The PV module provide chain is marching in regular progress. Increasing effectivity, saving enter prices, and bettering throughput ship cheaper, extra highly effective merchandise. They are accompanied by a tumultuous, typically chaotic refrain of rumors, disputes, claims, and counterclaims as producers vie for competitors.
The yr 2024 noticed that battle rise to prominence amid patent infringement investigations and litigation concerning TOPCon photo voltaic cell expertise. With producers going through extreme monetary stress amid rock-bottom costs, crystalline silicon (c-Si) producers are turning to authorized means to remain forward. Somewhat surprisingly, c-Si producers aren’t the one ones calling TOPCon unhealthy.
Intellectual property (IP) disputes at the moment are arising to the purpose that TOPCon is the dominant expertise. After quickly rising, negatively doped, “n-type” photo voltaic manufacturing capability TOPCon surpassed the earlier workhorse of the PV trade – positively doped, “p-type” passive emitter rear cell (PERC ) photo voltaic, in line with UK-based analysis consultancy Exawatt.
Today’s technological developments and pricing atmosphere could clarify the flurry of IP claims. What influence does this have on the broader trade? While IP safety fosters innovation and R&D funding, the uncertainty it sows can have a major downstream impact, elevating module costs in some markets and slowing deployment. in PV. The IP method taken by Chinese corporations is very usually questioned.
Impact evaluation
“I can’t assist however really feel that, as these circumstances are launched, pv journal diligently reporting on them however not a lot occurs,” stated Jenny Chase, a photo voltaic analyst at BloombergNEF. “PV expertise strikes quicker than the legislation so IP disputes haven’t got a lot of an influence available on the market.”
There is proof to counsel that Chase’s take was correct. In March 2019, Hanwha Qcells and its subsidiaries filed patent infringement complaints within the United States, Germany, and Australia associated to the passivation expertise it deployed in PERC photo voltaic manufacturing. Claims had been leveled towards JinkoSolar, Longi Solar, and REC.
There are wins and losses for Qcells, along with the REC counter declare concerning the module expertise within the United States. By the time the circumstances progressed by the courts, the transition to TOPCon had begun. Qcells left Australia in 2024.
TOPCon’s present patent disputes are shaping as much as be much more disruptive. The expertise is in improvement however it’s uncertain that something significant will emerge from the fits and an surprising entrant has already joined the fray.
Slim pickings
In July 2024, First Solar introduced that it has begun to research whether or not the TOPCon mental property it acquired in 2013 is towards the legislation that’s at present being deployed. First Solar acquired plenty of patents when it purchased California-based crystalline silicon startup TetraSun. Investigation is prone to precede motion on patent claims.
At the time of the acquisition, the now-shuttered web site Greentech Media reported that TetraSun was a “14-employee startup with $12 million from buyers and greater than a pilot cell manufacturing plant.” First Solar has introduced that it’ll start business manufacturing of the expertise within the second half of 2014.
The expertise being developed is unknown however reveals attributes widespread to n-type TOPCon – notably a -0.3% temperature coefficient, in line with a preliminary datasheet. TetraSun additionally examined copper metallization, one thing that almost all producers keep away from at present.
Announcing the IP investigation, First Solar General Counsel Jason Dymbort stated the thin-film producer’s “R&D and mental property portfolio covers a number of semiconductor platforms, together with crystalline silicon, as we proceed to many paths to our objective of creating the following transformative, disruptive photo voltaic expertise.”
First Solar ended its TetraSun program in July 2016. It didn’t make a spokesperson obtainable for pv journal for touch upon the IP swimsuit.
“Patents are vital to supply a great return on funding to inventors and new corporations,” stated Pierre Verlinden, former chief scientist of the Chinese large Trina Solar and now an unbiased photo voltaic manufacturing advisor. He added that TetraSun’s patent investigation may allow the producer to make use of the IP to “assault their rivals that produce silicon TOPCon cells.”
Balancing act
Verlinden acknowledged that the PV patent disputes symbolize a comparatively “tough problem” for him. As a former director of German perovskite-tandem developer Oxford PV and a expertise government at Trina Solar, he’s acquainted with the Chinese and Western photo voltaic industries.
“From an idealistic standpoint, I want to see extra technological collaboration on the world stage, from analysis establishments and trade, and permit competitors to happen on the implementation stage,” stated Verlinden. “This has successfully been taking place for years in China with extra casual exchanges between corporations and standardization of course of, design, and provide chain.” That leads to winners based mostly on implementation and “a steep studying curve” for the trade.
Chinese producers be part of the TOPCon patents fray. In April 2024, Singapore-headquartered n-type producer Maxeon, which manufactures in China, introduced a TOPCon patent infringement lawsuit within the United States towards Qcells, following an analogous motion a month earlier towards Canadian Solar and REC.
YES stated Solar pv journalin August 2024, it filed two lawsuits in Europe concerning features of TOPCon manufacturing. A month earlier, Trina Solar stated it was investigating whether or not its TOPCon patents had been infringed. A Trina spokeswoman stated the corporate hopes a licensing settlement, or different means, will keep away from going to courtroom. Trina reached a TOPCon licensing settlement with Qcells in February 2024.
China IP
Lodging claims within the United States and Europe are associated. Defending “artificially excessive costs” for photo voltaic within the United States has worth for First Solar, Qcells, and to a lesser extent Maxeon, in line with BloombergNEF’s Chase, who added, “First Solar is sweet at manufacturing , to be a photo voltaic firm but additionally good at being a lawyer.”
PV module common promoting costs (ASPs) in China will hit $0.11/W in July 2024, in line with China photo voltaic professional Frank Haugwitz, a advisor at Apricum. Investment financial institution Roth Capital estimates second quarter 2024 ASPs within the United States to be round $0.31/W.
The motion of personnel between corporations ensures that data switch is widespread in Chinese photo voltaic, in line with Chase, which permits the trade to “change rapidly, which might be a great factor.”
While there are lots of homegrown improvements in Chinese photo voltaic manufacturing at present, corporations have been accused of disrespecting IP within the early levels of the trade’s improvement there.
Torsten Brammer is the co-founder and long-serving chief government of LED-based metrology gear supplier Wavelabs. He stated that mental property could be successfully protected in China, with the precise technique.
“If you may have a wise thought, I encourage you to file for patents in China,” Brammer stated. “I’ve had optimistic experiences with the Chinese patent system however you will need to have a neighborhood IP professional to information you thru the method.” He famous many “cross-licensing agreements” within the trade, that are typically not made public. “Remember that the Chinese trade is keen to undertake the very best options, so making your patented innovation obtainable and contemplating collaboration can result in a quicker launch and general wider enterprise success.”
While TOPCon strikes into the mainstream, and heterojunction waits within the wings, perovskite tandem tech appears set to usher within the subsequent technology of high-efficiency PV. Oxford PV has lengthy been a pacesetter in perovskite tandem improvement, as demonstrated by the 26.9%-efficient module it unveiled in June. However, it faces stiff competitors from Chinese rivals.
The firm’s chief expertise officer, Chris Case, takes a considerably philosophical method to IP. “Competition is a type of flattery — when folks copy what you do, they do it as a result of it is a good suggestion,” he stated.
This content material is protected by copyright and might not be reused. If you need to cooperate with us and need to reuse a few of our content material, please contact: [email protected].
Popular content material
