SunPower spinoff Maxeon Solar Technologies is claiming victory in a patent invalidation action filed in China by solar panel manufacturing giant Longi.
The action was in relation to one of Maxeon’s patents for shingled solar cell panel technology used in the SunPower Performance range, which has been available since 2015. Shingle solar cells slightly overlap each other, with the connection between the cells in the overlap providing more cell area on the module. Among other major manufacturers using shingle solar cell technology are Canadian Solar and Hyundai.
Maxeon says the shingled solar cell panel architecture and manufacturing processes it uses were developed by Cogenra Solar, which SunPower acquired 2015 and Maxeon retained IP rights to following its spin-off from SunPower was completed in August this year. Maxeon claims with 3 gigawatts of SunPower Performance panels shipped, the modules are the industry’s most deployed shingled solar cell panel technology.
“This ruling is an important confirmation of the strength of our patents and the underlying innovation behind our Performance panels,” said CEO of Maxeon Solar Technologies Jeff Waters. “This technology is protected by an international portfolio of more than 150 patents and patent applications covering shingled solar cell and panel design, as well as key manufacturing tools and processes.”
Solar Patent Stoushes A Very Messy Affair
Patent battles among the big players seem to have become increasingly common since early 2019. For example, there’s been the ongoing shitfight between Hanwha Q CELLS and REC, Longi and JinkoSolar. This has become difficult to follow as the situation has spanned multiple countries including Australia and has evolved (or devolved) beyond the original Q CELLS action, with the other manufacturers not only defending against it, but launching new actions against Q CELLS.
An example of this occurred last month when REC filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Hanwha Q CELLS in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware over split-cell and junction box technology. On a related note, earlier this month REC announced the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) invalidated challenged claims of Hanwha Q CELLS US Patent No. 9,893,215 relating to solar cell passivation; technology that boosts efficiency of light conversion into electricity and reduces solar cell manufacturing costs. The PTAB decision isn’t final, but assuming it is upheld it will also benefit Longi and JinkoSolar.
As for Maxeon, it has also launched a patent action against another manufacturer – Canadian Solar – alleging the company’s Japanese arm violated Maxeon’s Japan patent No. JP6642841B2 relating to shingled solar modules.
Even smaller players have been getting in on the patent war action – early this year Solaria filed suit against Canadian Solar over alleged infringements, again relating to shingle cells, which Canadian Solar has (predictably) claimed is flawed.
It’s all getting a little ridiculous. To keep track of who is doing what to whom, where and why almost requires a contract tracing platform. But at least the lawyers are keeping themselves in jobs.
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