Patent Cliff · Clean Energy
Clean Energy patent cliff
First-generation solar panel, wind turbine, and lithium-ion battery patents are expiring — dramatically reducing barriers for manufacturers in the energy transition.
Expiring 2025–2029
9
Citations at stake
165
Peak cliff year
2029
Already expired
24
Patents Expiring by Year (2025–2029)
2025
0
2026
0
2027
2
2028
3
2029
4
Most-Cited Clean Energy Patents Expiring 2025–2029
Making Iron More Efficiently and Generating Power with Oxygen
62
cit.
How Fuel Cells Reuse Exhaust Hydrogen for High Efficiency
29
cit.
Making Chemicals from Carbon Dioxide and Steam Using Electricity
22
cit.
Wind Turbine Blades with Noise-Reducing Serrated Edges
20
cit.
How Wind Turbine Blades Get More Lift with Extra Parts
14
cit.
How to Measure Stability in Complex Power Grids Using D-Q Impedance
7
cit.
Wind Turbine Blades with a Deeply Curved Front Surface
6
cit.
How to Make Hydrogen Gas and Cupric Chloride Using an Electrolysis Cell
3
cit.
Solar Cells Made of Stacking Layers with Different Energy Gaps
2
cit.
Year-by-Year Top Patents
2027
2 patents2028
3 patentsStrategic context
First-generation solar panel, wind turbine, and lithium-ion battery patents are expiring — dramatically reducing barriers for manufacturers in the energy transition. As these patents expire, competitors and open-source projects can freely implement the underlying inventions without license fees. For FTO analysis on specific products, use the FTO Risk Snapshot tool →
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