BANGKOK, Thailand – Global patent activity in renewable energy technology has reached more than 760,000 applications over the past 19 years, with China emerging as the dominant source of new filings while Thailand looks to build opportunities through advanced components, niche innovations and energy-system efficiency. The Department of Intellectual Property analysed global renewable energy patent trends from 2006 to 2024 using data from the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) IP Statistics Data Center.
The analysis found 760,245 patent applications across renewable energy technologies during the period. Annual filings increased from 24,286 in 2006 to 50,209 in 2024, representing average annual growth of 4.1%. Patent activity went through three distinct phases: growth from 2006 to 2012, a period of adjustment and slower activity from 2013 to 2020, followed by renewed acceleration from 2021 to 2024.
Department Director-General Auramon Sapthaweetham said the latest figures indicate substantial room for further development, particularly in technology fields that continue to record strong growth. China leads the global rankings with 234,595 patent applications, followed by Japan with 161,168 and the United States with 99,113. Together, the three countries account for about 65% of renewable energy patents worldwide. South Korea ranks fourth with 83,942 applications and Germany fifth with 51,815, bringing the combined share of the top five countries to about 83%.
China has recorded particularly rapid growth, with annual patent applications rising from 1,283 in 2006 to 30,382 in 2024, equivalent to average annual growth of 19.2%. Chinese applicants accounted for about 60% of global filings in 2024 alone. Spain is another market to watch, with applications growing at an average 12.6% annually despite its smaller overall patent base. South Korea has also continued to expand, recording average growth of about 1.9% annually.
By contrast, patent filings from Japan, the United States and Germany have declined noticeably in recent years, reflecting a shift in the global renewable energy innovation landscape. The department divides renewable energy technology into five major groups. Solar energy is by far the largest, accounting for 396,448 patents, or 52.1% of the total. The sector remains in a growth phase, with filings increasing from 9,572 in 2006 to 29,045 in 2024 and average annual growth of 6.4%.
Major applicants include Samsung Electronics of South Korea with 9,297 applications, Mitsubishi Electric of Japan with 5,102, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) with 4,037, LG Electronics with 3,747 and Intel with 3,501. Fuel cells and hydrogen technology ranks second with 161,204 patents, or 21.2% of the total. Although filings have declined by an average 2% annually over the longer period, the sector has returned to positive growth of about 2% a year since 2019, driven partly by hydrogen technology and changes in the automotive sector.
Toyota Motor leads this category with 15,612 applications, followed by Honda Motor with 6,222, Robert Bosch with 5,464, Hyundai Motor with 5,459 and Nissan Motor with 3,113. Wind energy accounts for 124,254 patents, or 16.3% of the total, and remains in a growth phase. Applications rose more than 4.5 times from 2,001 in 2006 to 9,168 in 2024, with average annual growth of 8.8%.
Leading applicants include Vestas Wind Systems, Siemens Gamesa, General Electric, Wobben Properties and Siemens.
Hydro energy represents 68,770 patents, or 9%, and is considered a mature and stable technology area, with average annual growth of 4.4%. Key applicants include Germany’s Voith Patent and Chinese organisations such as China Yangtze Power, State Grid Corporation of China, State Grid Xinyuan and Zhejiang Ocean University. Geothermal energy is the smallest category, with 9,569 patents, or 1.3% of the total, but it has the highest average annual growth rate at 9.3%.
The department describes geothermal energy as an emerging-to-growth technology area, covering applications such as systems that use underground heat for temperature control. Its relatively small patent base and limited concentration of major players could leave greater room for new research and development.
In Thailand, 760 patent and petty-patent applications related to renewable energy technologies were filed during the five years from 2021 to the present. These comprised 529 patent applications and 231 petty-patent applications. Foreign applicants accounted for 476 applications, or 63%, while Thai applicants accounted for 284, or 37%.
The largest foreign applicants included Singapore-based REC Solar Pte. Ltd. with 11 applications, Qualcomm Incorporated of the United States with 10, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Thermal Systems of Japan with seven, Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha of Japan with six and LG Chem of South Korea with five. Among Thai applicants, the National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA) led with 18 applications, followed by the Office of the Vocational Education Commission with six and King Mongkut’s University of Technology North Bangkok with five.
Thai applications cover a broad range of technologies, including solar power generation and conversion equipment, fuel-cell batteries and cooling systems, wind turbines, wave-energy power stations, hydrogen separation from water and geothermal temperature-control systems.
The department said direct entry into highly competitive fields such as solar energy and fuel cells can be difficult because of the strong patent positions held by major global players. However, opportunities remain for Thai businesses and new entrants.
One route is developing specialised components, supporting equipment and smaller innovations that improve overall system efficiency, allowing Thai companies to become part of the supply chains of major global manufacturers. Another is entering emerging fields with fewer competitors, particularly geothermal energy, where global patent activity is growing at 9.3% annually but the patent landscape remains relatively less crowded.
A third opportunity lies in closer cooperation among government agencies, universities and private companies to turn domestic patents and research into commercial products and industrial applications. The department said such collaboration could help Thailand build stronger intellectual property assets, connect research with industry and improve the country’s position in the development of clean-energy technology.
