Onshore Wind Patents: Who Leads, Where the Gaps Are 2026
- Concentration is moderate, not locked down. the top 5 assignees hold 39.0% of all 3,838 records in scope, and the top 10 hold 45.7% — leaving more than half the field to a long tail of single- and few-filing entrants.
- Filing peaked in 2021 at 404 records and fell to 201 by 2024, a -50% swing over that span; 2025-2026 figures are still filling in due to publication lag and should not be read as a further decline.
- Claim density sits overwhelmingly in F03D. 73.7% of records touch wind-motor classifications, while adjacent structural and marine classes (E02D, E02B, B66C) each sit under 6% — a sign of where claim space is still open.
Filing growth compares 2021 (404 records) with 2024 (201) — a three-year span. 2024 is the most recent year we treat as complete: publication lags filing by roughly 18 months, so 2025 onwards are still filling in and any growth rate that ends there would understate the field. Top-5 share is the combined record count of the five largest assignees divided by all 3,838 records in scope (CR5), not by the ranked leaders only.
What the onshore wind patent record actually shows
The dataset covers 3,838 published records filed against onshore wind turbine and land-based wind terms combined with core technical concepts such as blade pitch, rotor torque and turbine control. Filing rose through the late 2010s, peaked in 2021 at 404 records, and has since eased to 201 in 2024 — the last year the data can treat as complete, since publication typically lags filing by around 18 months. That lag means 2025 and 2026 counts are still filling in, not a sign the field has gone quiet.
Ownership is concentrated but not closed: the leading assignee alone accounts for 754 records, yet the ranked list of 100 companies still shows a wide spread beyond the top 10, with the tenth-place holder at only 39 records. That gap between the leader and the rest is the first thing worth reading correctly before deciding where to file.
Filing trends and technology composition
Two views of the same 3,838-record set: how filing volume has moved year over year, and which IPC subclasses carry the claim density.
Filing trend, 2017-2026
Volume climbed from 178 records in 2017 to a peak of 404 in 2021, then declined to 201 by 2024 — a -50% move over that three-year window. The final two years in the chart are partial due to publication lag and understate true filing activity.
IPC subclass composition
F03D (wind motors) touches 73.7% of the 3,838 records in scope, far ahead of any adjacent class. Power and grid systems (H02J, 7.6%), marine structures (B63B, 7.3%), cranes and hoists (B66C, 5.8%), specialised structures (E04H, 5.4%), foundations (E02D, 4.9%), hydraulic engineering (E02B, 4.8%) and generators (H02K, 3.1%) each sit well below F03D — a record can carry more than one class, so these shares add to more than 100%.
Shares are the percentage of the 3,838 records in scope. A patent can carry several IPC classes, so the shares add up to more than 100%.
Go deeper on Onshore Wind Patent Landscape with Eureka
This page is one run against one query. Ask Eureka your own question about onshore wind patent landscape and every answer comes back with the patent numbers behind it.
Try EurekaRepresentative filing and most-cited prior art
Onshore wind turbine generator set having a compressed energy storage system
Filed by China Three Gorges Corporation, this 2024 application describes a wind turbine generator set fitted with an air compressor set, an air expander set and a motor generator inside the turbine compartment, paired with a combined air storage device sited outside it. The motor generator connects to the wind turbine generator set through a first clutch and drives the air compressor set through a first output shaft, coupling turbine rotation to compressed-air energy storage rather than routing all output straight to the grid.Abstract trimmed for length; full claims available via the linked record.
| # | Publication no. | Patent title | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | US20030168864A1 | Offshore wind turbine | 410 |
| 2 | US7075189B2 | Offshore wind turbine with multiple wind rotors and floating system | 282 |
| 3 | US20110037264A1 | Column-stabilized offshore platform with water-entrapment plates and asymmetric mooring system for support of… | 228 |
| 4 | US20110061321A1 | Fatigue reistant foundation system | 212 |
| 5 | WO2009131826A2 | Column-stabilized offshore platform with water-entrapment plates and asymmetric mooring system for support of… | 202 |
| 6 | US20110089693A1 | Wind energy power conversion system reducing gearbox stress and improving power stability | 191 |
| 7 | US20060120809A1 | Method and crane for installing, maintaining and decommissioning wind turbines | 122 |
| 8 | US8471396B2 | Column-stabilized offshore platform with water-entrapment plates and asymmetric mooring system for support of… | 115 |
| 9 | US20100133816A1 | Power Converter For Use With Wind Generator | 90 |
| 10 | US20070296220A1 | Wind Turbine, a Method for Assembling and Handling the Wind Turbine and Uses Hereof | 86 |
Citation counts favour older records in a searched corpus — treat them as a signal of influence on later filings, not of current commercial relevance.
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The ranking and the filing trend point in different directions at once: a handful of assignees hold a large share of records, but recent-year momentum has cooled across nearly all of them.
A leader well ahead of the field
The leading assignee holds 754 records on its own, and the top 5 combined reach 39.0% of all records in scope. But the ranked list runs 100 companies deep, and the tenth-place holder sits at just 39 records — concentration is real at the very top, but thins out fast.
