Maxeon Solar Technologies Files Patent Action Against Tongwei Solar in Germany

SINGAPORE, June 14, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Maxeon Solar Technologies, Ltd. (NASDAQ: MAXN), a global leader in solar innovation and channels, today announced that its subsidiary Maxeon Solar Pte. Ltd. filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Tongwei Solar (Hefei) Co., Ltd, and its subsidiary Tongwei Solar GmbH, in Dusseldorf District Court, Germany.

The lawsuit filing alleges Tongwei infringes Maxeon's European Patent No. EP3522045 B1 ("Shingled Solar Cell Module") for the proprietary and fundamental shingled solar cell panel technology used to deploy solar panels that Maxeon designs, manufactures and sells under the Performance Line brand name.

Shingled solar cell panels are typically made from separating solar cells into smaller solar cell strips and then connecting the resulting solar cell strips in an over-lapping layout. The result is a higher power, higher efficiency panel, with enhanced reliability and improved durability compared to conventional panels. The Performance panel architecture and manufacturing processes were pioneered by Silicon Valley-based start-up company Cogenra Solar which was acquired by SunPower Corporation in 2015. In the subsequent spinoff of Maxeon Solar Technologies, Maxeon retained the intellectual property associated with solar cell and module technologies, as well the SunPower brand in the more than 100 markets it serves.

"Our high-quality solar products have established us as an industry leader. The intellectual property behind our shingled solar cell technology is the outcome of investments and technical advancements, the resultant Performance Line outperforms conventional panels in efficiency, power, and reliability," said Bill Mulligan, Maxeon's CEO. "In September 2020, Maxeon filed a lawsuit against Canadian Solar in Japan, which was subsequently settled in April 2022. With this latest filing against Tongwei Solar, Maxeon is continuing to vigorously enforce its valuable intellectual property rights to prohibit unauthorized use."

The innovation behind Maxeon's Performance Line is protected by a patent portfolio of over 120 granted patents and over 80 pending patent applications covering our global markets, including the United States of America, China, Belgium, France, Germany, Japan, and Australia.

"Respect of intellectual property rights is critical to incentivize and protect inventions, and we are proud of our 35+ year legacy of innovation that we vigorously defend from infringement," commented Lindsey Wiedmann, Maxeon's Chief Legal & Sustainability Officer. "We have taken this action against Tongwei Solar both to protect our intellectual property rights and to encourage an orderly and healthy growth of the solar industry, as well as to give the market confidence that research and development initiatives to develop future technologies are valuable investments that can safely continue."