SunPower subsidiary sues SolarCity over IP infringements

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SunPower is planning to ramp Cogenra's overlapping cell to cell contact technology in its P-Series modules.

Cogenra Solar, a subsidiary of US-based high-efficiency module manufacturer SunPower, has filed a lawsuit against SolarCity over claims of IP (Intellectual Property) theft and infringement over its direct solar cell to cell contact technology that is often described as an overlapping shingle-like pattern.

The case in the US District Court, Northern District of California, relates to claims that SolarCity’s subsidiary, Silevo, gained access to sensitive IP during a due diligence process ahead of a potential investment in Cogenra before the company was eventually sold to SunPower. 

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According to reports, SolarCity has already counter claimed that a previous employee of the company had downloaded confidential information ahead of joining SunPower as a senior sales manager.

Both of SolarCity’s nearest rivals in the US residential and commercial rooftop markets, SunPower and SolarWorld have now tried different tactics to restrict the company from competing ahead of SolarCity starting solar cell and module production at its 1GW manufacturing plant in Buffalo, New York state. 

Potentially, SolarCity has a high-efficiency low-cost solar cell technology with larger nameplate capacity to seriously compete with both SunPower and SolarWorld product offerings in the US residential and commercial rooftop markets.

7 October 2025
San Francisco Bay Area, USA
PV Tech has been running an annual PV CellTech Conference since 2016. PV CellTech USA, on 7-8 October 2025 is our third PV CellTech conference dedicated to the U.S. manufacturing sector. The events in 2023 and 2024 were a sell out success and 2025 will once again gather the key stakeholders from PV manufacturing, equipment/materials, policy-making and strategy, capital equipment investment and all interested downstream channels and third-party entities. The goal is simple: to map out PV manufacturing in the U.S. out to 2030 and beyond.

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