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

# AE Solar vs Suntech

AE Solar has the broader catalog (646 vs 255 models). Suntech leads on peak efficiency at 24.80%. AE Solar leans bifacial (63% of lineup).


## The two companies


| Attribute | AE Solar | Suntech |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Country | Germany | China |
| Headquarters | Gersthofen | Wuxi |
| Founded | 2003 | 2001 |
| Employees | 501-1000 |  |
| Annual capacity | 2+ GW/year |  |
| Tier 1 | yes | yes |
| Listed |  |  |
| Website | [https://ae-solar.com](https://ae-solar.com) | [https://www.suntech-power.com](https://www.suntech-power.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 | Suntech | Margin |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Panel Models | 646 | 255 | +391 |
| Max Power | 730 W | 735 W | +5 W |
| Avg Power | 489 W | 505 W | +16 W |


## Efficiency


| Measure | AE Solar | Suntech | Margin |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Max Efficiency | 24.43% | 24.80% | +0.37 pp |
| Avg Efficiency | 21.11% | 21.76% | +0.65 pp |


## Reliability & Warranty


| Measure | AE Solar | Suntech | Margin |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Avg Temp Coefficient | -0.312%/°C | -0.316%/°C | +0.004 |
| Bifacial Share | 405 (63%) | 114 (45%) | +18 pp |
| Avg Warranty | 29.7 yrs | 28.4 yrs | +1.3 yr |


## Efficiency distribution

Suntech skews to higher efficiency: 19% of lineup is 23%+


| Efficiency band | AE Solar | Suntech |
| --- | --- | --- |
| \<20% | 74 (11.5%) | 11 (4.3%) |
| 20-21% | 171 (26.5%) | 61 (23.9%) |
| 21-22% | 142 (22.0%) | 64 (25.1%) |
| 22-23% | 199 (30.8%) | 70 (27.5%) |
| 23%+ | 60 (9.3%) | 49 (19.2%) |


## Power distribution

Suntech offers more 600W+ panels (20% of lineup)


| Power band | AE Solar | Suntech |
| --- | --- | --- |
| \<400W | 78 (12.1%) | 32 (12.5%) |
| 400-499W | 329 (50.9%) | 104 (40.8%) |
| 500-599W | 154 (23.8%) | 69 (27.1%) |
| 600-699W | 55 (8.5%) | 42 (16.5%) |
| 700W+ | 30 (4.6%) | 8 (3.1%) |


## Cell technology

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

Dominant cell tech: **TOPCon** (71%)


| Technology | AE Solar | Suntech |
| --- | --- | --- |
| TOPCon | 349 (54.0%) | 180 (70.6%) |
| PERC | 245 (37.9%) | 5 (2.0%) |
| Back Contact | 21 (3.3%) | 0 |
| N-type | 17 (2.6%) | 5 (2.0%) |
| BIPV | 9 (1.4%) | 0 |
| HJT | 5 (0.8%) | 0 |
| Unknown | 0 | 65 (25.5%) |


## 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, Suntech


| # | Model | Power | Efficiency | Temp. coefficient | Technology |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | [STP735S-D66-Nsh+](https://comparepv.com/panel/suntech-stp735s-d66-nsh) | 735 | 23.7 | -0.280 | Monocrystalline |
| 2 | [STP730S-D66-Nsh+](https://comparepv.com/panel/suntech-stp730s-d66-nsh) | 730 | 23.5 | -0.280 | Monocrystalline |
| 3 | [STP725S-D66-Nsh+](https://comparepv.com/panel/suntech-stp725s-d66-nsh) | 725 | 23.3 | -0.280 | Monocrystalline |
| 4 | [STP720S-D66-Nsh+](https://comparepv.com/panel/suntech-stp720s-d66-nsh) | 720 | 23.2 | -0.280 | Monocrystalline |
| 5 | [STP715S-D66-Nsh+](https://comparepv.com/panel/suntech-stp715s-d66-nsh) | 715 | 23.0 | -0.280 | Monocrystalline |
| 6 | [STP710S-D66-Nsh+](https://comparepv.com/panel/suntech-stp710s-d66-nsh) | 710 | 22.9 | -0.290 | Monocrystalline |
| 7 | [STP705S-D66-Nsh+](https://comparepv.com/panel/suntech-stp705s-d66-nsh) | 705 | 22.7 | -0.290 | Monocrystalline |
| 8 | [STP700S-D66-Nsh+](https://comparepv.com/panel/suntech-stp700s-d66-nsh) | 700 | 22.5 | -0.290 | Monocrystalline |
| 9 | [STP675S-D66/Wmh](https://comparepv.com/panel/suntech-stp675s-d66-wmh) | 675 | 21.7 | -0.340 | Monocrystalline |
| 10 | [STP670S-D66/Wmh](https://comparepv.com/panel/suntech-stp670s-d66-wmh) | 670 | 21.6 | -0.340 | Monocrystalline |


## Summary

AE Solar was founded in 2003 in Gersthofen, Germany, and has since expanded to operate in over 95 countries, supported by manufacturing facilities in China, Georgia, and Turkey with a combined production capacity of more than 2 GW. The company employs between 501 and 1,000 people and holds Bloomberg NEF Tier 1 status. In 2025, AE Solar received the Kiwa PVEL Top Performer Award and became the first Tier 1 PV module manufacturer to earn DIBt certification - a distinction that carries significant weight in European project financing. Suntech was established two years earlier, in 2001, in Wuxi, China, and rose to become the world's largest solar panel producer before a bond default in 2013 triggered bankruptcy proceedings. After being acquired by Shunfeng International Clean Energy in 2014, the company was restructured and now operates as Wuxi Suntech Power Co., Ltd. It has since recovered its Bloomberg NEF Tier 1 standing and reportedly shipped around 10 GW of panels in 2023, giving it a production footprint considerably larger than AE Solar's.

AE Solar's portfolio of 442 panel models is broad and technologically diverse. TOPCon cells account for 49.8% of the lineup, with a peak panel efficiency of 24.43% and an average portfolio efficiency of 21.34%. A high bifacial share of 63.8% and a maximum power output of 730 Wp make AE Solar a flexible option across residential rooftop installations, commercial C&I projects, and utility-scale ground-mount systems - particularly in European markets where certified quality and brand origin matter to lenders and insurers. Suntech has fully committed to TOPCon technology, with 100% of its 136-model portfolio using TOPCon cells. It delivers a higher average power output of 515.99 Wp and a marginally better average temperature coefficient of -0.308 percent per degree Celsius, compared to AE Solar's -0.313 percent per degree Celsius. Its lower bifacial share of 42.6% reflects a more standardized, output-focused product strategy suited to large-scale procurement.

For international buyers weighing the two, AE Solar offers stronger appeal in markets where European certification, portfolio breadth, and residential segment support are decisive - especially across Central and Eastern Europe. Suntech's competitive pricing, full TOPCon transition, and large production scale make it an attractive choice for utility developers and EPC contractors pursuing volume purchases for ground-mount projects, provided they are comfortable with the company's post-restructuring history and Chinese supply chain exposure. Both manufacturers maintain Tier 1 status and offer average product warranties of close to 30 years, making either a credible choice for well-specified commercial and utility projects.

Written by claude-sonnet from the figures above.


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- [AKCOME vs Suntech](https://comparepv.com/akcome-vs-suntech)
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- [ASM vs Suntech](https://comparepv.com/asm-vs-suntech)


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

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