Westinghouse Solar Inc., a designer and manufacturer of solar power systems, has filed a complaint with the International Trade Commission (ITC) accusing Zep Solar and Canadian Solar of infringing two Westinghouse Solar patents (U.S. Patent Numbers 7,406,800 and 7,987,641).
The company contends in its ITC complaint that Zep Solar and Canadian Solar make and import certain products – namely, the Zep System – that infringe the two patents.
The company is seeking an investigation of Zep Solar and Canadian Solar, a permanent exclusion order barring certain Zep Solar and Canadian Solar products from being imported into the U.S., and a cease-and-desist order prohibiting the importation, sale or advertising of these products.
Westinghouse Solar says it pioneered the concept of solar panels in which the racking, grounding and wiring is integrated into the solar panel itself. Starting in 2004, U.S. and international patents were applied for covering these inventions. The first Andalay solar panels were introduced into the U.S. market in 2007.
