Tigo Energy Inc., developer of the Flex MLPE and TS4 platforms, has filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California against APsystems, seeking to hold APsystems accountable for its willful infringement of Tigo patents related to rapid shutdown technology.
A rapid shutdown function is required for PV systems on buildings to comply with the U.S. National Electric Code (NEC) to reduce shock hazard for emergency responders.
Tigo’s products are multi-vendor UL-system-certified for rapid shutdown. Tigo says its product reliability is the highest in the industry, with the fewest filed failures. Tigo’s safety solutions comply with NEC 2014, 2017 and 2020, and are compatible with more than 200 inverters from over 15 suppliers deployed in residential, commercial, industrial and utility projects.
“For years we have invested in innovative technologies to deliver safe and reliable solutions to our solar customers,” says Zvi Alon, chairman and CEO of Tigo Energy.
“Our patents and intellectual property protect the advancements we have made. We believe that APS has copied our technology, and we are taking action to protect it,” adds Alon.
For its part, APsystems issued the following statement regarding Tigo Energy’s lawsuit filing:
“APsystems has always worked diligently to conceive and develop its own proprietary intellectual property. Like many industry firms, APsystems’ rapid shutdown product complies with the industry-standard protocol, which is not exclusive to Tigo.
“APsystems is confident there is no infringement on any Tigo IP and will vigorously defend its intellectual property rights and the business of its customers. There is no substance to Tigo’s allegations, and APsystems looks forward to the opportunity to prove that.”
Photo: Tigo Energy Inc.’s landing page