Filing has pulled back from its 2021 peak
Volume peaked at 404 records in 2021 and had fallen to 201 by 2024, a -50% move over that span. Recent-year momentum data for individual leading assignees echoes this: several of the largest filers show sharp year-on-year declines in their latest reported year.
Claim density sits in the core wind-motor class
Nearly three-quarters of records touch F03D, the wind-motor subclass, while every adjacent class — grid systems, marine structures, cranes, foundations, hydraulic engineering, generators — sits under 8%. That gap is where less-contested claim territory tends to sit.
Eureka can read the same corpus for gaps instead of for coverage: under-claimed branches adjacent to onshore wind patent landscape, with the prior art for and against each one.
Who holds the ground, and where filing is still cooling
The ranked leaders combine established turbine OEMs with a long tail of research institutes and single-filing entrants. Recent-year momentum has turned negative for most of the largest names, which does not mean the underlying technology has stalled — it means fewer new records have cleared publication yet.
The single largest filer in the corpus
One assignee accounts for 754 of the 3,838 records in scope, well ahead of the next four combined names that make up the rest of the top 5's 39.0% share. Its recent-year filing count has fallen sharply year on year, consistent with the broader post-2021 pullback.
A steep drop-off beyond the top ranks
The tenth-ranked assignee holds only 39 records, against 64 at fifth place and 754 at first — the ranking is front-loaded, and most of the 100 ranked companies sit well below double digits per year.
Collaboration is limited and concentrated
Only 10 co-assignee pairs appear in the dataset, and the strongest recurring pairings all involve the same leading turbine OEM working with named individual inventors rather than other corporate assignees.
| Assignee | Recent year | YoY |
|---|---|---|
| Vestas Wind Systems A/S | 5 | -77% |
| General Electric Renovables Espana SL | 1 | -50% |
| Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy | 0 | -100% |
| General Electric Company | 0 | — |
| Gamesa Innovation & Technology SL | 0 | -100% |
| Principle Power Inc | 0 | -100% |
| Siemens AG | 0 | — |
| Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd | 0 | — |
Where to take this analysis
The dataset points to specific next steps depending on whether the question is freedom-to-operate, whitespace, or competitor tracking.
Check freedom-to-operate against the leader's claims
With one assignee holding 754 records and a -77% YoY swing in its latest reported year, a claim-by-claim review of its core F03D filings is the first move before filing adjacent art.
Run a claims check in EurekaMap the under-claimed structural branches
Foundation, crane and marine-adjacent classes each sit under 8% of records despite sitting next to the dominant F03D class — worth a deeper subclass-level pull before assuming the space is crowded.
Explore white space in EurekaTrack momentum, not just cumulative counts
Several leading assignees show sharp year-on-year declines in their latest reported year; cumulative rankings alone would miss this shift entirely.
Set up assignee alerts in EurekaCommon questions on the onshore wind patent landscape
One assignee leads the ranked list with 754 records out of 3,838 in scope, well ahead of the rest of the top 5, which together hold 39.0% of all records. Beyond the top 10 — which combined hold 45.7% — the ranking spreads across 100 companies with a steep drop-off, down to 39 records at tenth place. This means a single company's portfolio is worth checking first for freedom-to-operate purposes, but the field is far from a closed monopoly.
Filing rose to a peak of 404 records in 2021 and had fallen to 201 by 2024, a -50% move over that three-year span. However, publication typically lags filing by around 18 months, so the lower counts shown for 2025 and 2026 in any chart reflect incomplete data rather than an actual drop in filing activity. Treat 2024 as the most recent year that can be read as a complete trend point.
The wind-motor subclass F03D covers 73.7% of the 3,838 records in scope, far ahead of any other IPC class. Power and grid systems, marine structures, cranes, specialised buildings, foundations, hydraulic engineering and generator classes each sit below 8% individually. Because a single record can carry multiple IPC classes, these figures naturally add up to more than 100%, but the gap between F03D and everything else is the clearest signal of where claim density actually sits.
The IPC composition shows several adjacent branches — foundations (4.9%), hydraulic and waterway engineering (4.8%), cranes and hoists (5.8%) and specialised structures (5.4%) — sitting well below the dominant F03D wind-motor class. These lower-density branches, particularly where they intersect with structural installation and energy storage integration, are where new claims face less prior art crowding. That said, low density in a subclass does not by itself confirm an open claim; it should be checked against the specific prior art within that subclass.
This 2024 application describes an onshore wind turbine generator set integrated with a compressed-air energy storage system, combining a wind turbine generator, air compressor, air expander and motor generator inside the turbine compartment with a separate combined air storage device outside it. The motor generator links to the turbine through a clutch and to the compressor through an output shaft, mechanically coupling rotor energy to compressed-air storage rather than converting it straight to grid electricity. Anyone building hybrid energy-storage turbine systems with a similar in-compartment compressor arrangement should review its specific claim language closely.
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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.
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.
Machine translation. Assignee and organisation names originally recorded in Chinese, Japanese or Korean have been rendered into English by an AI translation step so that the tables stay readable. These renderings are best-effort and may not match a company’s registered English name; the original name is what the underlying patent record carries, and it is what any Eureka query launched from this page uses.