In recent years, the search for more sustainable energy has significantly boosted solar photovoltaic installations around the world, with China leading this growth. This increase has been accompanied by a significant increase in requests for patents to protect these innovations. The future challenge will not only be to generate more energy, but to transport and store it efficiently. Administrations, universities and companies must focus in this direction, protecting innovations from the point of view of Industrial Property.
Solar photovoltaic technology has shown exponential growth. In 2023, 447 GW of photovoltaic capacity was installed worldwide, 87% more than in 2022. This technology dominates the renewable energy sector, representing 78% of new installations in 2023. This growth is expected to continue, reaching 5 TW in 2028, driven by the search for a more decarbonized economy in a context of growing environmental concern and geopolitical uncertainty.
However, growth is not uniform around the world. China is responsible for 56,6% of new PV capacity installed in 2023, with 253 GW. The United States follows with 32,4 GW, while Spain occupies sixth place with 8,9 GW, behind Brazil, Germany and India.
The exponential growth of photovoltaic patent applications
In terms of research, new technological developments and patents related to photovoltaic electricity production, a total of 2021 new families of patent applications have been published worldwide since the beginning of 144.788, which means that there has been an increase of almost 150% in the number of families of patents. patent applications published with respect to the previous 4 years.
Of all these families of patent applications, approximately 72% originated in China, 10% in the United States and less than 10% in Europe. Thus, China is demonstrating its technological hegemony, not only in terms of installing new photovoltaic production capacity; also in terms of research on new technologies in this sector.
The challenge: how to transport and store excess energy
Europe faces several challenges not only in the installation of new PV capacity, but also in the generation of renewable energy in general, especially wind and PV.
One of the main challenges is the capacity of the network to transport the energy generated. The current electricity grid is often unable to handle all of the energy produced by new installations, demanding greater investment in the development of grid infrastructure in Europe.
It is crucial that industry, universities, research centers and European administrations increase their efforts to develop technological solutions that allow greater use of the renewable energy generation capacity that is being installed and will be installed in the coming years.
The need to protect energy innovation through Industrial Property
To strengthen European industry in this technological race, in addition to facilitating and simplifying access to public funding sources and tax incentive plans for companies that develop their own R&D, the promotion of a culture of Industrial Property is vital, through which the industry can see with crystal clarity the beneficial effects of adequate protection of its intangible assets, in terms of positioning its products in the markets, access to public and private financing funds, improvement of its reputation and prestige and effective protection against unauthorized uses of its assets.
This promotion of a culture of Industrial Property encompasses the public and private sectors. The administrations, through the respective Patent and Trademark Offices, carry out commendable work in promoting this culture of Industrial Property. Likewise, a greater provision of resources in terms of specialized police units and in terms of the number of specialized Industrial Property courts would be desirable.
The private sector, for its part, through the different legal consultancies and law firms specialized in Industrial Property, can and should promote companies' knowledge of the essential aspects of Industrial Property, encouraging them to protect their most valuable resources, which are its intangible assets.
All this promotion of a culture of Industrial Property will result in a greater incentive to strengthen European industry and achieve greater technological development.
Bosco de la Vega Churruca, Associate area of Patents in ELZABURU
