PVTIME – GameChange Solar, a photovoltaic subsidiary of the US energy infrastructure firm GameChange Energy, has initiated patent infringement proceedings against the domestic solar solutions provider Nextpower at the US District Court for the District of Delaware. The litigation relates to US Patent 12449161, which covers a solar tracking system with the capacity for 60-80 degree horizontal rotation of PV arrays in wind speeds above 70 miles per hour.
GameChange Solar filed the patent in September 2020, and it was formally granted in October 2025. Company founder Andrew Barron Worden and chief engineer Scott Van Pelt are listed as the inventors. The firm has not specified the exact Nextpower product lines involved in the infringement, confirming only that one or more patent claims have been breached. The firm is pursuing injunctive relief and financial damages through legal channels.
Limited official information is currently available regarding the new case, with neither party issuing further commentary following the initial filing. PV Tech has contacted both manufacturers to request additional case details.
The new claim establishes a scenario of mutual litigation, following three independent patent lawsuits filed by Nextpower against GameChange Solar at the same Delaware court in June 2026. Nextpower’s chief executive, Dan Shugar, has previously emphasised the company’s commitment to fair market competition and its consistent approach to safeguarding patent rights in its operational markets worldwide.
Corporate restructuring activity has advanced alongside ongoing legal disputes. GameChange has completed full brand integration for its solar, transformer, and electrical balance-of-systems business segments. Both manufacturers have undergone strategic brand overhauls over the past year, transitioning from standalone tracker producers to comprehensive energy service providers with vertical integration. Recent developments include GameChange officially commencing construction of a transformer manufacturing facility in India and Nextpower rebranding from Nextracker to position itself as a full-spectrum energy solutions provider.
A growing wave of patent disputes has impacted the US solar sector in recent months. While previous industry litigation focused primarily on TOPCon cell technology, the ongoing cross-claims between the two tracker specialists confirm that intellectual property conflicts have spread to other PV industry segments. Patent litigation is now serving as a key competitive strategy amid intensifying market competition.
