Green energy sector sees record patents
A total of 274 new patents were filed for companies developing green and alternative sources of energy in the second quarter ended June 30 — the highest amount in the space to date, according to the Clean Energy Patent Growth Index.
Fuel cell technology performed the best, with 156 patents — a dramatic spike from 42 in the second quarter of last year. Solar also saw a boost with 51 patents, up from 36; and the biofuel industry saw 13 patents, up from five. The numbers demonstrate a strong rebound from lackluster numbers in recent years.
The only major division of cleantech not to see an improvement was wind power, down five. Tidal energy also saw a dip of two patents, but that business has yet to gain much traction in the U.S. regardless.
Many of the recent patents were filed by automotive companies looking to churn out innovative fuel systems. Hybrid-electric manufacturers had a healthy presence. Honda led the pack in patents, followed by GM and Toyota, Nissa, Ford and Daimler in that order. Most of their patents concerned fuel cell and hybrid-electric projects. Aside from the automakers, General Electric and Panasonic made the top 10.
The report from the Clean Energy Patent Growth Index could help the sector gain more momentum among investors. The National Venture Capital Association recently noted a sharp uptick in cleantech investing for the second quarter after a dismal first quarter. Potential backers like to see healthy patent pipelines, which could bode well for U.S. cleantech and its recovery in the third and fourth quarters.
Perhaps somewhat surprisingly, Japan was the geographic region with the most (75) patents for clean energy sources. Given the influence of the car companies, this makes sense. California came in second place with 29, and Michigan, the unofficial new advanced battery mecca, in third.
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About the Author, Camille Ricketts
Camille is the lead writer for GreenBeat. She came to VentureBeat from Google where she worked on its traditional platforms team, particularly in TV. Before that, she was a reporter for the Wall Street Journal in New York and London. Follow her on Twitter at @camillericketts, and follow VentureBeat on Twitter at @venturebeat.