Nextpower has filed a lawsuit against GameChange Energy alleging that the competing manufacturer has infringed on several of its patents related to single-axis solar tracker technologies. Nextpower issued the lawsuit in the United States District Court for the District of Delaware on Monday.
“Nextpower invests heavily in the development of our best-in-class solar tracker products, and we treat intellectual property very seriously,” said Dan Shugar, founder and CEO of Nextpower, in a press release. “We respect legitimate competition, but we will vigorously defend our patent rights in all global markets in which we conduct business.”
Credit: Nextpower
The three patents in question were issued to Nextpower in 2022 and 2024. The first two are regarding “self-powered” solar tracker components used in Nextpower’s NX Horizon single-axis trackers. The third concerns TrueCapture, Nextpower’s tracker operating software.
The lawsuit alleges that GameChange Energy has used similar self-powered technologies in the manufacture, sale and deployment of its Genius Tracker single-axis solar tracker system; and it alleges that GameChange has used similar software as TrueCapture to operate Genius Tracker.
Through the lawsuit, Nextpower is seeking damages to the sum of triple the actual cost of sale from the allegedly infringed solar tracker technologies.
GameChange published a press release in response to the lawsuit, stating that the company denies any infringement, and that it will defend itself against these allegations.
“GameChange Energy’s Genius Tracker was independently developed by GameChange Energy and is recognized in the industry as the leading tracker system for challenging weather environments, energy-enhancing algorithms, easy-to-install systems, supported by our dedicated project management capabilities,” the press release reads.
Industry research firm Wood Mackenzie found that Nextpower leads the global solar tracker market in terms of sales, with American competitor ARRAY Technologies in third place and GameChange in sixth, according to analysis published in February. While making its name in solar trackers, Nextpower (formerly Nextracker) has in recent years entered other segments of the solar market, including electrical balance of systems, module frames and most recently energy storage.
Just yesterday, GameChange announced plans to rebrand and consolidate its technologies all under the name GameChange Energy.
