--- title: "AE Solar vs SchmitzSolar - Brand Comparison | ComparePV" description: "Compare AE Solar vs SchmitzSolar solar panels: full portfolio, efficiency, cell technology breakdown, warranty terms and company background." source: "https://comparepv.com/ae-solar-vs-schmitzsolar" --- # AE Solar vs SchmitzSolar AE Solar has the broader catalog (646 vs 0 models). AE Solar leans bifacial (63% of lineup). ## The two companies | Attribute | AE Solar | SchmitzSolar | | --- | --- | --- | | Country | Germany | Germany | | Headquarters | Gersthofen | Lingen (Ems) | | Founded | 2003 | 2018 | | Employees | 501-1000 | | | Annual capacity | 2+ GW/year | | | Tier 1 | yes | | | Listed | | | | Website | [https://ae-solar.com](https://ae-solar.com) | [https://schmitzsolar.de](https://schmitzsolar.de) | 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... SchmitzSolar (operated by T. Schmitz – Int. Handel) is a German B2B photovoltaic distributor and trader, not a panel manufacturer. Based in Lingen (Ems), the company supplies installers, project developers, and commercial customers across Europe with solar modules, inverters, and accessories sourced from over 25... ## Catalog & Power | Measure | AE Solar | SchmitzSolar | Margin | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Panel Models | 646 | 0 | +646 | | Max Power | 730 W | 0 W | +730 W | | Avg Power | 489 W | 0 W | +489 W | ## Efficiency | Measure | AE Solar | SchmitzSolar | Margin | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Max Efficiency | 24.43% | - | | | Avg Efficiency | 21.11% | - | | ## Reliability & Warranty | Measure | AE Solar | SchmitzSolar | Margin | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Avg Temp Coefficient | -0.312%/°C | - | | | Bifacial Share | 405 (63%) | 0 (0%) | +63 pp | | Avg Warranty | 29.7 yrs | - | | ## Efficiency distribution AE Solar skews to higher efficiency: 9% of lineup is 23%+ | Efficiency band | AE Solar | SchmitzSolar | | --- | --- | --- | | \<20% | 74 (11.5%) | 0 | | 20-21% | 171 (26.5%) | 0 | | 21-22% | 142 (22.0%) | 0 | | 22-23% | 199 (30.8%) | 0 | | 23%+ | 60 (9.3%) | 0 | ## Power distribution AE Solar offers more 600W+ panels (13% of lineup) | Power band | AE Solar | SchmitzSolar | | --- | --- | --- | | \<400W | 78 (12.1%) | 0 | | 400-499W | 329 (50.9%) | 0 | | 500-599W | 154 (23.8%) | 0 | | 600-699W | 55 (8.5%) | 0 | | 700W+ | 30 (4.6%) | 0 | ## Cell technology Dominant cell tech: **TOPCon** (54%) | Technology | AE Solar | SchmitzSolar | | --- | --- | --- | | TOPCon | 349 (54.0%) | 0 | | PERC | 245 (37.9%) | 0 | | Back Contact | 21 (3.3%) | 0 | | N-type | 17 (2.6%) | 0 | | BIPV | 9 (1.4%) | 0 | | HJT | 5 (0.8%) | 0 | ## 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 | ## Summary AE Solar is a solar module manufacturer headquartered in Germany, with production facilities in China, Georgia, and Turkey that together deliver an annual output capacity of approximately 2.5 GW. The company has appeared on the BloombergNEF Tier 1 PV Module Manufacturer list for sixteen consecutive quarters as of Q1 2025 and was singled out by BloombergNEF in 2024 as Europe's sole Tier 1 PV manufacturer with high bankability. SchmitzSolar, by contrast, is not a manufacturer but a solar solutions distributor based in Lingen (Ems), Germany, in operation since 2018. It holds membership in the German Solar Industry Association (BSW-Solar) and supplies installers, specialist trade companies, and commercial customers across Europe by partnering with more than 25 upstream module producers, including JA Solar, Trina Solar, and Canadian Solar. On the dimension of institutional footprint and bankable standing, AE Solar holds a clear and structural advantage as a vertically integrated producer. AE Solar's product catalog spans residential rooftop systems, commercial and industrial (C&I) installations, and utility-scale ground mounts. Its current technology focus is N-type TOPCon, most prominently represented by the Meteor series - with power outputs reaching up to 725 W in bifacial configurations - and the Terra series of bifacial dual-glass modules, which AE Solar released for vertical and agrivoltaic applications in early 2025. The company backs its panels with a 30-year product warranty, above the industry norm, and received the Kiwa PVEL Top Performer Award in 2025. SchmitzSolar carries no proprietary module line; buyers sourcing through it gain access to a broad mix of brands and technology tiers, but warranty terms, cell technology, and degradation profiles will vary by whichever upstream brand is selected for a given order. For most international buyers - whether a residential installer, a C&I project developer, or a lender underwriting a utility-scale array - AE Solar is the more straightforward choice: its bankability credentials are independently verified, its TOPCon product line is clearly defined, and its warranty obligations rest with a single accountable producer. SchmitzSolar fills a legitimate role as a flexible sourcing and distribution partner for European installers who need multi-brand procurement in one place, but it operates in a fundamentally different segment of the value chain and should not be evaluated as a peer manufacturer. Written by claude-sonnet from the figures above. ## Other comparisons - [AE Solar vs A.B. Energy](https://comparepv.com/ae-solar-vs-a-b-energy) - [AEET vs SchmitzSolar](https://comparepv.com/aeet-vs-schmitzsolar) - [AE Solar vs AIKO](https://comparepv.com/ae-solar-vs-aiko) - [AKCOME vs SchmitzSolar](https://comparepv.com/akcome-vs-schmitzsolar) - [AE Solar vs ARTsolar](https://comparepv.com/ae-solar-vs-artsolar) - [ASM vs SchmitzSolar](https://comparepv.com/asm-vs-schmitzsolar) --- Source: https://comparepv.com/ae-solar-vs-schmitzsolar Not in this file, on the page: the distributions above drawn as charts.