Solaria sues Canadian Solar for patent infringement

Solaria Corporation, a US-based global provider of advanced solar energy products, announced today that it filed suit against Canadian Solar Inc., a Chinese solar panel manufacturer, in Federal District Court for the Northern District of California. The suit alleges that Canadian Solar infringes Solaria’s U.S. patent that covers a process for separating photovoltaic (PV) strips from solar cells for use in tiled or so-called “shingled” solar modules. Shingled modules have higher power and are more efficient than conventional solar modules.

Solaria asserts in the lawsuit that it first introduced Canadian Solar to its high-efficiency, high-density module (HDM) technology in 2014 when representatives of Canadian Solar evaluated Solaria’s next-generation shingling technology for a potential licensing deal. After further collaborations between the companies over the ensuing year, in which Solaria disclosed its proprietary technology and business strategies to Canadian Solar under an NDA, no deal was reached.

Canadian Solar then launched its “HiDM” shingled modules last year and began advertising and selling them in the United States, which Solaria claims infringes Solaria’s patent and for which it seeks damages and injunctive relief.

Solaria indicated that it may bring additional claims, including additional patent infringement claims and a claim for misappropriation of trade secrets, if warranted.

— Solar Builder magazine

[source: https://solarbuildermag.com/news/solaria-sues-canadian-solar-for-patent-infringement/]