ALBANY, N.Y. - The number of United States patents issued in 2010 for clean energy technologies jumped to 1,881, according to the newly released Clean Energy Patent Growth Index. This was a 170 percent increase over those recorded in 2009.

The report, published by the Cleantech Group at Heslin Rothenberg Farley & Mesiti P.C., noted that the past year showed the largest year-to-year jump since the firm began tracking clean energy patents in 2002. The index tracks filings with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in technologies including solar power, wind power, fuel cells, hydropower, geothermal power, biomass, and biofuels.

The report noted that fuel cell and wind power patents were each up over 57 percent compared to 2009, while solar patents increased 134 percent. Fuel cell patents continued to make up the bulk of the clean energy patents awarded in 2010 with 996 patents, almost three times the number of patents of the nearest competitor, solar, at 363.

Patents are seen as an indicator of successful innovation and research.

Publication date: 05/30/2011