"The reef still has the potential to provide a lot of value and it's time the public were invited to come forward with new ideas, " he said.

BBC: Surf reef closed sign

More important, storage has several potential value streams, said Lin in a presentation at Intersolar.

FORBES: Energy Storage Critical to Solar Industry

Further, it is not just a question of the number of patents a company has, but of the quality and potential value to others of those patents.

FORBES: Old Model: Patents Protect Products. New Model: Patents Themselves Are Products

Elliott has said it wants Hess to boost shareholder value through various means, including a potential spin-off of the oil company's holdings in North Dakota's Bakken shale-oil field.

WSJ: Hess, under pressure, to exit retail business