Düsseldorf, August 2, 2024 – There has been a further huge rise in innovation in the renewable energies sector in the past few years. This was found by a recent analysis by the German Patent and Trademark Office (DPMA), in which it studied patent applications with effect for Germany published by itself and the European Patent Office. The study focused on solar technology, wind power and other renewable energy technologies. It found that 1,289 patent applications were published in these fields last year, up 18.6 percent on the previous year. The growth was particularly pronounced in solar technology, which – with 597 applications – saw an increase of 32.7 percent, overtaking wind power (540 applications, + 2.3%). Hydropower, wave and tidal energy, geothermal energy, biogas, and other renewable energy sources have also grown significantly, although the figures are much lower than those for solar technology and wind power.
Battery technology, which plays a central role in the utilization of renewable energies now, and will continue to do so in the future, has developed very dynamically: in 2023, 6,192 patent applications were published in this segment – an increase of almost a third compared to last year (+30.8%) and almost three times as many as ten years ago.
One of the main reasons for the rising number of renewable energy applications, according to the German Patent and Trademark Office, is the strong innovation dynamic coming from China: the country increased its solar technology applications from 56 to 117 (+ 108.9%) year-on-year, thus sharing first place with Germany in the ranking of countries for this technological segment. In contrast, the rise in applications from Germany was much lower (+ 11.4%). In the wind power sector, Denmark once again took the top spot with 197 applications (- 9.6%). Germany came in second place with 105 applications and a slight increase of 2.9 percent. Like for solar technology, Germany accounts for 19.5 percent of wind power applications.
“A sustainable energy supply is one of the greatest challenges of our time. The fact that so much dynamism and innovative strength is evident again, particularly in solar and wind energy, and that investments are being made in the protection of intellectual property, is encouraging,” says Arnd Ziebell, patent attorney and partner at Cohausz & Florack.
Picture credits: pkproject_AdobeStock.com
