A record 274 U.S. clean energy patents were granted in 2Q09, and Honda (NYSE: HMC) retained its longtime leadership position, according to the Clean Energy Patent Growth Index (CEPGI) published by Heslin Rothenberg Farley & Mesiti P.C.
Fuel cells continued to dominate the other technologies while wind and solar patents continued an upswing.
The CEPGI tracks the granting of patents in the Clean Energy sector and monitors important technological breakthroughs in this field.
The Clean Energy Patent Growth Index (CEPGI) provides an indication of the trend of innovative activity in the Clean Energy sector since 2002 in the U.S., along with Leading Patent Owners and Leading Country and State information. Results from 2Q09 reveal the CEPGI to have a value of 274 granted U.S. patents which is the highest quarterly value since the tracking of the CEPGI began, along with being up 31 from 1Q09 and up from a value of 217 in 2Q08.
The components breakdown of the CEPGI shows fuel cells returning to positive territory with 156 granted patents, up 23 relative to the first quarter and up 42 relative to 2Q08. Fuel cell patents also continue to dominate the other components in absolute numbers.
Granted wind and solar patents continued their ascent with wind outpacing solar by 7. Wind (43) patents were up 9 relative to the first quarter and down 5 compared to a year prior.
Solar patents (36) were up 6 compared to the first quarter and up 15 relative to 2Q08.
Hybrid/electric vehicle patents (20) dipped 10 from the first quarter ending a three quarter streak of gains and were up 6 compared to the same period in 2008.
Biofuel patents reached an all-time quarterly high at 13 and were up 2 relative to the first quarter and up 8 over a year before.
Geothermal patents (2) tied the first quarter of this year and 2Q08. Also, tidal/wave energy granted patents (8) were up 2 over the first quarter and down 2 compared to the same period of the year before.
Honda again took the Clean Energy Patent crown for the second quarter in a row primarily based on its fuel cell (14) and hybrid/electric vehicle (3) patents.
GM (NYSE: GM) was the runner-up with 15 granted clean energy patents in both the fuel cell (12) and hybrid/electric vehicle (3) sectors.
Toyota (NYSE: TM) trailed GM by three and also had granted fuel cell (7) and hybrid/electric vehicle (5) patents.
GE (NYSE: GE) placed fourth on the strength of its wind patents (9) with an assist from fuel cells (2).
Nissan (7201.T) moved from 10th in the last quarter to fifth with nine fuel cell patents.
Panasonic Corp. (NYSE: PC) followed with 5 patents (5 fuel cells) adding to its 12 patents in the first quarter, while only having 6 in the entire seven-year period from 2002-2008.
Ford (NYSE: F) added five fuel cell patents while Daimler (NYSE: DAI) added 4.
Aloys Wobben of Enercon GmbH had 4 wind patents.
Applied Materials (Nasdaq: AMAT) was granted 3 solar patents which were its first granted Clean Energy patents.
Bloom Energy Corporation (previously named Ion America) was granted 3 Fuel cell patents in the second quarter and has 16 earlier fuel cell patents.
Japan led the geographic areas tracked with 75 granted clean energy patents (up 3 relative to the second quarter and up 10 over 2008) to again claim the geographical clean energy patent crown.
California was second with 29 granted Clean Energy patents, up 10 over the first quarter and up 9 over the second quarter of 2008.
Michigan (up 5 over the first quarter and up 9 over the same period in 2008) and Germany (up 4 over the fist quarter and up 6 over 2008) tied for third at 23 granted patents.
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