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Tigo Energy, Inc., a leading provider of intelligent solar and energy software solutions, has announced that it has reached a multi-year settlement agreement with SMA Solar Technology AG and its U.S. subsidiary, SMA Solar Technology America LLC. The agreement resolves a legal dispute involving allegations of patent infringement related to Tigo’s proprietary technology. The original complaint was filed by Tigo on July 11, 2022, in the United States District Court for the District of Delaware (Case No. 1:22-cv-00915), where Tigo claimed that SMA had infringed on certain Tigo patents. The specific terms of the settlement have not been disclosed. At the heart of the dispute is rapid shutdown technology, a crucial safety feature in solar energy systems installed on buildings. According to Section 690.12 of the National Electric Code (NEC), photovoltaic (PV) systems must include a rapid shutdown function to minimize electrical shock hazards for emergency responders. Tigo’s rapid shutdown solutions are fully compliant with the NEC and are certified under UL 1741, which is the industry standard for safety in inverters, converters, controllers, and interconnection equipment used in distributed energy systems. Tigo has established itself as a leader in rapid shutdown and module-level power electronics (MLPE), with a portfolio of more than 150 patents granted or pending. The company licenses its intellectual property to other solar equipment manufacturers and has a strong record of defending its patents successfully in legal disputes. Zvi Alon, CEO at Tigo Energy, said in a statement, “The ability of companies that invest in research and development to protect and defend their intellectual property is central to the spirit of innovation that makes companies competitive. This settlement is a welcome step that reinforces the validity of Tigo intellectual property that underpins our world-class technology.” Since its founding in 2007, Tigo’s MLPE devices have been deployed in millions of installations across more than 100 countries on all seven continents. These devices enable features such as optimization, real-time monitoring, and rapid shutdown, helping to ensure the safety, reliability, and performance of solar energy systems. Tigo’s Energy Intelligence platform currently monitors an average of 2.3 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of solar energy production every day. |
