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

# AE Solar vs Sun Earth

AE Solar has the broader catalog (646 vs 60 models). AE Solar leads on peak efficiency at 24.43%.


## The two companies


| Attribute | AE Solar | Sun Earth |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Country | Germany |  |
| Headquarters | Gersthofen |  |
| Founded | 2003 |  |
| Employees | 501-1000 |  |
| Annual capacity | 2+ GW/year |  |
| Tier 1 | yes | no |
| Listed |  |  |
| Website | [https://ae-solar.com](https://ae-solar.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 | Sun Earth | Margin |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Panel Models | 646 | 60 | +586 |
| Max Power | 730 W | 610 W | +120 W |
| Avg Power | 489 W | 510 W | +21 W |


## Efficiency


| Measure | AE Solar | Sun Earth | Margin |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Max Efficiency | 24.43% | 23.80% | +0.63 pp |
| Avg Efficiency | 21.11% | 22.42% | +1.31 pp |


## Reliability & Warranty


| Measure | AE Solar | Sun Earth | Margin |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Avg Temp Coefficient | -0.312%/°C | -0.294%/°C | +0.018 |
| Bifacial Share | 405 (63%) | 38 (63%) | +1 pp |
| Avg Warranty | 29.7 yrs | 30.9 yrs | +1.2 yr |


## Efficiency distribution

Sun Earth skews to higher efficiency: 37% of lineup is 23%+


| Efficiency band | AE Solar | Sun Earth |
| --- | --- | --- |
| \<20% | 74 (11.5%) | 2 (3.3%) |
| 20-21% | 171 (26.5%) | 2 (3.3%) |
| 21-22% | 142 (22.0%) | 14 (23.3%) |
| 22-23% | 199 (30.8%) | 20 (33.3%) |
| 23%+ | 60 (9.3%) | 22 (36.7%) |


## Power distribution

AE Solar offers more 600W+ panels (13% of lineup)


| Power band | AE Solar | Sun Earth |
| --- | --- | --- |
| \<400W | 78 (12.1%) | 2 (3.3%) |
| 400-499W | 329 (50.9%) | 24 (40.0%) |
| 500-599W | 154 (23.8%) | 30 (50.0%) |
| 600-699W | 55 (8.5%) | 4 (6.7%) |
| 700W+ | 30 (4.6%) | 0 |


## Cell technology

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

Dominant cell tech: **TOPCon** (82%)


| Technology | AE Solar | Sun Earth |
| --- | --- | --- |
| TOPCon | 349 (54.0%) | 49 (81.7%) |
| PERC | 245 (37.9%) | 4 (6.7%) |
| Back Contact | 21 (3.3%) | 0 |
| N-type | 17 (2.6%) | 0 |
| BIPV | 9 (1.4%) | 1 (1.7%) |
| HJT | 5 (0.8%) | 0 |
| Unknown | 0 | 6 (10.0%) |


## 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 |


## Top panels, Sun Earth


| # | Model | Power | Efficiency | Temp. coefficient | Technology |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | [DXM8-72HBG 610W](https://comparepv.com/panel/sun-earth-dxm8-72hbg-610w) | 610 | 23.6 | -0.290 | Monocrystalline |
| 2 | [DXM8-72H-610](https://comparepv.com/panel/sun-earth-dxm8-72h-610) | 610 | 23.6 | -0.290 | Monocrystalline |
| 3 | [DXM8-72HBG 600W](https://comparepv.com/panel/sun-earth-dxm8-72hbg-600w) | 600 | 23.2 | -0.290 | Monocrystalline |
| 4 | [DXM8-72H-600](https://comparepv.com/panel/sun-earth-dxm8-72h-600) | 600 | 23.2 | -0.290 | Monocrystalline |
| 5 | [DXM8-72HBG 590W](https://comparepv.com/panel/sun-earth-dxm8-72hbg-590w) | 590 | 22.8 | -0.290 | Monocrystalline |
| 6 | [DXM8-72H-590](https://comparepv.com/panel/sun-earth-dxm8-72h-590) | 590 | 22.8 | -0.290 | Monocrystalline |
| 7 | [SKT580M10-144D4](https://comparepv.com/panel/sun-earth-skt580m10-144d4) | 580 | 22.4 | -0.290 | Monocrystalline |
| 8 | [DXM8-72HBG 580W](https://comparepv.com/panel/sun-earth-dxm8-72hbg-580w) | 580 | 22.5 | -0.290 | Monocrystalline |
| 9 | [DXM8-72H-580](https://comparepv.com/panel/sun-earth-dxm8-72h-580) | 580 | 22.5 | -0.290 | Monocrystalline |
| 10 | [SKT575M10-144D4](https://comparepv.com/panel/sun-earth-skt575m10-144d4) | 575 | 22.3 | -0.290 | Monocrystalline |


## Summary

AE Solar is a German-headquartered manufacturer founded in 2003 in Königsbrunn, with production facilities in China, Georgia, and Turkey and an annual manufacturing capacity exceeding 2 GW. The company holds Bloomberg NEF Tier 1 bankable status and has been recognized as Europe's sole Tier 1 manufacturer with high bankability in 2024, alongside distinctions such as the first DIBt certification for a Tier 1 PV module maker and a 2023 PV Top Performer award. Sun Earth is a Chinese manufacturer with roots stretching back to the early 1990s, giving it a longer operating history, though it does not currently appear on Tier 1 bankability lists. Sun Earth operates a vertically integrated supply chain - from silicon to finished modules - and maintains regional offices in Australia, Germany, the United States, and other markets, but its portfolio is considerably smaller at 60 models compared to AE Solar's 442.

AE Solar's broad portfolio supports a wide range of applications: residential rooftop installs benefit from the brand recognition and warranty terms averaging nearly 30 years, while high-power modules reaching 730 Wp and efficiencies up to 24.43% make AE Solar a credible choice for utility-scale ground-mount and commercial C&I projects where bankability is a prerequisite for project finance. Sun Earth, despite its non-Tier-1 status, shows a higher average portfolio efficiency of 22.4% versus AE Solar's 21.3%, a better average temperature coefficient of -0.294%/°C against -0.313%/°C, and an 81.7% share of TOPCon technology in its lineup - all figures that are technically competitive for self-financed commercial or ground-mount installations where raw performance-per-watt matters more than lender approval.

For international buyers working within project finance structures or seeking bankable supply chains, AE Solar is the more straightforward choice given its Tier 1 status and established European distribution. Sun Earth represents a viable alternative for buyers funding projects from equity or seeking a cost-competitive TOPCon-heavy portfolio without a hard bankability requirement - the superior average efficiency and temperature coefficient translate to measurable yield gains, provided the absence of Tier 1 certification is acceptable to the project's stakeholders.

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 Sun Earth](https://comparepv.com/aeet-vs-sun-earth)
- [AE Solar vs AIKO](https://comparepv.com/ae-solar-vs-aiko)
- [AKCOME vs Sun Earth](https://comparepv.com/akcome-vs-sun-earth)
- [AE Solar vs ARTsolar](https://comparepv.com/ae-solar-vs-artsolar)
- [ASM vs Sun Earth](https://comparepv.com/asm-vs-sun-earth)


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Source: https://comparepv.com/ae-solar-vs-sun-earth

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