Shoals awarded more than $96 million in damages in patent dispute with Voltage

A federal jury in North Carolina has ordered Voltage Energy to pay Shoals more than $96.38 million in damages over a patent dispute involving solar equipment. The case centered on "trunk bus" hardware, part of the wiring system (electrical balance of systems) that connects solar panels in a field into a single circuit. The jury found that Voltage's LYNX trunk bus products, made in China and imported into the U.S., willfully infringed on two of Shoals' patents covering its Big Lead Assembly technology. The damages award reflects profits Shoals lost and price cuts it says it was forced to make because of the competing product.

Because the jury found the infringement willful, the court can increase the damages further. Shoals also says the court plans to issue an order blocking Voltage from making, distributing, or selling LYNX products in the U.S. Voltage disputes the verdict and says it will ask for a new trial, arguing the ruling is not supported by the evidence and that it developed LYNX independently in 2021, before Shoals' patents existed.

This follows a related decision in June by the U.S. International Trade Commission, which already blocked imports of certain Voltage trunk bus products found to infringe on the same patents. That ITC case also found that newer, redesigned LYNX PLUS products do not infringe, and those may be used in U.S. projects by mid-2027.

For homeowners, this is a dispute between solar equipment makers, not something that changes rebates, costs, or installation options for home solar systems right now.