The proposed review analyses the inventive activity of the major participants who registered their patent applications in 2019 in the field related to Concentrated Solar Power (concentrator photovoltaics, parabolic trough, linear Fresnel reflector, solar tower etc.). In total, 1316 patent applications accepted for detailed analysis by 38 patent offices around the world and prepared by 706 applicants from 40 countries were collected for revision. The methodology of searching and processing patent documents is provided on the Advanced Energy Technologies website.
The top 10 most productive applicants were representatives from five countries, with the United States holding the largest share. The total share of patent applications of companies and organizations included in the top 10 amounted to just over 15% of the total volume of applicants.
Top 10 applicants by the number of patent applications filed in 2019
| Status | Country | Name | Average, Rate | Total, 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Company | JP | Sumimoto Electric Industries, Ltd. | 10.1 | 47 |
| Company | US | Malta Inc | 9.6 | 24 |
| Company | US | Brilliant Light Power Inc | 9.4 | 20 |
| Company | CN | Zhejiang Supcon Solar Energy Technology Co., Ltd. | 9.6 | 20 |
| Company | FR | Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives | 11.2 | 19 |
| Company | US | Bolymedia Holdings Co. Ltd | 7.3 | 17 |
| Company | US | NEXTracker Inc. | 9.1 | 17 |
| Company | CN | Zhejiang Chint New Energy Development Co., Ltd | 8.2 | 16 |
| Company | CN | Bolymedia Holdings Co. Ltd | 7.7 | 11 |
| Company | BE | Cockerill Maintenance & Ingenierie S.A. | 10.7 | 11 |
Source: Advanced Energy Technologies
Brilliant Light Power Inc, US filed patent applications in 10 foreign countries, which is more than the others, while Bolymedia Holdings Co. Ltd, China and Brilliant Light Power Inc, US filed in 9. No patent applications filed in foreign countries are found for Chinese entities including Zhejiang Supcon Solar Energy Technology Co., Ltd. and Zhejiang Chint New Energy Development Co., Ltd.
Distribution of patent applications by patent offices around the world among the top 10 applicants
Source: Advanced Energy Technologies
CIPO (CA) - Canadian Intellectual Property Office; CNIPA (CN) - National Intellectual Property Administration; EPO - European Patent Organization; IMPI (MX) - Mexican Institute of Industrial Property; INAPI (CL) - National Institute of Industrial Property (Chile); Indecopi (PE) - National Institute for the Defense of Competition; INNORPI (TN)- National Institute for Standardization and Industrial; INPI (BR) - National Institute of Industrial Property (Brazil); INPI (FR) - National Institute of Industrial Property; IP Australia (AU) - IP Australia; IPONZ (NZ)- Intellectual Property Office of New Zealand; JPO (JP) - Industrial Property Office (Japan); KIPO (KR) - Korean Intellectual Property Office; OMPIC (MA) - Moroccan Industrial and Commercial Property Office; TIPO (TW) - Taiwan Intellectual Property Office; Rospatent (RU) - Federal Service for Intellectual Property; USPTO (US) - United States Patent and Trademark Office; WIPO - World Intellectual Property Organization
Each of the top 10 applicants had pretty individual technological preferences. Thus, NEXTracker Inc. was mainly focused on the Trackers. Another applicant from US – Brilliant Light Power Inc – dedicated the greatest part of its inventions to receivers. Malta Inc was primarily interested in the energy storage technologies. Almost 40% of applications by Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd. were dedicated to heat removal.
Technological interests of the top 10 applicants
Source: Advanced Energy Technologies
CS- Control systems; ES - Energy storage; HR - Heat removal; O – Optics; OAE - Other auxiliary equipment; R – Receivers; SE - Structural elements; SW - System as a whole; TPG - Turbines and other power generation; TR– Trackers
Among the top 10 applicants, and taking into account the total number of documents under consideration, the most mentioned technical problems that were addressed in the patent documents were High costs of equipment production, High costs of repair and replacement and Low efficiency of optics or absorber.
Technological interests of the top 10 applicants
Source: Advanced Energy Technologies
AOP - Administrative and organizational problems; ESI - Environmental and social impact; HCEP - High costs of equipment production; HCM - High costs of maintenance; HCPC - High costs of plant construction; HCRR - High costs of repair and replacement; LEFF - Low efficiency due to environmental factors; LEG - Low efficiency in general; LEOA - Low efficiency of optics or absorber; LESE - Low efficiency of secondary equipment; LESM - Low efficiency due to solar movement; UP - Unclear problem
Among the patent applications of the aforementioned key applicants the highest bibliographic rating points were earned by:
Pumped Thermal Storage Cycles with Recuperation / A: US20190195571A1 / IPC: F01K3/00, F01K3/12, F01K3/18, F01K3/20, F02C1/10, F02C6/14, F24S60/00, F28D15/00, F28D20/00 / Laughlin Robert B, Larochelle Philippe, Cizek Nicholas / Malta Inc, Gigawatt Day Storage Systems Inc, Google Inc / Appl. date: 28.02.2019; Publ. date: 27.06.2019/ Technology categories: CPV / Technology elements: ES / Problems: HCEP, HCPC / Technical solution types: D, M / Claims: 26 / Rate: 13
Use of External Air for Closed Cycle Inventory Control / A: US20190162122A1 / IPC: B01D53/26, F01K13/00, F01K13/02, F01K25/10, F01K3/02, F01K3/06, F01K3/10, F01K3/12, F01K3/18, F01K7/38, F02C1/04, F02C1/05, F02C1/08, F02C1/10, F02C6/14, F02C6/16, F02C9/24, F22B1/00, F28D20/00 / Apte Raj, Larochelle Philippe / Google Llc, Malta Inc, X Development Llc / Appl. date: 29.01.2019; Publ. date: 30.05.2019/ Technology categories: DS / Technology elements: ES / Problems: HCEP, HCRR, LESM / Technical solution types: D, M / Claims: 21 / Rate: 13
Fabrication d'un sous-module a concentration integrant un materiau dissipateur de chaleur (Manufacturing a concentrating sub-module comprising a heat-dissipating material) / A: WO2019110408A1 / IPC: H01L31/048, H01L31/054, H01L31/18 / Barbot Anthony, Roujol Yannick, Seraine Caroline, Weick Clément / Commissariat Energie Atomique / Appl. date: 29.11.2018; Publ. date: 13.06.2019/ Technology categories: CPV / Technology elements: SW / Problems: HCEP, HCRR, LEOA / Technical solution types: D, M / Claims: 9 / Rate: 13
Device for moulding lenses and method of manufacturing lenses / A: US20190126577A1 / IPC: B29D11/00 / Ritou Arnaud, Voarino Philippe / Commissariat Energie Atomique / Appl. date: 31.10.2018; Publ. date: 02.05.2019/ Technology categories: CPV / Technology elements: O / Problems: HCRR, LEOA / Technical solution types: D, M / Claims: 16 / Rate: 13
More detailed information on the methodology as well as on the results of patent researches in the most important fields of contemporary energy industry can be found at Advanced Energy Technologies.
