“We have been working with solar panel manufacturers since 2004 to reduce installation costs by integrating racking, grounding and wiring into the solar panel itself,” said Barry Cinnamon, CEO of Westinghouse Solar. “At Solar Power International 2011 last month we introduced our Andalay Groove technology, which includes low-cost mounting components that work with panels incorporating side grooves — including panels from Trina, Yingli, Canadian Solar, ET Solar, Upsolar, Hanwha Solar, and Sharp. We are in discussions with a number of panel manufacturers as well as large integrators to utilize Andalay Groove technology,” continued Cinnamon.
Westinghouse Solar contends that Zep Solar and Canadian Solar make and import certain products that infringe two Westinghouse Solar patents — U.S. Patent Numbers 7,406,800 and 7,987,641. Westinghouse Solar’s ITC filing is a means of addressing the alleged infringement by seeking a permanent exclusion order barring certain Zep Solar and Canadian Solar products from being imported into the United States, as well as a cease and desist order prohibiting the importation, sale, or advertising of these products.
“We have been working with solar panel manufacturers since 2004 to reduce installation costs by integrating racking, grounding and wiring into the solar panel itself,” said Barry Cinnamon, CEO of Westinghouse Solar. “At Solar Power International 2011 last month we introduced our Andalay Groove technology, which includes low-cost mounting components that work with panels incorporating side grooves — including panels from Trina, Yingli, Canadian Solar, ET Solar, Upsolar, Hanwha Solar, and Sharp. We are in discussions with a number of panel manufacturers as well as large integrators to utilize Andalay Groove technology,” continued Cinnamon.
“I want to make our position clear: this ITC patent infringement action is un-related to the anti-dumping allegations of SolarWorld and several other manufacturers. Our goal is quite simply to protect Westinghouse Solar’s intellectual property by seeking an order prohibiting the importation of solar products that infringe our U.S. patents,” continued Cinnamon. “We will continue to aggressively defend our patent rights, which we believe were first infringed by Zep Solar, a U.S. company.”
With the Investigation instituted, the ITC will now be assigning an administrative law judge to preside over the proceeding, and will schedule and hold an evidentiary hearing. The ITC will make a final determination in the investigation at the earliest practicable time.
About Westinghouse Solar
Westinghouse Solar is a designer and manufacturer of solar power systems. In 2007, Westinghouse Solar pioneered the concept of integrating the racking, wiring and grounding directly into the solar panel. This revolutionary solar panel, originally branded “Andalay”, quickly won industry acclaim. In 2009, the company again broke new ground with the first integrated AC solar panel, reducing the number of components for a rooftop solar installation by approximately 80 percent and lowering labor costs by approximately 50 percent. This first AC panel, which won the 2009 Popular Mechanics Breakthrough Award, has become the industry’s most widely installed AC solar panel. Award-winning Westinghouse Solar Power Systems provide the best combination of safety, performance and reliability, while backed by the proven quality of the Westinghouse name.
Safe Harbor
Statements made in this release that are not historical in nature, including those related to future revenue, revenue growth, gross margin, operating expense rates, achievement of cashflow and EBITDAS breakeven and profitability, product introductions and cost reductions in future periods, and anticipated outcomes in litigation, constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Safe Harbor Provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as “expects,” “projects,” “plans,” “will,” “may,” “anticipates,” believes,” “should,” “intends,” “estimates,” and other words of similar meaning. These statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that cannot be predicted or quantified, and our actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, risks associated with the inherent uncertainty of future financial results, additional capital financing requirements, development of new products by us or our competitors, uncertainties in the timing of availability and manufacturing volumes of products from our suppliers, the effectiveness, profitability, and marketability of our new products, our ability to protect and defend proprietary rights and information, the impact of current, pending, or future legislation, regulation and incentive programs on the solar power industry, the impact of competitive products or pricing, technological changes, our ability to identify and successfully acquire and grow distribution customers, and the effect of general economic and business conditions. All forward-looking statements included in this release are made as of the date of this press release, and Westinghouse Solar assumes no obligation to update any such forward-looking statements.
