Patents for Humanity: Green Energy
Inspiring inventors to develop green energy technologies
The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has expanded the Patents for Humanity Awards Program to include a new category for those who are responding rapidly to the challenges of climate change by developing green energy sources using game-changing technologies. This new award category provides business incentives for patent applicants, holders, and licensees whose inventions address climate change through green energy technologies, including through wind, solar, green hydrogen, hydropower, geothermal, and biofuel technologies. Their success stories will inspire others to harness innovation for human progress.
Award
The USPTO hosted a combined ceremony to recognize Patents for Humanity: Green Energy and Trademarks for Humanity award winners on December 3, 2024 at 9:30 a.m. ET.
All innovations related to the designated green energy technologies was eligible. Any U.S. patent or patent application that was directed to green energy technologies was eligible for this award, including in the areas of wind, solar, green hydrogen, hydropower, geothermal, and biofuel technologies. Please note that this new award cycle was only for applications related to green energy technologies. For more information about past programs, please see the Patents For Humanity webpage.
Patents for Humanity: Green Energy application cycle is closed
Applications
Eligibility
Competition criteria
You will be evaluated on several different criteria:
- Subject matter: Your technology, which is claimed in a U.S. utility patent in force at the time, or a pending U.S. utility patent application, effectively addresses climate change by providing an environmental benefit and is making energy renewable, sustainable, cleaner, or greener.
- Commercialization: You took or are taking meaningful actions to make the technology available to the marketplace. If the technology is not yet in the marketplace, you have shown relevant data about potential impact on the marketplace. This only includes actions taken by you.
- Impact: Deployment of your technology has or will benefit the environment by making energy renewable, sustainable, cleaner, or greener. This includes downstream actions by third parties building on your contributions.
You are encouraged to include any actual or projected data to support your application. Judges will consider the size of the company when evaluating all of the above criteria. For example, small and micro entities will not be expected to have the same impact as larger companies.
Acceleration certificate
- A patent application
- Ex parte reexam
- Ex parte appeal to the Patent Trial and Appeal Board
Inter partes matters and other post-grant proceedings may not be accelerated at this time.