
Patent information can provide valuable insights on the renewable energy sector as new technologies arise and markets continue to evolve. Analysis of renewable energy technology patents, for example, can reveal: which countries and innovators are most active in inventing technologies; the potential markets where technologies need to be protected; technological development trends in certain fields of technology over time; trends in technology transfers from one country to another; and patterns of international research and co-operation, as indicated by co-invention and co-ownership.
IRENA’s report, Intellectual Property Rights: The Role of Patents in Renewable Energy Technology Innovation, outlines how and when to use patents in order take renewable energy technologies forward.