---
title: "AE Solar vs BYD - Brand Comparison | ComparePV"
description: "Compare AE Solar vs BYD solar panels: full portfolio, efficiency, cell technology breakdown, warranty terms and company background."
source: "https://comparepv.com/ae-solar-vs-byd"
---

# AE Solar vs BYD

AE Solar has the broader catalog (646 vs 115 models). AE Solar leads on peak efficiency at 24.43%. BYD leans bifacial (95% of lineup).


## The two companies


| Attribute | AE Solar | BYD |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Country | Germany | China |
| Headquarters | Gersthofen | Shenzhen |
| Founded | 2003 | 1995 |
| Employees | 501-1000 |  |
| Annual capacity | 2+ GW/year |  |
| Tier 1 | yes | yes |
| Listed |  | SZSE: 002594 |
| Website | [https://ae-solar.com](https://ae-solar.com) | [https://www.byd.com](https://www.byd.com) |

AE Solar is a German Tier 1 manufacturer of high-efficiency photovoltaic (PV) modules. The company specializes in producing durable and innovative solar panels with German engineering standards, offering solutions for residential, commercial, and utility-scale applications. AE Solar operates in over 100 countries and...


## Catalog & Power


| Measure | AE Solar | BYD | Margin |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Panel Models | 646 | 115 | +531 |
| Max Power | 730 W | 735 W | +5 W |
| Avg Power | 489 W | 565 W | +76 W |


## Efficiency


| Measure | AE Solar | BYD | Margin |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Max Efficiency | 24.43% | 23.66% | +0.77 pp |
| Avg Efficiency | 21.11% | 21.84% | +0.74 pp |


## Reliability & Warranty


| Measure | AE Solar | BYD | Margin |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Avg Temp Coefficient | -0.312%/°C | -0.299%/°C | +0.013 |
| Bifacial Share | 405 (63%) | 109 (95%) | +32 pp |
| Avg Warranty | 29.7 yrs | 28.5 yrs | +1.2 yr |


## Efficiency distribution

BYD skews to higher efficiency: 15% of lineup is 23%+


| Efficiency band | AE Solar | BYD |
| --- | --- | --- |
| \<20% | 74 (11.5%) | 5 (4.3%) |
| 20-21% | 171 (26.5%) | 12 (10.4%) |
| 21-22% | 142 (22.0%) | 28 (24.3%) |
| 22-23% | 199 (30.8%) | 53 (46.1%) |
| 23%+ | 60 (9.3%) | 17 (14.8%) |


## Power distribution

BYD offers more 600W+ panels (41% of lineup)


| Power band | AE Solar | BYD |
| --- | --- | --- |
| \<400W | 78 (12.1%) | 4 (3.5%) |
| 400-499W | 329 (50.9%) | 33 (28.7%) |
| 500-599W | 154 (23.8%) | 31 (27.0%) |
| 600-699W | 55 (8.5%) | 34 (29.6%) |
| 700W+ | 30 (4.6%) | 13 (11.3%) |


## Cell technology

Dominant cell tech: **TOPCon** (54%)

Dominant cell tech: **TOPCon** (63%)


| Technology | AE Solar | BYD |
| --- | --- | --- |
| TOPCon | 349 (54.0%) | 72 (62.6%) |
| PERC | 245 (37.9%) | 30 (26.1%) |
| Back Contact | 21 (3.3%) | 0 |
| N-type | 17 (2.6%) | 0 |
| BIPV | 9 (1.4%) | 0 |
| HJT | 5 (0.8%) | 13 (11.3%) |


## Top panels, AE Solar


| # | Model | Power | Efficiency | Temp. coefficient | Technology |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | [CME-132BDS-730](https://comparepv.com/panel/ae-solar-cme-132bds-730) | 730 | 23.5 | -0.290 | Monocrystalline |
| 2 | [CME-132BDS-730W](https://comparepv.com/panel/ae-solar-cme-132bds-730w) | 730 | 23.5 | -0.290 | Monocrystalline |
| 3 | [CME-132BDS-725](https://comparepv.com/panel/ae-solar-cme-132bds-725) | 725 | 23.4 | -0.290 | Monocrystalline |
| 4 | [CME-132-725W](https://comparepv.com/panel/ae-solar-cme-132-725w) | 725 | 23.4 | -0.290 | Monocrystalline |
| 5 | [CME-132BDS-725W](https://comparepv.com/panel/ae-solar-cme-132bds-725w) | 725 | 23.4 | -0.290 | Monocrystalline |
| 6 | [AE CME-132 720](https://comparepv.com/panel/ae-solar-ae-cme-132-720) | 720 | 23.2 | -0.290 | Monocrystalline |
| 7 | [CME-132BDS-720](https://comparepv.com/panel/ae-solar-cme-132bds-720) | 720 | 23.2 | -0.290 | Monocrystalline |
| 8 | [AE CME-132-720](https://comparepv.com/panel/ae-solar-ae-cme-132-720-1) | 720 | 23.2 | -0.290 | Monocrystalline |
| 9 | [CME-132-720W](https://comparepv.com/panel/ae-solar-cme-132-720w) | 720 | 23.2 | -0.290 | Monocrystalline |
| 10 | [CME-132BDS-720W](https://comparepv.com/panel/ae-solar-cme-132bds-720w) | 720 | 23.2 | -0.290 | Monocrystalline |


