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Data Insights Environment sustainability in power: foldable solar panels

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However, not all innovations are equal and nor do they follow a constant upward trend. Instead, their evolution takes the form of an S-shaped curve that reflects their typical lifecycle from early emergence to accelerating adoption, before finally stabilizing and reaching maturity.

Identifying where a particular innovation is on this journey, especially those that are in the emerging and accelerating stages, is essential for understanding their current level of adoption and the likely future trajectory and impact they will have.

45+ innovations will shape the power industry

According to GlobalData’s Technology Foresights, which plots the S-curve for the power industry using innovation intensity models built on over 83,000 patents, there are 45+ innovation areas that will shape the future of the industry.

Within the emerging innovation stage, solar-powered desalination, wind turbine performance monitoring, and renewable energy storage are disruptive technologies that are in the early stages of application and should be tracked closely. Foldable solar panels, solar thermal collectors, and geothermal collectors are some of the accelerating innovation areas, where adoption has been steadily increasing. Among maturing innovation areas are wave energy converters and solar cell protective films, which are now well established in the industry.

Innovation S-curve for environmental sustainability in the power industry

Foldable solar panels is a key innovation area in environmental sustainability

Foldable solar panels are innovative structures that convert solar energy into electrical energy through a charge controller. The foldable solar panels are attached to battery backups, which can store the electricity generated. Foldable solar panels with the advantages of low cost, size compactness, light weight, and shape transformation hold great potential as power sources for wearable and portable electronics, as well as integrated solar photovoltaics in buildings and vehicles.

GlobalData’s analysis also uncovers the companies at the forefront of each innovation area and assesses the potential reach and impact of their patenting activity across different applications and geographies. According to GlobalData, there are 105+ companies, spanning technology vendors, established power companies, and up-and-coming start-ups engaged in the development and application of foldable solar panels.

Key players in foldable solar panels – a disruptive innovation in the power industry

‘Application diversity’ measures the number of applications identified for each patent. It broadly splits companies into either ‘niche’ or ‘diversified’ innovators.  

‘Geographic reach’ refers to the number of countries each patent is registered in. It reflects the breadth of geographic application intended, ranging from ‘global’ to ‘local’. 

Patent volumes related to foldable solar panels

Shadecraft is one of the leading patent filers in the solar panels industry. ShadeCraft is a technology and robotics company, a US-based developer of smart sunshade/umbrellas that are used to track the sun and absorb solar energy and shade. ShadeCraft launched its first product, Sunflower at CES 2017, which integrates artificial intelligence and connects consumers to the internet of things. Some other key patent filers in the foldable solar panels space include Beijing Apollo Ding Rong Solar Technology, LG, Bishop Ascendant, Sumitomo Electric Industries, Renovagen, and Moixa Energy.

In terms of application diversity, Hanergy leads the pack, while The Boeing and Iworks stood in the second and third positions, respectively. By means of geographic reach, ams OSRAM held the top position, followed by Zeon and EC Power.

To further understand the key themes and technologies disrupting the power industry, access GlobalData’s latest thematic research report on ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) in Power.

GlobalData, the leading provider of industry intelligence, provided the underlying data, research, and analysis used to produce this article.

GlobalData’s Patent Analytics tracks patent filings and grants from official offices around the world. Textual analysis and official patent classifications are used to group patents into key thematic areas and link them to specific companies across the world’s largest industries.