Solid-State Transformer for Renewable Integration Patent Landscape
Solid-State Transformer for Renewable Integration Patent Landscape in 2026
The solid-state transformer field for renewable integration is in a Growth stage, with the field still expanding on a multi-year basis, though annual volume has eased from its 2022 peak. Hitachi Energy leads a moderately concentrated field, with the top five filers holding 22% of the hundred largest filers’ combined total, and the United States is the dominant filing jurisdiction.
Hitachi Energy leads a moderately concentrated field with established industrial challengers
Hitachi Energy Ltd holds the top position with 20 patent families, ahead of ABB (Schweiz) AG at 15 and Causam Energy Inc at 13. The ranking reflects a mix of global power-equipment incumbents, grid-technology specialists, and energy-management software companies.
The top five filers account for 22% of the hundred largest filers’ combined total, indicating moderate concentration rather than a winner-take-all structure. A second tier—GE Energy Power Conversion Technology, LS Electric, Resilient Power Systems, Huawei Technologies, and GE Grid Solutions—each holds ten or more patent families, compressing the gap between leader and challengers.
| # | Applicant | Patent families | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hitachi Energy Ltd | 20 | |
| 2 | ABB (Schweiz) AG | 15 | |
| 3 | Causam Energy Inc | 13 | |
| 4 | GE Energy Power Conversion Technology Ltd (GB) | 12 | |
| 5 | LS Electric Co Ltd | 10 | |
| 6 | Resilient Power Systems LLC | 10 | |
| 7 | Huawei Technologies Co Ltd | 10 | |
| 8 | GE Grid Solutions LLC | 10 | |
| 9 | Caterpillar Inc | 9 | |
| 10 | Guangdong Power Grid Co Ltd | 9 |
| # | Applicant | Patent families | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | Hyosung Heavy Industries Corporation | 8 | |
| 12 | Guangdong Power Grid Co Ltd Dongguan Power Supply Bureau | 8 | |
| 13 | Ohmium International Inc | 8 | |
| 14 | IKS Co Ltd | 8 | |
| 15 | UT-Battelle LLC | 8 | |
| 16 | Enphase Energy Inc | 8 | |
| 17 | Solid State Power LLC | 7 | |
| 18 | Shanghai Jiao Tong University | 7 | |
| 19 | Hitachi Ltd | 7 | |
| 20 | INESC TEC – Institute for Systems and Computer Engineering, Technology and Science | 7 |
Hitachi Energy’s lead, reinforced by its related entity Hitachi Energy Switzerland AG, reflects a deliberate portfolio build across grid integration and power conversion. ABB’s position as a close second, combined with its new-entrant momentum, signals active portfolio construction rather than coasting on legacy filings.
The most recent 18–24 months of filings are under-counted due to standard patent publication lag; observed 2024–2026 volumes understate actual activity. Longer-window growth, applicant concentration, and technology-route coverage are therefore more reliable signals than the latest-year bar alone.
A 47% multi-year growth rate with power conversion and grid systems dominating the technology mix
The filing trend and technology composition charts together reveal a field that has scaled rapidly since 2018 and is anchored in a pair of dominant IPC branches, with several adjacent classes representing sparser but technically relevant activity.
Annual filing trend
Filings accelerated from 7 in 2017 to a plateau of 44 in both 2022 and 2023 before recorded volumes eased in 2024–2025; the 2024 and 2025 figures are materially understated by publication lag and should not be read as a real decline. The overall recent three-year window sits 47% above the prior three-year window, confirming continued multi-year expansion.
↗ Hover for values · click a bar to ask EurekaTechnology composition
H02M (Power conversion) and H02J (Power supply and grid systems) together account for the overwhelming majority of records, confirming that SST patents are primarily converter-topology and grid-interface inventions. Lower-volume classes—B60L (electric vehicle propulsion), H01F (magnets, inductors and transformers), H02P (control of motors and generators), and C25B (electrolytic production of compounds)—reflect emerging application diversification into EV charging, magnetic components, machine drives, and green hydrogen production.
↗ 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.
