The case claims that the Chinese firms, helped by suppliers and lenders, conspired to flood the US market with below-cost solar panels and create a monopoly.

The three Chinese companies raised money on US stock markets and then used the capital to "destroy" American solar manufacturers like Solyndra, the company says in court documents filed last week.

Panel prices moved in tandem, falling 75% in the four years to 2011 in the US market, Solyndra’s complaint says.

The