Grid-Scale BESS Protection & Relaying Patent Landscape
Grid-scale battery energy storage protection and relaying is a growth-stage field with 166 patent families in scope, led by a mix of energy storage specialists and established power-systems incumbents. Concentration is moderate—the top five filers hold 21% of the hundred largest filers’ combined total—leaving meaningful room for challengers and new entrants.
Fluence Energy leads a moderately fragmented field of specialists and incumbents
Fluence Energy LLC holds the top position with 10 patent families, followed closely by ABB (Schweiz) AG at 9, GE Energy Power Conversion Technology Ltd at 8, Honeywell International at 7, and the Regents of the University of California at 6. The ranking reflects both dedicated storage companies and diversified power-systems players occupying the leading positions.
The top five filers account for 21% of the hundred largest filers’ combined total, indicating a moderately concentrated upper tier but no single dominant player with an insurmountable lead. A second tier—including China, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Sungrow, and BluWave—clusters between 3 and 4 patent families each, showing active secondary competition.
| # | Applicant | Patent families | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fluence Energy LLC | 10 | |
| 2 | ABB (Schweiz) AG | 9 | |
| 3 | GE Energy Power Conversion Technology Ltd | 8 | |
| 4 | Honeywell International Inc | 7 | |
| 5 | Regents of the University of California | 6 | |
| 6 | Zhou Xiwei | 5 | |
| 7 | Shanghai Jiao Tong University | 4 | |
| 8 | State Grid Corporation of China | 4 | |
| 9 | 8ME Nova LLC | 4 | |
| 10 | BluWave Inc | 4 |
| # | Applicant | Patent families | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | Sungrow Power Supply Co Ltd | 3 | |
| 12 | Redwood Materials Inc | 3 | |
| 13 | China Electric Power Research Institute Co Ltd | 3 | |
| 14 | Schneider Electric Industries SAS | 3 | |
| 15 | ABB Research Ltd | 3 | |
| 16 | Ganzhou Tianmu Pilot Technology | 3 | |
| 17 | State Grid Fujian Electric Power Research Institute | 3 | |
| 18 | State Grid Fujian Electric Power Co Ltd | 3 | |
| 19 | FranklinWH Energy Storage Inc | 3 | |
| 20 | China Energy Investment Corporation Ltd | 3 |
Fluence Energy’s leading position, achieved as a new entrant in the tracked window, signals that purpose-built storage companies are now competitive with legacy power-systems OEMs such as ABB and GE in this specific protection-and-relaying niche. The presence of multiple state-affiliated Chinese institutions in the ranking further indicates coordinated national investment in BESS grid-integration IP.
The most recent 18–24 months of filings are subject to publication lag and will be understated until applications are published; conclusions about very recent activity should be treated as provisional. Longer-window growth, applicant concentration, and technology-route coverage are therefore more reliable signals than the latest-year bar alone.
Multi-year growth intact; power-grid systems IP dominates, with protective circuits as the key differentiator
Two signals define the competitive structure: a filing trend that has expanded on a multi-year basis despite easing from its 2023 peak, and a technology mix anchored in grid-systems IP with a distinct protective-circuits layer that separates BESS-specialist filings from general energy-storage patents.
Annual filing trend
Annual filings grew from 2 families in 2017 to a peak of 30 in 2023, reflecting strong commercial momentum as utility-scale BESS deployments accelerated. The field is still expanding on a multi-year basis—recent-window growth is 42% versus the prior equivalent period—though annual volume has eased from the 2023 peak. Figures for 2024–2026 are understated due to publication lag and should not be read as a slowdown.
↗ Hover for values · click a bar to ask EurekaTechnology composition
H02J (Power supply and grid systems) is overwhelmingly dominant, reflecting the grid-integration focus of most applicants. H01M (Batteries and cells) and H02H (Protective circuit arrangements) form the next tier, with H02H being the most diagnostic subclass for protection-and-relaying specificity. Sparse representation in G01R (measurement), H02M (power conversion), and G05B (control systems) marks those branches as adjacent and relatively under-served within this corpus.
↗ 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.
