Chinese solar module producer Trina Solar is aggressively seeking to identify whether other manufacturers are now infringing certain of its patents for TOPCon solar cell technology.
“We at Trina believe that a just environment is essential, where intellectual property rights are crucial,” Álvaro García-Maltrás, general director of Trina Solar for Latin America and the Caribbean, stated to pv magazine. Trina finds it hard to believe that other businesses are gaining unauthorized access to this ecosystem or are avoiding making investments. Our R&D investments exceed $3 billion.”No manufacturers have been identified by García-Maltrás as potential users of its TOPCon patents. He did convey optimism that the business may settle disputes amicably without going to court by entering into settlement agreements.
He said, “We don’t want to get into any legal disputes.” “However, we would prefer that businesses that recognize a gap in their internal management systems seek to close it, either by pursuing licensing agreements with the owners of the utilized patents or by using their own patents.”
Trina Solar is looking at a patent that deals with the quantity and breadth of busbars in TOPCon panels.According to García-Maltras, “TOPCon solar panels can have a varied number of busbars as well as widths.” It’s critical to strike the ideal balance between the quantity and width of the busbars. Our exclusive method maximizes the output efficiency of solar cell modules by elucidating the relationship between the number and breadth of busbars. In addition, this optimizes the conversion of solar energy into electrical energy while guaranteeing the solution’s durability and robustness to endure years of use.
García-Maltrás added that several patents are needed in order to produce TOPCon panels.
He stated, “I believe that no manufacturer has created all of the patents it uses in production.” Manufacturers who wish to preserve their R&D investments and work together have agreements in place.
We wish to encourage an industrial climate similar to this one.
Trina’s latest action comes after First Solar declared last week that it is investigating possible TOPCon patent infringements. After First Solar acquired TetraSun in 2013, the patents were obtained.
In June, pv magazine was informed by Bill Mulligan, CEO of Maxeon, a Singapore-based manufacturer of IBC solar modules, that the business is ready to defend its intellectual property rights against any current or potential back-contact (BC) rivals who may be utilizing its innovations.In February, Trina Solar and its South Korean rival, Hanwha Qcells, reached a settlement agreement on 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 transfer agreement over their intellectual property.
