Hanwha Q CELLS Intends to File PGR to Challenge Validity of Patent in REC Group Lawsuit

Hanwha Q CELLS USA has replied to a lawsuit in the US District Court for the District of Delaware filed by REC Group (REC), a subsidiary of China National Chemical Corp.

Hanwha Q CELLS has claimed that REC’s alleged complaints and the patent are without technical and legal merit. They stated that the technology mentioned in REC’s statement only pertains to the arrangement of solar components within a solar module, which is utilised by most module manufacturers in the industry. This patent was registered in August 2020. They have also intended to file a Post Grant Review (PGR) to challenge the validity of the concerned patent.

As per Hanwha Q CELLS, they have established operations in the U.S., opening a factory and investing in their production bases and also contributing to local job creation. They claimed that as they have an unchallenged leading position in the US photovoltaic market in both residential and commercial markets, they can easily succeed in proving the invalidity of REC’s patent in the US.

Earlier this week, REC Group had filed a Patent Infringement Lawsuit against Hanwha Q Cells in an American District Court.

At the time, Dr. Shankar G. Sridhara, Chief Technology Officer of REC Group. had explained “REC Group’s R&D resources, time, and investments have significantly contributed to a new set of industry standards. REC Group filed this action to protect its intellectual property, investments, and reputation, as well as to encourage more innovation in the industry.

“The more solar companies invest in developing groundbreaking innovation, the more improvement we will see inefficiencies and costs per kWh and achieving full access to renewable energy generation and consumption for communities. As a global, pioneering solar energy company, we champion intellectual property rights and fair competition. This also means that we will rigorously defend our rights when they are being violated.”