Floating Solar Patent Landscape 2026
Floating Solar Patent Landscape in 2026
The floating solar patent field reached its peak in 2021 and annual filing volume has since eased, though the corpus of 1,408 patent families reflects a decade of sustained build-up. Ocean Sun AS leads by a wide margin, holding more than three times the families of the nearest rival, while China and South Korea dominate as filing jurisdictions.
Ocean Sun AS leads a moderately concentrated field
Ocean Sun AS holds the top position with 134 patent families, more than three times the count of second-ranked Ciel et Terre International (36 patent families) and fourth-ranked Sungrow FPV Sci & Tech (29 patent families). The top five filers together account for 26% of the combined total across the hundred largest filers.
The gap between the leader and the rest of the top tier is substantial, suggesting a pronounced first-mover advantage at the portfolio level. However, the second through tenth positions are tightly clustered between 36 and 19 patent families, indicating competitive pressure in the challenger tier.
| # | Applicant | Patent families | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ocean Sun AS | 134 | |
| 2 | Ciel et Terre International | 36 | |
| 3 | Scotra Corp | 32 | |
| 4 | SUNGROW FPV SCI & TECH CO LTD | 29 | |
| 5 | Wuxi Tongchun New Energy Technology Co Ltd | 22 | |
| 6 | Power | 22 | |
| 7 | XFloat Ltd | 22 | |
| 8 | Electricite de France | 22 | |
| 9 | BK Energy Co Ltd | 20 | |
| 10 | Helioslite | 19 |
| # | Applicant | Patent families | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | PowerChina Huadong Engineering Corp Ltd | 19 | |
| 12 | Solarpaint | 18 | |
| 13 | Benecke-Kaliko AG | 16 | |
| 14 | Tianjin University | 15 | |
| 15 | Dev Advance Solution Co Ltd | 14 | |
| 16 | W. Todd Wipke | 14 | |
| 17 | Huaneng Clean Energy Research Institute | 14 | |
| 18 | S. Dick Reay | 14 | |
| 19 | Edward J. Britt | 14 | |
| 20 | KOREA HYDRO & NUCLEAR Power CO LTD | 13 |
Ocean Sun AS’s lead implies deep defensive coverage of core floating-structure and photovoltaic-integration claims, making adjacent or differentiated technical routes the more accessible entry points for new filers.
Filing counts for 2024–2026 are likely under-counted due to publication lag of 18–24 months and should not be interpreted as a structural trend on their own. Longer-window growth, applicant concentration, and technology-route coverage are therefore more reliable signals than the latest-year bar alone.
Activity peaked in 2021; photovoltaics and marine structures dominate the technology mix
The annual filing trend reveals a clear growth phase through 2021 followed by easing volume, while the IPC composition shows that core photovoltaic and marine-vessel engineering classes are far more developed than adjacent system-integration or aquaculture branches.
Annual filing trend
Filings climbed steadily from 127 in 2017 to a peak of 234 in 2021, then settled to the 149–175 range in 2022–2024. The 2025 and 2026 bars are substantially under-counted due to publication lag and should not be read as a continued decline.
↗ Hover for values · click a bar to ask EurekaTechnology composition
H02S (Photovoltaic / solar power generation) and B63B (Ships & marine vessels) are the two dominant IPC branches, reflecting that floating-platform engineering and PV integration are the core technical problems addressed. Downstream branches such as H02J (power supply and grid systems), A01K (animal husbandry and fishing, covering agrivoltaic-on-water applications), and B08B (cleaning) are comparatively sparse, pointing to less-explored system-level and operational challenges.
↗ Hover for values · click a bar to ask EurekaHighly cited patent families surfaced by the query
Citation-heavy patent families returned by the query. Use this section as citation context, not as a curated list of the most topic-specific patents.
Corded lattice based floating photovoltaic solar f…
Provided herein is a floating photovoltaic solar device designed to reduce the effect of wind forces without the use of external control or power. The device includes a floating anchored frame with a means for connecting an internal corded lattice; a corded lattice suspended within the floating frame and forming a set of polygonal cells in which… (excerpt from the patent abstract)
| # | Patent | Citations |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Water-borne azimuth-altitude tracking solar concen… | 182 |
| 2 | Transformerless power conversion in an inverter fo… | 146 |
| 3 | Floating support structure for a solar panel array | 138 |
| 4 | Solar photovoltaic collector hybrid | 107 |
| 5 | Panel supporting device | 73 |
| 6 | Floating solar panel systems | 66 |
| 7 | Inflatable Linear Heliostatic Concentrating Solar … | 66 |
| 8 | Floating photovoltaic unit | 60 |
Ranked by total forward citations. Citation counts favour older and broadly cited patent families, and broad or adjacent patents may appear when they match the search scope. Treat this section as citation context, not as a curated list of the most topic-specific patents. Some patent titles may be shown in their original, non-English language where an accurate translation could not be guaranteed.
