The CLEAN ENERGY PATENT GROWTH INDEX (CEPGI), published quarterly by the Cleantech Group at Heslin Rothenberg Farley & Mesiti P.C. provides an indication of the trend of innovative activity in the Clean Energy sector from 2002 to the present. Results from the third quarter of 2010 reveal the CEPGI to have a value of 490 granted U.S. patents which breaks the record set last quarter as being the highest quarterly value since the tracking of the CEPGI began, along with being up 53 (over 12 percent) from the second quarter and up 45 percent from a value of 337 in the second quarter of 2009.
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The granting of patents by the United States Patent and Trademark (PTO) is often cited as a measure of the inventive activity and evidence of the effectiveness of research & development investments. Patents are considered to be such an indicator, because to be awarded a patent, it requires not only the efforts of inventors to develop new and non-obvious innovations but also successful handling by patent counsel to shepherd a patent application through the PTO. Thus, the granting of a patent is an indicator that efforts at innovation have been successful and that an innovation had enough perceived value to justify the time and expense in procuring the patent.
The CEPGI (shown below quarterly) tracks the granting of U.S. patents for the following sub-components: Solar, Wind, Hybrid/electric vehicles, Fuel Cells, Hydroelectric, Tidal/wave, Geothermal, Biomass/biofuels and other clean renewable energy.
The components breakdown of the CEPGI shows all sectors rose over the second quarter except for tidal which was identical to the total of the previous quarter. Fuel cells were up 5 granted patents relative to the second quarter at 253 and up 96 relative to a year before while continuing to dominate the other components of the CEPGI in absolute numbers. Granted solar patents (88) continued to top the other components, and its closest competitor, wind (71) by 17. Solar patents were up 12 compared to the second quarter of 2010 and up 55 relative the third quarter of 2009. Wind patents were up 16 relative to the second quarter and up 36 compared to a year prior. Hybrid/electric vehicle patents (46) were up 13 relative to the second quarter and up 24 relative to the third quarter of 2009. Biofuel patents (16) were up 4 from the second quarter and up 5 over a year prior. Hydroelectric patents had the highest total quarterly total ever at 12 far exceeding any previous quarter or year, and with 12 different entities receiving these patents.
General Motors took the quarterly Clean Energy Patent crown from perennial holder Honda which fell to an uncharacteristic 5th place this quarter. GM’s patents were primarily in Fuel Cells at 30 with an assist from Hybrid/Electric vehicle patents at 9. Samsung followed with Fuel Cell (21), hybrid/electric vehicle (1) and solar (3) patents. GE had a strong showing in third place primarily buoyed by its wind patents (19) assisted by its fuel cell (3) patents and one hybrid/electric vehicle patent. Auto companies followed and took fourth to sixth place. Toyota had 14 fuel cell and 6 hybrid/electric vehicle patents and Honda had slightly more fuel cell (17) and less hybrid/electric vehicle patents (2). Nissan had 12 patents in hybrid/electric vehicles (9) and fuel cells (3). Panasonic was next with 10 fuel cell patents. Third generation solar manufacturer, Konarka, and Aloys Wobben, owner of wind company, Enercon GmbH, tied for 8th place and each had 7 patents in its area of expertise. Canon (4 fuel cell, 2 solar), and Sanyo (2 fuel cell, 4 solar) tied for 9th place. Ford rounded out the field of leaders with 6 hybrid/electric vehicle patents.
As depicted below in the geographic charts, Japan again led the non-U.S. holders of U.S. clean energy patents and the individual U.S. states with 124, up 3 over the second quarter, and up 48 over the same period in 2009, to again claim the geographical clean energy patent crown. Michigan took second place from last quarter’s holder, California, at 54 clean energy patents, up 19 over the second quarter and up 31 relative to a year prior. California had 46 patents, down four from the second quarter and up 21 over 2009. Korea topped New York and Germany to take third place in the third quarter with 35 patents, down 2 from the second quarter and up 14 from a year ago. New York had 31 patents, up 9 over the previous quarter and up 18 over the third quarter of 2009. Germany was down 1 from the second quarter, and up 6 from 2009, at 28. Illinois, Pennsylvania, France, and Taiwan had 9 clean energy patents while Virginia had 8. Canada, Texas, Connecticut, Florida, and Ohio tied at 7. China had 6 and Denmark 5.
Trend lines by quarter through the third quarter of 2010 for the CEPGI and for each of the CEPGI components are depicted below:
CEPGI yearly totals through 2009 are depicted below:
The CEPGI is updated quarterly and is occasionally supplemented with related articles posted on www.cleanenergypatentgrowthindex.com or http://www.cepgi.com/
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