Solid state transformer and converter system
A solid state transformer (1) is specified comprising, – at least two first ports (3) connected in series and configured to be connected to an electrical power grid (13), – at least two second ports (7) configured to be connected to at least two loads (12), and – a single core magnetic link (10) by which the at least two first ports (3) and the at least two… (excerpt from the patent abstract)
| # | Patent | Citations |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Power Conversion System | 180 |
| 2 | Interleaved multi-channel, multi-level, multi-quad… | 114 |
| 3 | Modular converter with multilevel submodules | 114 |
| 4 | Ac/DC converter with three to single phase matrix … | 78 |
| 5 | Wireless power system | 58 |
| 6 | Intelligent photovoltaic interface and system | 58 |
| 7 | Energy Router for Energy Internet | 46 |
| 8 | Power management utilizing synchronous common coup… | 40 |
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 strategy
Four dimensions—lifecycle stage, competitive concentration, co-filer ecosystems, and geographic focus—collectively shape where new entrants and established players should direct investment.
Growth stage, past its 2022 annual peak but still expanding on a multi-year basis
The field is classified as Growth: the recent three-year filing window is 47% above the prior three-year window, confirming sustained expansion. However, annual volume has eased from its 2022 peak, suggesting the most aggressive ramp has passed and competition is beginning to consolidate around proven topologies. New entrants still have room to differentiate, but the window for low-cost entry into core converter and grid-interface claims is narrowing.
Growth · past 2022 peakModerate concentration with a compressed second tier
The top five filers hold 22% of the hundred largest filers’ combined total—meaningful leadership but not a closed oligopoly. A dense second tier of filers at ten patent families each (GE Energy Power Conversion, LS Electric, Resilient Power Systems, Huawei Technologies, GE Grid Solutions) means the distance between leader and challengers is relatively small. For R&D teams, this implies that portfolio differentiation on application layer or specific topology is more viable than displacing incumbents on volume alone.
Moderate concentrationCo-filing concentrated within the Guangdong Power Grid ecosystem and GE entities
The most active co-filing pair is Guangdong Power Grid Co Ltd and its Dongguan Power Supply Bureau subsidiary, with eight joint patent families—the largest collaboration cluster in the corpus. General Electric Co co-files with GE Energy Power Conversion Technology and GE Grid Solutions (two joint families each), reflecting intra-group coordination. Guangdong Power Grid also co-files once with its own Power Science Research Institute. Cross-organization, cross-group collaborations are sparse, suggesting the ecosystem has not yet formed broad open-innovation consortia.
Intra-group dominantUS-first prosecution with strong EPO and PCT coverage; Asia emerging
The United States is the lead filing jurisdiction with 110 patent records, followed by Europe (EPO) at 64 and WIPO PCT at 44—a pattern consistent with incumbents protecting large grid-equipment markets first. India at 30 records stands out as the fourth-largest jurisdiction, ahead of China at 25, pointing to active prosecution in a fast-growing renewable-integration market. Germany (13), Canada (8), and Australia (17) round out secondary coverage. South Korea and several emerging markets each show single-digit filings, indicating limited protection in those jurisdictions today.
US-led, India risingGo 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Guangdong Power Grid Co Ltd | Guangdong Power Grid Co Ltd Dongguan Power Supply Bureau | 8 |
| General Electric Company | GE Energy Power Conversion Technology Ltd (GB) | 2 |
| General Electric Company | GE Grid Solutions LLC | 2 |
| General Electric Company | GE ENERGY POWER CONVERSION TECH LIMITEDU | 2 |
| Guangdong Power Grid Co Ltd | Guangdong Power Grid Co Ltd Power Science Research Institute | 1 |
Co-filing pairs, ranked by the number of jointly-filed patent families.
Hitachi Energy and ABB lead on volume; both show new-entrant momentum in recent filings
The two largest filers are traditional power-equipment companies that have pivoted their SST portfolios toward grid integration, with technology emphasis diverging between grid-systems and converter-topology claims.
Hitachi Energy Ltd
Hitachi Energy Ltd leads the corpus with 20 patent families. Its technology emphasis centers on H02J3 (power supply and grid systems), with additional depth in H02M3 and H02M7 (power conversion), reflecting a grid-integration-first positioning rather than pure converter-topology. Its related entity Hitachi Energy Switzerland AG contributes a further 5 patent families in overlapping converter and grid-systems subclasses. Momentum is classified as a new entrant in the recent filing window, indicating the portfolio has been built rapidly and recently.
families: 20ABB (Schweiz) AG
ABB (Schweiz) AG holds 15 patent families and is also classified as a new entrant in recent filings, signaling active and accelerating portfolio construction. Its technology focus is differentiated from Hitachi Energy: primary emphasis on H02M1 and H02M5 (converter front-end and AC/DC conversion stages) plus H05B7 (electric heating and arc furnace circuits), suggesting an industrial-load and converter-hardware orientation alongside grid integration. ABB Inc adds a separate smaller presence, and ABB Schweiz AG (100.00) appears as a distinct but related entity.
