HUNTSVILLE, ALABAMA, October 8th, 2024: Runergy announced today that it has initiated actions at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) to cancel two patents by Trina Solar (US9,722,104 and US10,230,009) as unpatentable. Runergy’s challenges come at the heels of Trina Solar’s claim that these two patents relate to TOPCon (Tunnel Oxide Passivated Contact) solar cell technology. The two challenged patents did not result from Trina Solar’s own work but were only purchased by Trina Solar from others in February 2024.
As early as 2013, Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy had already published and described the making of TOPCon solar cells, following teachings published even earlier in the 1980s. The two Trina Solar acquired patents were not filed until more than a year after the Fraunhofer Institute 2013 publication. They thus could not be patentable for attempting to cover TOPCon solar cell with only obvious variations already known in the prior art.
As one of the largest solar product manufacturers in the world, Runergy respects, and takes very seriously both its own intellectual property and that of third parties. Runergy has invested heavily in innovation, research, and development. Through this extensive research, Runergy has developed its own, unique TOPCon solar cell manufacturing process; one that does not practice the patents that Trina Solar is asserting in the ITC and District Court actions.
Runergy recently commenced production of its U.S. made solar modules at its state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Hunstville Alabama. Runergy is committed to advancing renewable energy and supporting America’s clean energy goals, and it looks forward to collaborating with U.S. and global partners on the road toward long term sustainable energy.