“Avoiding IP Issues”

Intellectual property has become a critical supply chain risk across the U.S. solar industry, requiring manufacturers, developers, and asset owners to incorporate patent considerations into business strategy long before disputes arise. Marshall Gerstein’s Isaku Begert examines how IP disputes are becoming a critical supply chain issue for the U.S. solar industry in an article published by PV Magazine.

As patent enforcement surrounding TOPCon solar cell technology intensifies, manufacturers, developers, EPCs, and asset owners alike must account for IP risk when making technology, procurement, and investment decisions.

As Isaku explains, “A growing controversy affecting U.S. solar manufacturers centers on patents covering core tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) manufacturing methods, addressing fundamental process steps rather than incremental design features.”

Isaku notes the immediate impact of this development: “Manufacturers are reassessing TOPCon roadmaps, licensing strategies, and production timelines, while uncertainty around module availability is influencing downstream procurement decisions. The dispute illustrates how shared IP risk originates from the same patent rights but impacts manufacturers and non-manufacturers differently.”

The June edition of PV Magazine is available for purchase here.