Battery energy storage system with arc flash prote…
A battery energy storage system is disclosed, the battery energy storage system comprising a rechargeable battery assembly for storing and providing energy and a protection system including an arc flash protection device to protect against risks due to arc flashes. The arc flash protection device comprises an overcurrent protection unit which detects… (excerpt from the patent abstract)
| # | Patent | Citations |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Battery energy storage control systems and methods | 64 |
| 2 | Battery energy storage system with arc flash prote… | 60 |
| 3 | Hierarchical control method for island power grid … | 54 |
| 4 | Method for operating a battery energy storage system | 50 |
| 5 | Battery energy storage system | 36 |
| 6 | Battery-enabled, direct current, electric vehicle … | 32 |
| 7 | 基于LCC-MMC的能量路由系统及直流故障保护方法 | 28 |
| 8 | Method and apparatus for controlling hybrid grids | 24 |
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 structure means for R&D investment decisions
The combination of a growth-stage lifecycle, moderate concentration, active university–utility collaboration, and broad geographic coverage creates a window for targeted IP building before the field matures. Each dimension points to a distinct strategic lever.
Growth stage with annual volume easing from a 2023 peak
The field is classified as Growth: recent three-year filings sit well above the prior three-year window, representing 42% expansion. Annual volume reached its highest point in 2023 at 30 families and has moderated since, though publication lag means 2024–2026 data are understated. Entering now still allows meaningful claim-space capture before consolidation begins.
Growth stageModerate upper-tier concentration with an active second tier
The top five filers account for 21% of the hundred largest filers’ combined total—concentrated enough to signal established leaders, but loose enough that a challenger filing 5–8 focused families could enter the top ten. The second tier (3–4 patent families each) includes both commercial players and research institutions, indicating that the competitive boundary is not yet fixed.
Moderate concentrationShanghai Jiao Tong University and State Grid Corporation anchor the co-filing network
Shanghai Jiao Tong University is the most active co-filer, collaborating with Shenzhen Hopewind Electric, the State Grid Fujian Electric Power Research Institute, and State Grid Fujian Electric Power Co. State Grid Corporation of China co-files with six distinct partners including NARI Group and multiple provincial subsidiaries. These university–utility pairings suggest that academic groups are translating grid-protection research directly into commercial IP pipelines.
University–utility networkChina and the United States are near-parity lead offices; Europe and India are secondary
China (59 patent records) and the United States (58) are virtually tied as the primary filing jurisdictions, reflecting both the largest deployment markets and the homes of the leading applicants. Europe via the EPO and India each account for 22 records, with PCT (14), Australia (5), and Canada (4) rounding out the coverage. A strategy covering CN, US, and EP captures the vast majority of current protective activity.
CN–US near-parityGo 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Shanghai Jiao Tong University | Shenzhen Hopewind Electric Co Ltd | 2 |
| Shanghai Jiao Tong University | State Grid Fujian Electric Power Research Institute | 1 |
| Shanghai Jiao Tong University | State Grid Fujian Electric Power Co Ltd | 1 |
| State Grid Corporation of China | Hunan Disaster Prevention Technology Co Ltd | 1 |
| State Grid Corporation of China | State Grid Liaoning Electric Power Co Ltd Economic & Technical Research Institute | 1 |
| State Grid Corporation of China | State Grid Fujian Electric Power Research Institute | 1 |
| State Grid Corporation of China | State Grid Fujian Electric Power Co Ltd | 1 |
| State Grid Corporation of China | State Grid Hunan Electric Power Co Ltd Disaster Prevention & Mitigation Center | 1 |
| State Grid Corporation of China | State Grid Hunan Electric Power Co Ltd | 1 |
| State Grid Corporation of China | NARI Group Co Ltd | 1 |
Co-filing pairs, ranked by the number of jointly-filed patent families.
Fluence Energy and ABB define the leading positions across complementary technology routes
The top two filers approach grid-scale BESS protection from different angles—Fluence Energy through storage-native grid-integration and power-conversion IP, ABB through grid-systems control paired with battery-cell expertise—reflecting their distinct market origins.