families: 15| Applicant | Recent (3 yrs) | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| General Electric Company | 2 | ▼ -87% |
| Hitachi Energy Ltd | 13 | ▲ new entrant |
| ABB (Schweiz) AG | 9 | ▲ new entrant |
| Huawei Technologies Co Ltd | 4 | ▲ new entrant |
| LS Electric Co Ltd | 10 | ▲ new entrant |
| Hitachi Energy Switzerland AG | 5 | ▲ new entrant |
Under-served adjacent branches worth monitoring
Several IPC classes appear in the corpus at low share relative to the dominant H02M and H02J branches. These represent observations of relative sparsity; those with plausible technical relevance and realistic entry paths are noted below.
B60L · Electric Vehicle Propulsion & Charging
B60L accounts for 27 patent records—5% of the corpus—despite EV ultra-fast charging being a primary commercial driver for SST adoption at grid edge. The sparse coverage relative to the converter-topology core suggests that SST-specific EV charging architecture claims (bidirectional V2G topologies, on-board SST integration) remain under-prosecuted. For teams already holding H02M converter claims, extending into B60L charging-system architecture is a low-friction adjacent filing path with growing regulatory and commercial demand.
Search this in Eureka →C25B · Electrolytic Production (Green Hydrogen)
C25B appears in 12 patent records—2% of the corpus—representing SST-driven power conditioning for electrolyzers in green hydrogen production. Given the capital investment flowing into electrolyzer deployment and the need for high-efficiency, galvanically isolated DC power supplies, this is an adjacent branch with growing technical relevance. The current filing density is low, and no single dominant filer is evident in this subclass within the corpus, making it an observable gap for players with existing SST and power-electronics competencies.
Search this in Eureka →How leading applicants differ by technology route
Strength of each leader across the main technology routes.
| Player | H02M 3 · Power conversion (AC/DC etc.) | H02M 1 · Power conversion (AC/DC etc.) | H02J 3 · Power supply & grid systems | H02M 7 · Power conversion (AC/DC etc.) | H02M 5 · Power conversion (AC/DC etc.) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Electric Company | Strong · 11 | Strong · 10 | Strong · 8 | Strong · 8 | Absent |
| ABB (Schweiz) AG | Absent | Strong · 9 | Strong · 5 | Moderate · 4 | Strong · 8 |
| Resilient Power Systems LLC | Absent | Strong · 10 | Absent | Moderate · 4 | Strong · 9 |
| Hitachi Energy Ltd | Strong · 7 | Absent | Strong · 11 | Absent | Absent |
| IKS Co Ltd | Strong · 8 | Absent | Absent | Strong · 8 | Absent |
| Hyosung Heavy Industries Corporation | Strong · 8 | Absent | Absent | Strong · 7 | Absent |
| Shanghai Jiao Tong University | Absent | Strong · 6 | Absent | Strong · 7 | Moderate · 2 |
Frequently asked questions
The corpus covers 271 patent families globally. This total spans multiple jurisdictions and filing years, with the United States as the leading prosecution destination at 110 patent records.
Hitachi Energy Ltd leads with 20 patent families, ahead of ABB (Schweiz) AG at 15 and Causam Energy Inc at 13. Both Hitachi Energy and ABB show new-entrant momentum in recent filings, indicating their portfolios have been built rapidly.
The field is in a Growth lifecycle stage. Recent three-year filings are 47% above the prior three-year window, confirming multi-year expansion. Annual volume has eased from its 2022 peak, and 2024–2026 figures are further understated by publication lag, so the easing should not be read as a real decline.
The United States leads with 110 patent records, followed by Europe (EPO) at 64, WIPO PCT at 44, India at 30, and China at 25. India’s position ahead of China reflects active prosecution in a fast-growing renewable market.
H02M (power conversion, AC/DC etc.) and H02J (power supply and grid systems) together account for the large majority of patent records, confirming that core SST patents address converter topology and grid-interface functionality. Adjacent branches including B60L (EV propulsion) and C25B (electrolytic production) appear at much lower density.
The most notable under-served adjacent branches are B60L (SST-specific EV charging and V2G architectures) at 27 patent records and C25B (SST power conditioning for green hydrogen electrolyzers) at 12 patent records. Both have plausible commercial demand but low current filing density relative to the core converter and grid-systems branches.
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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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