What’s Hot in Green Patents – Wind Power and Fuel Cells
Copenhagen–Here’s a surprise for you who like to study intellectual property.
The European Patent Office gets more patent applications for fuel cells and wind power technologies than any other category in the new energy market, said Victor Veefkind and Thomas Maxisch, two patent examiners for the EPO during a presentation at Copenmind, a three-day conference aiming to link up investors with university researchers.
Fuel cells accounted for approximately 50 percent of the new energy patent applications submitted between 1998 and 2007, inclusive. Wind, however, is growing the fastest, with 31 percent more patent applications being filed every year. Fuel cells is second in that category with a 20 percent annual growth rate. The new energy average is 20 percent. (The EPO gets about 2,000 new energy patents a year.)
The applications come from companies around the world– often organizations will file applications in Europe, the U.S. and Japan for the same invention.
So what gives? History plays a part in the fuel cell explosion. Ten years ago, fuel cell cars seemed more realistic, said Maxisch. Thus, the growth will likely peak as fuel cell cars continue to get pushed into the future, if they ever come. Still, fuel cells won’t completely disappear. Companies such as United Technologies are seeing increased demand for stationary fuel cells that can provide backup or main power for industrial plants and hospitals.
But wind? Isn’t wind a mature industry? Why all the activity around inventions? Although wind power is well understood, it’s not easy, explained Veefkind. A large number of the patent applications filed deal with things like de-icing, off-shore maintenance, new materials for blades, protecting turbines from lighting strikes and wind farm architecture. Wind turbines have also surged in size. In the 70s, a good turbine might crank out 200 kilowatts. Now big ones can churn 5 megawatts and are far larger than their 70s counterparts. Several patents deal with how to transport these things.
Germany, by the way, accounts for 39 percent of wind EPO patent applications. Germany gets 7 percent of its power from wind. The U.S. is second with 16 percent, although the U.S. only gets 1 percent or less of its power from wind. Denmark, home of turbine giant Vestas and strong winds, is third with 9 percent of applications.
Denmark, though, gets 19.7 percent of its electricity from wind.
EDITORS NOTE: For more information of the fuel cell patents see the Fuel Cell Today Quarterly Patent Review, filed under newsletters.
Source: Greentech Media