US District Court Filing Seeks to Hold China Based APsystems Accountable for Willful Patent Infringement
Campbell, CA, June 1, 2020 – Tigo Energy, Inc., pioneer of the smart Flex MLPE & TS4 Platform, has filed a lawsuit in United States District Court for the Northern District of California against Altenergy Power Systems (“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 is a leader in rapid shutdown technology with more than 1 million units delivered. Tigo’s products are multivendor UL-system-certified for rapid shutdown. Tigo’s 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,” said 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.”
Tigo notified APsystems in person and in writing about the infringement but received no response.
Tigo discloses that SMA Solar Technology AG owns 10% or more of its stock and that it has no parent company.
About Tigo
Tigo is a Silicon Valley company founded in 2007 by a team of experienced technologists. Combining a unique systems-level approach with expertise in semiconductors, power electronics, and solar energy, the Tigo team developed the first-generation Smart Module Optimizer technology for the solar industry. Tigo’s vision is to leverage integrated and retrofitted Flex MLPE and communications technology to drive the cost of solar electricity down. By partnering with tier 1 module and inverter manufacturers in the industry, Tigo is able to focus on its key innovation with the smartest TS4 modular platform and leverage the broader ecosystem. Tigo has operations in the USA, Europe, Latin America, Japan, China, Australia, and the Middle East. Visit www.tigoenergy.com.
