2025-01-06 04:10 China Times
By Huang Xin
The solar industry in mainland China is facing intense internal competition, with patent disputes reaching a fever pitch. According to reports from Chinese media, Jinko Solar, a leading solar company in mainland China, recently filed a lawsuit against another industry giant, Longi Green Energy, over patent infringement, seeking compensation for economic losses, and the case has been officially accepted by the court.
According to a report by The Paper, Jinko Solar stated that the patents involved in the case include inventions related to solar cells and their manufacturing methods, solar components, solar cell modules and so on, which involves TOPCon cell technology and module technology.
In response, Longi Green Energy stated that the company has a well-established presence across various technological pathways, and emphasized that it will “actively investigate and respond, and, if necessary, file counterclaims regarding TOPCon and other technological product lines”.
Solar power generation is primarily divided into N-type and P-type technologies, with TOPCon emerging as the mainstream technology in the solar industry in recent years within the N-type category.
In 2022, when LG Group announced its complete exit from the solar manufacturing industry, Jinko Solar’s subsidiary, Shangrao Xinyuan Yuedong Technology, acquired hundreds of TOPCon technologies and patents from LG Group. In hindsight, Jinko Solar made the right bet; as N-type technology became the market mainstream, Jinko, with its numerous TOPCon patents, emerged as the biggest winner, reclaiming the title of global solar module sales leader from Longi. In contrast, Longi placed its bet on PERC technology and remains the only major module manufacturer that has not heavily invested in TOPCon production capacity.
The report indicates that, amid the intense competition among various solar technologies in the market, seven out of the top ten global solar module companies are now embroiled in patent wars; each company is eager to use patent litigation to gain a competitive edge in the market or to secure a dominant position in negotiations.
In March 2024, Jinko Solar began transferring some of its patents to Trina Solar and JA Solar. The latter two companies subsequently initiated multiple rounds of patent litigation. Between May and June of 2024, Trina Solar filed lawsuits against solar companies in the United States and mainland China for infringing on its TOPCon patents. In July 2024, JA Solar filed patent lawsuits against several European subsidiaries of another solar giant, Chint New Energy Technology, alleging that the latter had infringed on the intellectual property rights of its TOPCon technology.
In response to the white-hot patent litigation, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) of China released the “Solar Manufacturing Industry Standards (2024)” (draft for public consultation) in July 2024; the aim of the draft is to strengthen the management of the solar industry and promote its transformation, upgrading, and structural adjustments.
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