Fluence Energy LLC
Fluence Energy LLC holds 10 patent families and entered the tracked window as a new entrant, with 9 of those families filed in the recent period. Its technology focus spans H02J 7 (battery charging and grid-tied storage), H02J 3 (AC power supply networks), and H02M 7 (DC-AC conversion)—a combination that reflects its position as a purpose-built utility storage platform integrating protection with power-conversion architecture.
families: 10ABB (Schweiz) AG
ABB (Schweiz) AG holds 9 patent families and is also recorded as a new entrant in the recent window, with 1 family in the most recent period—suggesting its core filings were made earlier in the growth window. Its emphasis on H02J 3, H02J 7, and H01M 10 (secondary battery systems) points to a grid-integration approach that combines network-level protection with battery-management depth, consistent with ABB’s broader power-systems portfolio.
families: 9| Applicant | Recent (3 yrs) | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| Fluence Energy LLC | 9 | ▲ new entrant |
| ABB (Schweiz) AG | 1 | ▲ new entrant |
| Honeywell International Inc | 6 | ▲ new entrant |
| Shanghai Jiao Tong University | 4 | ▲ new entrant |
| Zhou Xiwei | 2 | ▲ new entrant |
| State Grid Corporation of China | 1 | ▲ new entrant |
Under-served adjacent branches in measurement, power conversion, and control
Several IPC branches appear at low share within this corpus despite clear technical relevance to BESS protection and relaying. These observations reflect relative sparsity in the current patent record and may indicate areas where targeted R&D could differentiate a filer.
G01R · Electric & magnetic measurement for BESS fault detection
G01R accounts for only 17 patent records at 5% share within the corpus, despite measurement being foundational to protection-relay triggering in battery systems. Sparse coverage suggests that precision fault-current sensing, insulation monitoring, and state-of-health measurement applied specifically to grid-scale BESS relay logic are not yet well-claimed. An entrant with sensor-hardware or signal-processing expertise could build a differentiated position here. The individual filer Zhou Xiwei is among the few applicants already active in this subclass.
Search this in Eureka →G05B · Control and regulating systems for adaptive BESS protection schemes
G05B appears in only 10 patent records at 3% share, indicating that adaptive and model-based protection-relay control algorithms for grid-scale BESS are under-represented relative to the hardware-level H02J and H02H work. BluWave Inc is the primary applicant currently active in this branch within the corpus. The intersection of predictive control, autonomous relay coordination, and BESS degradation modeling represents a plausible technical entry path, particularly for software-oriented players.
Search this in Eureka →How leading applicants differ by IPC technology route
Route coverage across the main technology branches in the current evidence set.
| Player | H02J 3 · Power supply & grid systems | H02J 7 · Power supply & grid systems | H01M 10 · Batteries, cells & fuel cells | H02H 7 · Protective circuit arrangements | H02J 13 · Power supply & grid systems |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ABB (Schweiz) AG | Strong · 8 | Strong · 6 | Strong · 5 | Emerging · 1 | Absent |
| Fluence Energy LLC | Strong · 8 | Strong · 9 | Moderate · 2 | Absent | Absent |
| GE Energy Power Conversion Technology Ltd | Absent | Strong · 6 | Strong · 4 | Strong · 7 | Absent |
| Honeywell International Inc | Strong · 7 | Moderate · 3 | Absent | Absent | Moderate · 3 |
| Shanghai Jiao Tong University | Strong · 6 | Strong · 5 | Absent | Absent | Absent |
| Ardent Edge LLC | Strong · 4 | Strong · 4 | Moderate · 2 | Absent | Absent |
| 8ME Nova LLC | Strong · 4 | Strong · 3 | Absent | Absent | Moderate · 1 |
Frequently asked questions
The evidence base contains 166 patent families in scope for this technology topic.
Fluence Energy LLC holds the top position with 10 patent families, followed by ABB (Schweiz) AG with 9 and GE Energy Power Conversion Technology Ltd with 8.
China and the United States are the two primary offices, each with 59 and 58 patent records respectively. Europe via the EPO and India each account for 22 records, with PCT, Australia, and Canada covering additional geographies.
The field is classified as Growth stage. Recent three-year filings are 42% above the prior equivalent window, confirming multi-year expansion. Annual volume peaked in 2023 at 30 families and has moderated, but figures for 2024–2026 are understated by publication lag and do not represent a confirmed slowdown.
H02J (Power supply and grid systems) is overwhelmingly dominant. H02H (Protective circuit arrangements) is the most diagnostic subclass for protection specificity. G01R (measurement), G05B (control systems), and H02M (power conversion) are relatively sparse at 5%, 3%, and 4% share respectively, representing adjacent branches with potential for differentiated filing.
Yes. The Regents of the University of California holds 6 patent families (ranked fifth overall), Shanghai Jiao Tong University holds 4, and multiple Indian and Chinese universities appear in the ranking. Shanghai Jiao Tong University is also the most active co-filer, collaborating with industry and utility partners.
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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.
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