Two new patent infringement complaints have been filed in Texas district courts related to solar panel patents. LONGi first filed against JinkoSolar on Jan. 17 for half-cut cell infringement, and Jinko filed against Waaree on Feb. 7 for TOPCon infringement.
LONGi holds U.S. Patent No. 9,515,214 related to “Solar Battery Module and Manufacturing Method Thereof,” which mostly covers divided (half-cut) solar cells. The patent was initially assigned to Mitsubishi in 2012. Mitsubishi assigned the ‘214 patent to LONGi in 2020. In LONGi’s patent infringement complaint, it lists every half-cut model under Jinko’s panel portfolio, regardless if they use PERC or TOPCon technology. LONGi is requesting damages for the infringement and an order to permanently stop further infringement.
Separately, Jinko’s filing against Waaree continues the TOPCon battle in the industry. Jinko owns Patent No. 11,824,136 related to “Solar Cell, Manufacturing Method Thereof, and Photovoltaic Module,” which was issued in 2023. Jinko has also filed a complaint against Toyo for infringing on the ‘136 patent. Jinko is seeking damages for the infringement and an order for Waaree to permanently stop further infringement on the TOPCon patent.
Nearly every major solar panel manufacturer, even First Solar, has a claim on TOPCon panel technology. Court cases will likely continue over the next few years.
