First Solar has a total of 1621 patents globally, out of which 616 have been granted. Of these 1621 patents, more than 34% patents are active. The USA is where First Solar has filed the maximum number of patents, followed by Europe (EPO) and India. Parallelly, the USA seems to be the main focused R&D center of First Solar.
First Solar was founded in the year 1999 by Harold McMaster. Company is a provider of solar photovoltaic (PV) systems. It designs, manufactures and sells PV solar modules. As of May 2023, First Solar has a market cap of $21.74 Billion.
Do read about some of the most popular patents of First Solar which have been covered by us in this article and also you can find First Solar patents information, the worldwide patent filing activity and its patent filing trend over the years, and many other stats over First Solar patent portfolio.
How many patents does the founder of First Solar have?
The founder, Harold McMaster, has 284 patents.
How many patents does First Solar have?
First Solar has a total of 1621 patents globally. These patents belong to 633 unique patent families. Out of 1621 patents, 564 patents are active.
How Many Patents did First Solar File Every Year?
Are you wondering why there is a drop in patent filing for the last two years? It is because a patent application can take up to 18 months to get published. Certainly, it doesn’t suggest a decrease in the patent filing.
| Year of Patents Filing or Grant | First Solar Applications Filed | First Solar Patents Granted |
| 2022 | 13 | 37 |
| 2021 | 22 | 30 |
| 2020 | 20 | 41 |
| 2019 | 52 | 26 |
| 2018 | 45 | 27 |
| 2017 | 46 | 25 |
| 2016 | 43 | 87 |
| 2015 | 60 | 70 |
| 2014 | 130 | 60 |
| 2013 | 136 | 53 |
| 2012 | 164 | 71 |
| 2011 | 288 | 46 |
How many First Solar patents are Alive/Dead?
Worldwide Patents
How Many Patents did First Solar File in Different Countries?
Countries in which First Solar Filed Patents
| Country | Patents |
| United States Of America | 556 |
| Europe | 218 |
| India | 104 |
| Germany | 94 |
| Malaysia | 74 |
| Taiwan | 52 |
| Viet Nam | 42 |
| Japan | 37 |
| Mexico | 34 |
| Australia | 30 |
| Korea (South) | 13 |
| Turkey | 11 |
| Canada | 9 |
| China | 9 |
| Brazil | 8 |
| South Africa | 8 |
| Austria | 6 |
| Israel | 4 |
| Saudi Arabia | 4 |
| United Arab Emirates | 3 |
| United Kingdom | 3 |
| Morocco | 2 |
| Spain | 2 |
| Philippines | 2 |
| Eurasia | 2 |
| Cyprus | 1 |
| Portugal | 1 |
| Chile | 1 |
| Denmark | 1 |
Where are Research Centers of First Solar Patents Located?
10 Best First Solar Patents
US6959517B2 is the most popular patent in the First Solar portfolio. It has received 330 citations so far from companies like Powermount Systems, GE, and Zep Soar.
Below is the list of 10 most cited patents of First Solar:
| Publication Number | Citation Count |
| US6959517B2 | 330 |
| US6617507B2 | 228 |
| US6919530B2 | 206 |
| US20110036400A1 | 195 |
| US20090194165A1 | 181 |
| US7195872B2 | 166 |
| US6559411B2 | 164 |
| WO2010094012A1 | 159 |
| US20050257824A1 | 116 |
| US20130115372A1 | 110 |
What are First Solar’s key innovation segments?
What Technologies are Covered by First Solar?
The chart below distributes patents filed by First Solar