AE Solar vs Hoymiles - solar panel manufacturer comparison
AE Solar has the broader catalog (646 vs 0 models). AE Solar leans bifacial (63% of lineup).
Both catalogues are read from the manufacturers' own datasheets. A brand is not scored against the market here, only against the other brand on this page.
The two companies
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...
- Founded
- 2003
- Headquarters
- Gersthofen, Germany
- Annual capacity
- 2+ GW/year
- Employees
- 501-1000
- Tier 1 bankable
- Yes
Hoymiles Power Electronics Inc. specializes in module-level power electronics (MLPE) solutions, including microinverters, energy storage, and monitoring systems. They focus on research and development, manufacturing, and sales of photovoltaic inverter power conversion equipment. Their mission is to make smart energy...
- Founded
- 2012
- Headquarters
- Shanghai, China
- Employees
- 1,640
- Tier 1 bankable
- Yes
Catalogue against catalogue
An average over a catalogue describes the range a manufacturer publishes, not the module you would buy. A brand with two flagship panels and eighty older ones averages worse than one that has retired its back catalogue.
What each of them builds
AE Solar skews to higher efficiency: 9% of lineup is 23%+
AE Solar offers more 600W+ panels (13% of lineup)
Dominant cell tech: <strong>TOPCon</strong> (54%)
The flagships
Written summary
AE Solar is a solar module manufacturer headquartered in Königsbrunn, Germany, founded in 2003. The company reports annual production capacity exceeding 2 GW and holds the distinction of being the only European PV module manufacturer with Tier 1 status and high bankability in BloombergNEF's ranking, a designation confirmed in 2024. AE Solar operates in more than 95 countries and received the Kiwa PVEL Top Performer Award in 2025. Hoymiles, by contrast, is a Chinese power electronics company headquartered in Hangzhou, China, founded in 2012. It specializes exclusively in microinverters, hybrid inverters, and energy storage systems - it does not manufacture solar panels. Hoymiles achieved BloombergNEF Tier 1 status in the global energy storage manufacturers category for three consecutive quarters in 2025, but this ranking covers storage products, not PV modules. In terms of institutional footprint within the solar module segment, AE Solar stands alone here as Hoymiles has no comparable position.
AE Solar's module portfolio spans three main families: the Meteor series (N-type TOPCon technology, up to 725 W, with bifacial capability), the Comet series (HJT heterojunction, up to 23.05% efficiency, 630-720 W range), and the Aurora series (mono- and bifacial variants from 360 W to 660 W). A carport-oriented Horizon line rounds out the commercial and agrivoltaic offering. The company targets residential rooftop, commercial and industrial (C&I), and utility-scale ground-mount segments, backed by a 30-year product warranty. Hoymiles, on the other hand, offers the HMS and HiFlow microinverter lines - including plug-in balcony solar models gaining traction across Europe - alongside hybrid inverters and battery storage units.
A buyer comparing these two brands as solar panel suppliers is working from a false premise: Hoymiles does not make solar panels and the two companies are not interchangeable. They occupy different parts of the solar value chain and are frequently deployed together in the same installation. Procurement decisions should evaluate each brand strictly within its own product category - AE Solar for modules, Hoymiles for module-level power electronics and storage.
Generated by Claude Sonnet · 2026-05-14
Other brand comparisons
Shop prices: See 4 AE Solar offers
Comparisons are computed from manufacturer datasheets held in the ComparePV database and may not reflect a brand's complete current lineup. Nothing on this page is paid placement.