Since Clean Energy Patent Growth Index 2003 released by the patented solar technology has occupied an important position next to the fuel cell, solar photovoltaic patent highest record levels in 2009.
The index headquarters in New York dedicated to intellectual property law firm Heslin Rothenberg Farley & Mesiti PC release, is the second since the latest report released March data.
Intellectual property experts found that the number of patents the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in 2009 approved fuel cell technology is its considerable strength rivals solar and wind more than four times.
However, solar technology leadership achieved due to the application of photovoltaic sector, the industry announced 146 patents in 2009. This figure increased by 60 over the previous year, breaking a four-year standstill.
Therefore, the industry had a good start this year, just released in the first quarter alone 60 patents.
Patent is widely regarded as an important indicator of economic growth. Any number of patents issued by a country in a year, and can reflect the growth of research and technology development.
Field of optoelectronic applications or for very advanced solar cell designs involve updating third-generation solar technology, such as organic solar cells nanomodified and 32 patents.
The use of thin-film solar cells, followed by a second-generation technologies, for 25 patents, based on the first-generation technology of silicon technology with 16 ranks behind.
In the PV field is Samsung's top patent holder has five patents in the past five years, it has broken the Canon index ranking leader since 2002. Canon, Sharp, Anke and 马里奥拉比诺 Horowitz each have four patents.
Japanese technology
The first 11 PV patent holding company, there are five headquartered in Japan, and the rest in the United States. However, if we consider the sum of six patents, then the Japanese patent holding company on the top 11 list first, before the three Japanese companies with more than 16% of the PV patents.
However, the company is headquartered in the United States, applied for a solar thermal technology patents, the most relevant level of innovation is highest.
Solar thermal, or concentrated solar power, in the first quarter of 2010 attracted a company to apply for 22 patents.
In the 22 approved patents, only five headquarters outside the United States, and the rest are from California, Massachusetts, Florida, Connecticut, Michigan, Texas, Louisiana and Washington.
Since 2002 Boeing has been the use of solar thermal industry has the most patents of the company, a total of 14 patents. UTC Power and 马里奥拉比诺 Horowitz have seven patents. Since 2008, the use of the sun's energy to heat liquid specialized technology to produce steam, only applied for five patents.
However, some groups believe renewable energy industry should focus on patent quality rather than quantity.
Australia, a patent law firm Griffith Hack investigate the quality of the different countries in the United States to pay solar patents, is trying to prove it.
The results are not very encouraging. In general, solar patents from the country's leading green consciousness good quality, such as Britain, Japan and Germany. Japan said that patent quality is improving, while the United States and Australia are falling.
Meanwhile, the Chinese in the United States to pay for the number of patents from 2000 to 2008 in a 118, this growth rate far exceeds any other country. However, the quality of solar patent is said to be low.
