SHANGHAI, Feb 8, 2026, 10:33 CST — The market has closed.
- Shares of LONGi Green Energy finished 0.7% higher in Shanghai on Friday.
- This week’s disclosure of a 1.65 billion yuan BC patent licence deal has effectively set a price tag on critical solar IP.
- Industry forecasts now see China’s new solar installations shrinking in 2026, turning up the heat on the sector.
LONGi Green Energy Technology Co., Ltd. (601012.SS) wrapped up Friday trading in Shanghai with its A-shares ticking 0.7% higher to 18.36 yuan. Now, with the new week ahead, investors are sizing up patent expenses and a less robust demand picture for China’s solar industry. 1
The spark for all this: On Friday, Shanghai Aiko Solar Energy and Maxeon Solar Technologies unveiled a patent licensing deal covering BC (back-contact) solar cell and module patents outside the U.S. BC tech shifts the electrical contacts to the cell’s rear, which cuts front-side shading and can bump up efficiency. But the design’s also drawn a crowd in the courts. 2
Demand is now under scrutiny, too. China’s photovoltaic industry association is projecting new solar installations in 2026 between 180 and 240 gigawatts—a step down from 2025—according to an industry “roadmap” shared by Xinhua. An official at the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology described 2026 as pivotal for dealing with “involution,” the industry term for the fierce price wars that have hit the sector, as companies look to reset after a burst in capacity. 3
The licensing agreement isn’t really about Aiko itself—it’s the precedent that matters. By attaching a public figure to BC patent access, the deal could send shockwaves through China’s solar manufacturers, especially those eyeing exports to regions with stricter patent enforcement.
Aiko disclosed in an exchange filing that it’s getting non-exclusive rights to Maxeon’s BC patent portfolio outside the U.S.—and that covers any patents added in the next five years. The licence runs 15 years. Total licence fees? 1.65 billion yuan, with the first 250 million yuan due in 2026. 4
TCL Technology Group, which owns the Maxeon unit, said in a separate filing that any missed payments would trigger a daily penalty of 0.05%. The company also clarified the fee: it’s fixed, bundled, and won’t move with market fluctuations or sales volumes. 5
The details matter here. Chinese media pointed out the licence isn’t exclusive, so Maxeon could hand out the same rights to other producers. And the bigger patent dispute over BC and TOPCon — that’s “tunnel oxide passivated contact,” another high-efficiency cell tech — has already roped in LONGi, JinkoSolar, and others, playing out across several regions. 6
LONGi holders now face a fresh dilemma: will stepped-up, more transparent IP expenses just stack onto the mounting costs already pinching the sector, where prices remain soft? Or could expanded cross-licensing pacts actually cut down legal headaches and smooth exports beyond China?
The calendar’s also in play here. The Shanghai Stock Exchange heads into its Spring Festival break starting Feb. 15, staying shut through Feb. 23 before trading resumes Feb. 24. That leaves just a handful of sessions for investors to adjust positions or push through final filings. 7
Next up for LONGi: the company’s 2025 annual report, with data providers marking April 29 as the expected release date. 8
Monday’s session picks up with investors eyeing fresh patent settlement headlines, shifts in solar supply chain pricing, and signs that policy chatter on low-cost competition is actually moving the needle before the market goes quiet for the holiday.
