Solar Energy - Cleantech Forecast
The authors predict a bright future for the Solar Energy field. This industry sector
will likely generate significantly higher levels of patents in the coming years.
As reflected in the Solar Energy Forecast chart, the number of patents to be issued
in the U.S. is expected to take off from about 360 patents in 2008 to well over
900 patents in 2012. Thus, the solar energy market is set for a precipitous rise
in the number of issued U.S. patents over the next several years, and reflects a
market that is planning to come of age in the near future.
The future leaders in the industry include those concentrating on the development
and manufacturing of highly efficient solar cells. For example, the authors foresee
Sanyo Electric as a leader in obtaining U.S. patents in the coming years; Sanyo
is well known for the development of the HIT solar cells, which have some of the
highest energy conversion efficiencies for crystalline silicon-type solar cells.
Also, Applied Materials is expected to obtain significant U.S. patents; Applied
Materials has recently completed several acquisitions in the solar industry and
is a leading manufacturer of solar equipment, including crystalline silicon photovoltaic
cells. Finally, Hon Hai Precision Industries has recently filed numerous U.S. patent
applications and is expected to be a major recipient of U.S. patents by 2011; Hon
Hai is one of Taiwan’s biggest manufacturing conglomerates, and its entry into the
solar field is by way of Tatung and its thin film solar cell technology.
As reflected in the Solar Energy Forecast chart, from 2005-2008 only Boeing and
Canon, and to a lesser extent, Sharp, have obtained a significant U.S. patent portfolio
in the solar energy field. To date, the industry is better categorized as one where
many participants have obtained a few U.S. patents. As reflected by the data, with
the expected growth in this industry there will be new dominant players.