Clean tech patents are at an all-time high, creating a competitive playing field for organizations that analyze and share patent intelligence.

Except for a slight decline in 2007, the amount of clean tech patents are continually rising, with 928 patents granted in 2008. According to the 2008 Clean Energy Patent Growth Index released quarterly by New York-based Heslin Rothenberg Farley & Mesiti, auto manufacturers Honda and General Motors registered the most patents, followed by Toyota, Nissan and Ford.

Among all the patent categories, fuel cell technologies were granted the most patents, with companies like Honda, GM, Ballard Power Systems, UTC Power Corporation and Plug Power dominating the top five. Other technology sectors that saw growth included wind power and hydroelectric, tidal and geothermal power. However, solar, biofuel and hybrid and electric transportation patents declined.

Riding the wave of alternative energy patents, IP Checkups, a Bay Area-based patent analytics firm, last week released a report showing the patent landscape for concentrated solar thermal (CST), which represents a promising option for grid-scale renewable electricity generation and a promising option for companies looking for investors.  Most importantly for companies and investors, the report focuses on the analysis of patent protection, including claims assessments, technology breadth and licensing agreements of thermal energy storage technologies for the key CST players currently active in the thermal energy storage space. This is an attractive sector for venture capitalists, who invested $745 million into CST technology in the first three quarters of 2008, according to the Cleantech Group.

Although often overlooked, patents are an important aspect of the clean tech industry, according to the Innovation Alliance, a group that promotes the quality and protection of patents in the United States. They see strong patent protection as an incentive for the development of green technologies – strong patents strengthen companies and innovations, and can attract bigger investors. For the country to move forward with the green technologies that often come from small innovative firms and startups,  strong patent protections – and companies and organizations that collect and share patent information -- is needed.

Similarly, analyzing today's patent trends can provide insight to the popular technologies of tomorrow.