Patents and the energy transition

Clean energy transitions are being built using innovations that represent a departure from the types of technologies developed by the energy sector in previous decades. New technologies support a shift to greater reliance on electrical power in a wide range of sectors, with more consumer-oriented solutions and more distributed resources. This is resulting in a focus on smaller unit sizes and a different set of customers. These changes are bringing new entrants into the energy systems, increasing the pressure to innovate in product design and raising the role of manufacturing innovations, among other things. As this report describes, the changing dynamics of energy innovation can already be seen in patenting data. This report is a unique source of intelligence on the innovation trends across the energy system, and LCE technologies in particular. Drawing on the EPO's dedicated scheme for patent information on climate change mitigation, the data presented in the report shows the latest trends in high-value inventions for which patents have been filed in more than one office by counting international patent families (IPFs). Highlighting the LCE fields that are gathering momentum and the crossfertilisation taking place provides a guide for policy and business decision-makers to direct resources towards an effective energy transition.