Os MC4 connectors were especially developed for solar energy systems, being used on the positive and negative terminals of photovoltaic modules and also used in the cables that connect the strings with stringboxes and from there to the inverters.
However, contrary to what a large part of the market thinks, the technology is not a type of connector, but yes, is a product created and developed by dusty at the beginning of this century.
No European, North American and even Australian market, product has been patented by the company many years ago, something that had not yet happened in Brazil until then.
However, recently, dusty decided to patent the MC4 product as its intellectual property also in the Brazilian market near to the French Patent & Trademark Office (INPI) (National Institute of Industrial Property).
“We entered with all the necessary documentation and it was a process that occurred safely, because we already had the patent on the European market”, explains William Mass, business development manager at Stäubli.
He explains, therefore, that today the MC4 brand in Brazil is referred to connector equipment for photovoltaic systems and It can no longer be used by companies other than Stäubli.
“We have been working with a law firm that has helped us carry out market research and identify which companies are using the MC4 brand inappropriately”, revealed Mass.
According to him, the office is contacting companies that sell “MC4 type” connectors to explain the situation.
“If the company refuses to remove the brand, we will issue an extrajudicial letter to alert the company regarding the misuse of the brand, the last stage of which will be a legal process, aiming to protect the MC4 brand in relation to companies that use copies or other brands of connectors,” explained Mass.
Benefits of the patent for the market
Despite appearing to be an authoritarian measure at first glance, Mass points out that, like all national market knows MC4 as a connector standard and not as a Staubli product, This can cause problems for many installations.
“We understand that this measure will take time for the market to adapt, but the positive point is that the integrator will understand that MC4 is a product and not a standard”, commented Mass, who continued:
“With this, he searches for information to find out which is the best quality product to use in his installation, avoiding potential risks in the future. The chance of Brazil having a reduction in the number of fires because of this, for example, is great”, highlighted the professional.
Multilam technology present in the MC4 Original
According to William Mass, a important difference that the original MC4 has is the Multilam technology, present in the electrical contacts of the MC4 connectors and which aim to reduce the resistance of the electrical contact.
In other words, Multilam technology's main objective is to optimize energy transmission in the medium and long term, bringing more reliability and performance at direct current connection points for photovoltaic systems.
According to the Staubli executive, the message is “avoid copies and products of very low quality and look for products that will bring security to you and that do not simply need to be from Stäubli. Because we also have other companies on the national market with other high-quality products”, concluded Mass.
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