Consultancy Totaro & Associates has launched a global marketplace and central clearinghouse within the wind industry for intellectual property (IP) and technology to be bought, sold, or licensed. The focus will be on proven technologies for the utility-scale turbine market.
So far, commitments come from multiple companies that have listed over 800 patents for sale or available for license. These patents cover almost every aspect of wind turbine technology and operation including blades, controls, tower, gearbox, generator, pitch & yaw systems, logistics and transportation, as well as O&M and even construction related patents.
The table shows about one-third of the listings the firm has cataloged.
“This is about creating a mechanism for IP and technology transfer,” says Philip Totaro, the company’s Founder & CEO. “We have received tremendous response from wind turbine industry participants worldwide about the need and benefits of having an IP market.”
Listings are kept private to maintain confidentiality, but patent categories and technology for sale are acknowledged. Interested buyers and sellers must meet stringent criteria for participation, and patent acquirers and licensees are expected to use the IP to cultivate new products and technologies.
“There’s enough IP available to build your own wind turbine,” says Totaro.
Totaro & Associates
http://www.totaro-associates.com
Filed Under: News, Turbines
Actually what Totaro & Associates is doing is great. The wind industry has matured a lot in the past 10 years or so with achievement of cost parity vs. conventional energy in sight. The patent marketplace described above seems to cover technologies and IP from wind turbine manufacturers who are exiting the market or divesting non-core assets. When technology matures to a point where it can be transferred (along with the associated IP rights) then it is extremely useful to have ‘one stop shopping.’
Downdraft tower turbine technology is simply not cost competitive with conventional horizontal-axis, utility scale turbines. It does not achieve the capacity factor of a conventional wind turbine, and at this point has not demonstrated commercial viability at a utility-scale. There is a lack of availability and performance data on such a design.
The mainstream technology in the marketplace listed above is there for a reason, because it is desirable technology to own. There would appear to be plenty of funding / investment vehicles for new technologies, such as a downdraft tower, but the likelihood that other types of non-mainstream technology like Savonious, Darrius, etc. will make a meaningful dent in further reducing cost of energy is low.
If the project economics work, then investors have no problem going with any proven technology which can reliably produce.
Dear sirs ,it’s nice that you are providing a place for inventors to market their inventions however you are only covering technologies that are mature and have nothing for true innovation within the market. I for instance have a design that will out compete the down draft tower in the wind market, up to 1280′ tall and 400MW’s and because it blows away the current business models many of the wind companies don’t want it to damage their investments