What the portfolio structure means for R&D investment decisions
The combination of a past-peak filing curve, a concentrated leader, and thin coverage in operational and grid-integration branches shapes where new entrants and incumbents can most productively invest.
Past peak: consolidation phase following a 2021 high
Annual filings peaked at 234 in 2021 and have eased since. The lifecycle evidence classifies the field as in decline from that peak. Teams entering now face an established body of prior art in core floating-structure and PV-integration claims, making differentiation through subsystem innovation or geography more important than broad platform patents.
Lifecycle: post-peakSingle dominant leader; challenger tier is tightly bunched
Ocean Sun AS’s 134 patent families are more than 3.7 times the second-ranked filer’s 36. The top five filers represent 26% of the hundred largest filers’ combined total, indicating moderate overall concentration with a pronounced top-one effect. The challenger cluster from rank 2 to rank 10 ranges narrowly from 36 to 19 patent families, meaning the competitive gap at that level is small and mobility between positions is plausible.
Moderate concentrationCo-filing activity is limited but reveals two distinct partnership patterns
The most active co-filing pair is Park Ki Ju and Yi Fu Electronics (20 joint patent families), suggesting a deep inventor-company collaboration. Ciel et Terre International and Electricite de France have co-filed 3 patent families, linking a specialist floating-structure firm with a major utility. Scotra Corp and Hanwha Solutions Corp share 2 patent families, combining a Korean FPV specialist with a diversified energy conglomerate. Ecosystem co-development remains limited overall.
Sparse collaborationChina and South Korea lead filings; the US and Europe offer meaningful secondary coverage
China is the lead jurisdiction by patent records, followed by South Korea, the United States, WIPO (PCT), and Europe (EPO). India, Israel, and Australia also appear in the top tier, reflecting deployment interest in sun-rich markets. The broad geographic spread of PCT and EPO filings from leading applicants indicates an intent to protect inventions across multiple deployment regions.
Asia-led, global reachGo beyond the landscape: Eureka’s TRIZ Solution agent breaks down an R&D problem and returns patented concept solutions, each with a technical approach and cited patent & literature evidence.
| Applicant | Collaborator | Co-filings |
|---|---|---|
| PARK KI JU | Yi Fu Electronics Co Ltd | 20 |
| Ciel et Terre International | Electricite de France | 3 |
| Scotra Corp | Hanwha Solutions Corp | 2 |
| Noria Energy Holdings LLC | Noria Energy Holdings LLC | 2 |
Co-filing pairs, ranked by the number of jointly-filed patent families.
Ocean Sun AS versus Ciel et Terre International: contrasting trajectories
The two largest filers diverge sharply in recent momentum — the category creator is pulling back while new entrants are stepping up activity in core H02S subclasses.
Ocean Sun AS
Ocean Sun AS holds 134 patent families, focused almost entirely on H02S photovoltaic subclasses (H02S 20, H02S 30, H02S 10), reflecting deep coverage of solar-power-generation methods and structures. Recent momentum is sharply negative (down 84% vs. the prior three-year period), suggesting the core portfolio build is largely complete and the company has shifted focus away from heavy filing.
patent families: 134Ciel et Terre International
Ciel et Terre International holds 36 patent families and enters the recent period as a new entrant in momentum terms, indicating it has begun filing after a dormant prior window. Its technology emphasis spans H02S photovoltaic and B63B marine-vessel classes, consistent with its focus on floating-platform structure and mounting systems. The combination of a fresh filing ramp and established brand in the FPV market makes it a credible challenger.
patent families: 36| Applicant | Recent (3 yrs) | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| Ocean Sun AS | 9 | ▼ -84% |
| Ciel et Terre International | 9 | ▲ new entrant |
| Scotra Corp | 9 | ▼ -25% |
| Sungrow FPV Sci & Tech Co Ltd | 12 | ▼ -20% |
| Noria Energy Holdings LLC | 24 | ▲ new entrant |
| Electricite de France | 5 | ▲ new entrant |
| XFloat Ltd | 2 | ▼ -89% |
Under-served branches adjacent to the floating solar core
Several IPC branches appear in the corpus but at low relative share, indicating they are adjacent to the dominant technical problems but have attracted comparatively little dedicated filing. Two stand out for plausible technical relevance and realistic entry paths.
