Maxeon Solar Technologies, a Singapore-based solar solutions provider, has filed infringement claims against Canadian Solar, REC Solar, and Hanwha for violating three patents relating to the TOPCon (tunnel oxide passivated contact) technology it holds.

It has alleged that the three companies were manufacturing, importing, and selling N-type solar panels using TOPCon cells.

In lawsuits filed in the federal district court in Texas, Maxeon has sought damages from the three companies and injunctions to stop making or selling N-type panels using TOPCon cells.

“Intellectual property infringement sits alongside injurious dumping and subsidy-driven excess global production capacity as an unfair trade practice that distorts markets and tilts what should be a level playing field for global solar manufacturing,” said Marc Robinson, Maxeon’s Associate General Counsel.

According to Norton Rose Fulbright, lawsuits are not expected to affect the solar projects that use or have received the panels. “However, the lawsuits could create near-term market turmoil by making it more expensive for panel manufacturers to supply n-type panels with TOPCon cells and drive up prices for such panels. Aggrieved patent holders sometimes also ask the International Trade Commission to block imports of infringing products.”

Maxeon has a global portfolio of over 1,650 granted patents and over 330 pending patent applications protecting the innovations underpinning its IBC (Interdigitated Back Contact), Shingled Hypercell, and TOPCon technologies.

In India, solar module manufacturers have been leaning towards the latest TOPCon module technology over its other mainstream rival, HJT (Heterojunction).

Last August, Maxeon Solar announced that a 3 GW TOPCon photovoltaic-silicon cell and shingled-cell performance line solar module manufacturing facility would be established in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The facility was expected to serve the utility-scale power project sector and the distributed generation rooftop solar applications.