Avoiding IP issues

Recent disputes involving tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) solar cell technology illustrate how patent enforcement can shape manufacturing strategy, constrain technology adoption, and create downstream ripples. Solar cell technology provides a useful lens for understanding how intellectual property (IP) risk operates across the US solar industry, as Isaku Begert, an associate at Marshall, Gerstein & Borun LLP, explains.

By

Isaku Begert

14 Jul 2026

Intellectual property concerns mean that cell and module technology is now a supply chain variable, particularly in the United States. | Image: First Solar

Recent disputes involving tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) solar cell technology illustrate how patent enforcement can shape manufacturing strategy, constrain technology adoption, and create downstream ripples. Solar cell technology provides a useful lens for understanding how intellectual property (IP) risk operates across the US solar industry, as Isaku Begert, an associate at Marshall, Gerstein & Borun …

This article is part of pv+

Subscribe digitally to unlock exclusive investigative reporting, expert insights, in-depth analysis, and premium background coverage. Your subscription also includes full access to the digital edition of our magazine.