Trina Solar says it has begun evaluating possible violations of some of its patents for tunnel oxide passivated contact technology (TOPCon). One of the patents focuses on the number of rails and their width in TOPCon solar panels.
Chinese solar module manufacturer Trina Solar is actively trying to determine whether other manufacturers are currently infringing on some of its patents for TOPCon solar cell technology.
“According to Trina, it is necessary to create a fair ecosystem in which intellectual protection plays an important role,” said Trina Solar’s general manager for Latin America and the Caribbean pv magazine. “What Trina finds difficult to accept is that other companies gain access to this ecosystem illegally or by avoiding investments. Our R&D investments exceed $3 billion.”
García-Maltrás has not identified any manufacturer that may be using his TOPCon patents. He expressed confidence that the company could reach reasonable solutions through settlement agreements, rather than legal action.
“We don’t want to get into a legal dispute,” he noted. “But we would like those companies that identify that they have a void In their internal management systems they are looking for a way to fill them, either with their own patents or by approaching the owners of the patents used to discuss licensing agreements.”
One of the patents that Trina Solar is investigating concerns the number and width of rails in TOPCon panels.
“TOPCon solar panels can have a varied number of rails and widths,” explains García-Maltras. “Finding the optimal balance between the number of rails and their width is crucial. Our patented technology clarifies the relationship between the number of rails and their width, optimizing the yield efficiency of solar cell modules. This also maximizes the conversion of solar energy into electrical energy, while ensuring the robustness and longevity of the solution so that it will last for years to come.”
García-Maltrás also said that the production of TOPCon panels requires a series of patents.
“I don’t think any manufacturer has developed 100% of the patents they use in production,” he said. “There are agreements between manufacturers who want to collaborate and protect investments in R&D. This is the kind of industrial environment we want to support.”
Trina’s recent move follows First Solar’s announcement last week that it is evaluating potential infringements of its TOPCon patents. First Solar secured the patents through the acquisition of TetraSun in 2013.
Bill Mulligan, CEO of Singapore-based IBC solar panel manufacturer Maxeon, also shared this pv magazine in June, the company announced its willingness to enforce intellectual property rights against all existing and new back-contact (BC) competitors allegedly using its technologies.
In February, Trina Solar and its South Korean rival Hanwha Qcells reached a settlement agreement over a patent dispute that the Chinese module maker launched in January. In a joint statement, the two companies said they had reached a patent licensing and assignment agreement over their intellectual property.
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