## Top panels, BYD


| # | Model | Power | Efficiency | Temp. coefficient | Technology |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | [HSBK-33-735](https://comparepv.com/panel/byd-hsbk-33-735) | 735 | 23.7 | -0.240 | Monocrystalline |
| 2 | [HSBK-33-730](https://comparepv.com/panel/byd-hsbk-33-730) | 730 | 23.5 | -0.240 | Monocrystalline |
| 3 | [HSBK-33-725](https://comparepv.com/panel/byd-hsbk-33-725) | 725 | 23.3 | -0.240 | Monocrystalline |
| 4 | [HSBK-33-720](https://comparepv.com/panel/byd-hsbk-33-720) | 720 | 23.2 | -0.240 | Monocrystalline |
| 5 | [NSBK-33-720](https://comparepv.com/panel/byd-nsbk-33-720) | 720 | 23.2 | -0.278 | Monocrystalline |
| 6 | [NSBK-33-715](https://comparepv.com/panel/byd-nsbk-33-715) | 715 | 23.0 | -0.278 | Monocrystalline |
| 7 | [HSBK-33-715](https://comparepv.com/panel/byd-hsbk-33-715) | 715 | 23.0 | -0.240 | Monocrystalline |
| 8 | [NSBK-33-710](https://comparepv.com/panel/byd-nsbk-33-710) | 710 | 22.9 | -0.278 | Monocrystalline |
| 9 | [HSBK-33-710](https://comparepv.com/panel/byd-hsbk-33-710) | 710 | 22.9 | -0.240 | Monocrystalline |
| 10 | [NSBK-33-705](https://comparepv.com/panel/byd-nsbk-33-705) | 705 | 22.7 | -0.278 | Monocrystalline |


## Summary

AE Solar was founded in 2003 in Königsbrunn, Germany, and has grown into a Tier 1 bankable manufacturer with a production capacity exceeding 2 GW per year and a commercial presence spanning more than 95 countries. Its manufacturing footprint covers China, Georgia, and Turkey, while its German headquarters provides a European identity that carries weight in regulatory and institutional procurement contexts - the company was recognized as a Grade A European manufacturer in recent industry assessments. BYD, founded in 1995 and headquartered in Shenzhen, China, is a publicly listed conglomerate on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange (SZSE) with diversified operations across electric vehicles, energy storage, and solar PV. Also holding Tier 1 bankable status, BYD leverages deep vertical integration and large-scale manufacturing to compete on both performance and cost. Both manufacturers lead their portfolios with TOPCon cell technology - BYD at 62.6% of its lineup and AE Solar at 49.8%.

AE Solar's catalog of 442 panels includes modules reaching up to 730 Wp and a peak efficiency of 24.43%, with an average warranty of approximately 29.7 years. Its PV Magazine 5-star rating for the Meteor TOPCon series and its broad product variety make it well-suited for residential rooftop installations, light commercial projects, and markets where European manufacturing credentials are a purchasing factor. BYD's more focused lineup of 115 panels stands out in key output metrics: an average panel power of approximately 565 Wp, an average module efficiency of 21.84%, and a notably favorable average temperature coefficient of -0.299%/°C versus -0.313%/°C for AE Solar. Critically, 94.8% of BYD's portfolio is bifacial - compared to 63.8% for AE Solar - making it a natural fit for utility-scale ground-mount projects and large commercial C&I installations where bifacial energy gains improve project economics. BYD's integrated solar-plus-storage ecosystem is a further differentiator for developers seeking a single-vendor solution.

For buyers prioritizing a broad catalog, long warranty terms, and a European brand narrative, AE Solar is the stronger choice - particularly for residential and light commercial deployments. BYD is the better option for high-volume, bifacial-dominant projects where maximizing energy yield and integrating battery storage are primary objectives. The two manufacturers serve overlapping but distinct segments: AE Solar covers a wider range of installation types, while BYD's portfolio is clearly optimized for high-output, ground-mounted, or large-rooftop use cases.

Written by claude-sonnet from the figures above.


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- [ASM vs BYD](https://comparepv.com/asm-vs-byd)


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Source: https://comparepv.com/ae-solar-vs-byd

Not in this file, on the page: the distributions above drawn as charts.