PVTIME – SEG Solar Inc., a leading US-owned and US-based solar module manufacturer, and certain of its affiliates (“SEG”), has confirmed that it has been served with a patent infringement complaint filed by Shanghai Jinko Green Energy Enterprise Management Co., Ltd. and Zhejiang Jinko Solar Co., Ltd., Chinese competitors of SEG (“Jinko”) in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas.
The suit alleges that SEG is infringing on a patent held by Jinko relating to tunnel oxide passivated contact solar photovoltaic module technology (commonly referred to as “TOPCon” technology). The action comes following the rapid growth and success of SEG in the module manufacturing and distribution markets in the United States.
Although SEG is continuing to consult its lawyers and review the complaint from Jinko, its preliminary assessment is that the claims in the complaint are entirely without technical or legal merit. SEG denies that its proprietary N-Type cell technology infringes on Jinko’s patent and that Jinko has valid patent claims. SEG intends to vigorously defend itself against the claims and is confident that its N-Type technology and processes will be vindicated in court.
“As a solar technology company, SEG takes its own intellectual property rights very seriously and respects those of third parties. This is just another example of the Goliaths in the solar industry trying to bully innovative new companies like SEG in order to suppress competition and increase prices in the U.S. In our view, this is a frivolous lawsuit, and we expect the court will find that our N-Type technology is markedly different and does not infringe on the patent claimed by Jinko,” remarked Jim Wood, President and CEO of SEG Solar.
SEG does not expect any disruption to its normal operations arising from this claim, and its module production facility in Houston, Texas will continue manufacturing at full capacity. SEG has made significant investments in R&D to provide customers with the highest yield and lowest LCOE systems since its founding in the United States and it will continue to focus on developing superior products and bringing innovation to the market. SEG has itself filed and received numerous patents in various jurisdictions for solar cells and related technology and received several independent third-party awards for cell efficiency.
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