At this pivotal moment, the photovoltaic sector is undergoing a significant transition towards new technological advancements. TOPCon technology (Tunnel Oxide Passivated Contact cells), which boasts a conversion efficiency exceeding 24% and is highly compatible with existing production lines, has emerged as the leading competitive technology among photovoltaic companies. This focused pursuit of innovation has consequently led to a concentration of patent disputes surrounding TOPCon technology.

Below is an overview of the patent disputes that have arisen between these photovoltaic companies since October 2024.

Trina Solar vs. Canadian Solar (Csisolar)

On February 11, 2025, Trina Solar announced the initiation of two lawsuits against Canadian Solar in the Jiangsu Provincial High People’s Court. The patents in question include “Solar Cell Modules” (Patent No.: ZL201710975923.2) and “Solar Cells and Their Manufacturing Methods” (Patent No.: ZL201510892086.8), with the total claims amounting to 1.058 billion yuan.

Prior to this, Trina Solar had also taken legal action against a wholly-owned subsidiary of Canadian Solar in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware, focusing on U.S. patents related to “Solar Cells and Their Manufacturing Methods.” Additionally, Trina Solar initiated a Section 337 investigation with the U.S. International Trade Commission. In response, Canadian Solar has actively pursued its own legal actions.

In October 2024, Canadian Solar filed two patent infringement lawsuits against Trina Solar in the Suzhou Intermediate People’s Court, claiming damages totaling 100 million yuan. Following this, in November of the same year, Canadian Solar sought a declaration of non-infringement regarding the “Solar Cell Modules” and “Solar Cells and Their Manufacturing Methods” in a lawsuit submitted to the Suzhou Intermediate People’s Court.

Jinko Solar vs. Longi Energy

The ongoing patent dispute between Jinko Solar and Longi Energy has quickly expanded to various regions. In December 2024, Jinko initiated the legal proceedings by filing a lawsuit at the Suzhou Intermediate People’s Court in Jiangsu Province, marking the beginning of a series of mutual patent infringement claims between the two companies. Following this, in January 2025, Jinko brought another lawsuit against Longi at the Nanchang Intermediate People’s Court in Jiangxi Province, with a hearing scheduled for February 13, 2025. In a swift response, Longi filed a counter-suit against Jinko Solar at the Jinan Intermediate People’s Court in Shandong Province just two days before the hearing, with the case set to be heard on March 20.

On the international front, Jinko has reportedly filed lawsuits against Longi for patent infringement in several jurisdictions, including the Northern District Court of California, the Tokyo District Court in Japan, and the Federal Court of Australia. On January 21, 2025, it was reported that Longi counter-sued Jinko and its subsidiaries for infringing patent US9,515,214 in the Eastern District Federal Court of Texas. Most recently, on March 11, it was announced that Jinko filed a lawsuit against Longi and its distributors in Europe at the Munich branch of the European Unified Patent Court on February 14, 2025, alleging infringement of European patents.

JA Solar vs. Astronergy

On July 19, 2024, JA Solar Technology initiated a patent infringement lawsuit against several subsidiaries of Astronergy at the Munich branch of the Unified Patent Court in Europe. The lawsuit alleges that Astronergy has infringed upon the European patent titled “Solar Cell” (EP2787541 B1). Subsequently, on July 31, 2024, JA Solar Technology filed an additional lawsuit against Astronergy in the Hamburg Regional Court in Germany, concerning the patent EP 4092 759 B1.

Discussions

The prevalence of patent lawsuits in the photovoltaic industry not only highlights the fierce competition among companies but also sparks important conversations and reflections within the sector.

Recently the chairman of Longi pointed out that the photovoltaic industry continues to grapple with challenges such as supply-demand imbalances and internal competition. He underscored the importance of enhancing the protection of innovative achievements. Similarly, the chairman of Trina Solar advocated for fostering ecological collaboration within the industry and addressing the issues stemming from internal competition in the photovoltaic sector.

Industry leaders view the current surge in patent lawsuits as a manifestation of this internal competition, which photovoltaic companies must collectively address. Moving forward, it is essential for these companies to explore healthier and more sustainable collaborative models that will drive industry progress and ultimately contribute to the advancement of “photovoltaic intelligent manufacturing” in China.