Chinese solar module manufacturer LONGi has filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Jinko Solar and its subsidiaries in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas.

The lawsuit alleges that Jinko Solar’s tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) and multiple other photovoltaic module products infringe LONGi’s U.S. patents.

TOPCon technology is an advanced solar cell architecture that has gained popularity rapidly because it enhances energy yield and efficiency compared to the passivated emitter and rear cell (PERC) technology.

LONGi is seeking a court order to prohibit Jinko from selling the alleged infringing products in the U.S. and is also demanding financial compensation for damages.

The lawsuit follows Jinko’s infringement lawsuit against LONGi, making it a legal countermeasure in the ongoing patent dispute between the solar manufacturers.

LONGi held 3,166 authorized patents as of June 2024. The company has established patent portfolios across multiple technological fields, including TOPCon.

Patent disputes among solar companies have become more frequent recently, with intellectual property rights protection emerging as a key topic at major industry conferences.

The solar industry’s transition from Mono PERC technology to TOPCon has resulted in a recent surge of intellectual property disputes related to TOPCon, particularly in China, Europe, and the U.S.

Last year, Chinese module manufacturer Trina Solar filed a patent infringement lawsuit against three U.S. subsidiaries of Canadian Solar in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware. The lawsuit claimed that Canadian Solar’s subsidiaries violated two of Trina’s U.S. patents on TOPCon technology. Canadian Solar has dismissed the lawsuit as frivolous.

Jinko Solar and LONGi Green Energy Technology were among the top solar module suppliers in 1H 2024, according to Mercom’s India Solar Market Leaderboard 1H 2024.