H02J · Power supply and grid systems
H02J covers grid connection, energy storage integration, and power management — all critical to converting a floating PV array into a bankable power asset. With only 56 patent records in this branch against more than 1,600 in H02S, grid-integration claims are sparse relative to the hardware layer. Teams with expertise in inverter control, islanding protection, or offshore cable systems could file in a less-crowded space that directly supports project bankability.
Search this in Eureka →A01K · Animal husbandry and aquaculture integration
A01K covers fishing and aquaculture, which maps onto agrivoltaic-on-water (floatovoltaic-aquaculture) systems — an emerging deployment model in Asia where floating solar panels shade fish ponds to reduce evaporation and improve yield. With only 49 patent records in this branch, the intersection of FPV structures and aquaculture management is thinly protected. Entry requires cross-disciplinary expertise in both panel anchoring and aquatic ecosystem management, but the technical overlap is direct.
Search this in Eureka →How leading filers differ by technology subclass emphasis
Strength of each leader across the main technology routes.
| Player | H02S 20 · Photovoltaic / solar power generation | B63B 35 · Ships & marine vessels | H02S 10 · Photovoltaic / solar power generation | H02S 30 · Photovoltaic / solar power generation | H02S 40 · Photovoltaic / solar power generation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ocean Sun AS | Strong · 121 | Absent | Strong · 70 | Strong · 71 | Strong · 68 |
| Scotra Corp | Strong · 16 | Strong · 20 | Strong · 18 | Strong · 25 | Moderate · 9 |
| Noria Energy Holdings LLC | Strong · 16 | Strong · 23 | Strong · 21 | Absent | Strong · 22 |
| Ciel et Terre International | Strong · 26 | Strong · 15 | Absent | Strong · 20 | Moderate · 13 |
| Sungrow FPV Sci & Tech Co Ltd | Strong · 27 | Strong · 28 | Strong · 15 | Absent | Absent |
| Electricite de France | Strong · 20 | Absent | Absent | Strong · 13 | Strong · 21 |
| XFloat Ltd | Strong · 22 | Strong · 22 | Moderate · 9 | Absent | Absent |
Frequently asked questions
The corpus covers 1,408 patent families globally. This reflects the accumulated filing activity of roughly a decade, with the field peaking in 2021 at 234 annual families before easing.
Ocean Sun AS leads with 134 patent families, which is more than 3.7 times the 36 patent families held by the second-ranked filer, Ciel et Terre International. The top five filers together account for 26% of the combined total across the hundred largest filers.
China leads at the patent-record level, followed by South Korea, the United States, WIPO (PCT), and Europe (EPO). India, Israel, and Australia also appear prominently, reflecting interest in sun-rich deployment markets.
Annual filings peaked in 2021 and have eased since. The lifecycle evidence places the field in a post-peak phase. The 2025 and 2026 data points are significantly under-counted due to publication lag and should not be interpreted as a further structural decline.
H02J (power supply and grid systems, 56 patent records) and A01K (aquaculture integration, 49 patent records) are notably sparse relative to the dominant H02S and B63B branches. B08B (panel cleaning, 40 records) and F16B (fastening systems, 36 records) are similarly thin.
Co-filing activity is limited. The most active partnership is between inventor Park Ki Ju and Yi Fu Electronics with 20 joint patent families. Ciel et Terre International and Electricite de France have 3 co-filed families, and Scotra Corp and Hanwha Solutions Corp share 2, indicating that ecosystem collaboration has not yet become a dominant feature of the field.
Ready to map your own floating solar patent landscape?
Join 18,000+ innovators using PatSnap Eureka to map any technology landscape: search 2B+ patents and papers, surface key assignees, and generate a report like this in minutes.
Disclaimer. This page is generated from PatSnap Eureka data drawn from a limited snapshot of global patent and scientific-literature records, and is provided for general information and reference only.
Patent data carries inherent limitations: recent filings (typically the most recent 18–24 months) are under-counted due to standard publication lag; counts may be reported at either a patent-family or a patent-record basis and are not always directly comparable; classification, applicant-name, and citation data may contain errors, duplicates, or omissions; and the underlying search query defines and constrains the scope shown. As a result, the analysis may be incomplete or inaccurate and may not reflect the full technology landscape.
Nothing on this page constitutes an exhaustive prior-art, novelty, freedom-to-operate, or validity search, nor does it constitute legal, financial, investment, or professional advice, and it should not be relied upon as such. Any patent, commercial, or strategic decision should be verified independently and reviewed with qualified patent, legal, and domain professionals. PatSnap makes no warranties, express or implied, as to the accuracy, completeness, or fitness for any particular purpose of the information presented.