China dominates global renewable energy patents (60% of 2024 filings, 234,595 total patents), outpacing Japan and the US significantly. Geothermal energy shows fastest growth at 9.3% annually despite smallest patent base (1.3%), presenting an underexploited opportunity. Thailand's IP department highlights this as a strategic gap where Thai SMEs can develop advanced components and enter emerging markets with less competition, having filed only 760 renewable energy patents in the past 5 years.