunpower by three patents. Du Pont edged out Emcore by one for third place with eleven patents. Konarka and Sharp tied with nine for fifth place. Samsung had six solar PV patents and another tie existed in eighth place with Boeing, Sanyo and Solopower at six patents. Twin Creeks was in eleventh place at five PV patents. Forty five other entities had at least two solar PV patents in 2010 including Honda, Canon, Miasole, Mario Rabinowitz, GM, and GE.

Further information regarding the Shine On Solar edition of the CEPGI and a more detailed report of the Shine-on Solar Edition is available at www.shineonsolarpatents.com.  The Clean Energy Patent Growth Index (CEPGI) is published quarterly and 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.  The Shine On Solar edition is published periodically and provides in depth solar energy patent analysis.

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.