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

# AE Solar vs Tangra

AE Solar has the broader catalog (646 vs 0 models). AE Solar leans bifacial (63% of lineup).


## The two companies


| Attribute | AE Solar | Tangra |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Country | Germany | China |
| Headquarters | Gersthofen | Wuxi |
| Founded | 2003 | 2016 |
| Employees | 501-1000 | 500-1000 |
| Annual capacity | 2+ GW/year | 5-10 GW/year |
| Tier 1 | yes | yes |
| Listed |  |  |
| Website | [https://ae-solar.com](https://ae-solar.com) | [https://www.thornova-solar.com](https://www.thornova-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...

Tangra is the flagship solar module product line of Sunova Solar Technology Co., Ltd. (rebranded as Thornova Solar), a Chinese photovoltaic manufacturer founded in 2016 and headquartered in Wuxi, Jiangsu Province. The company specializes in high-efficiency N-type TOPCon bifacial modules under the Tangra series (S, M...


## Catalog & Power


| Measure | AE Solar | Tangra | 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 | Tangra | Margin |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Max Efficiency | 24.43% | - |  |
| Avg Efficiency | 21.11% | - |  |


## Reliability & Warranty


| Measure | AE Solar | Tangra | 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 | Tangra |
| --- | --- | --- |
| \<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 | Tangra |
| --- | --- | --- |
| \<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 | Tangra |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 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

Tangra is the module brand of Thornova Solar, a manufacturer that earned BloombergNEF Tier 1 status in Q3 2023 and holds a B-rating in the PV Tech Bankability Report, indicating reasonable financial standing for a relatively young market entrant. AE Solar, founded in 2003 and headquartered in Königsbrunn, Germany, is a significantly more established player, having reached its 16th consecutive BNEF Tier 1 inclusion in Q1 2025 and being cited by BloombergNEF as Europe's sole Tier 1 PV manufacturer with high bankability. AE Solar discloses an annual production capacity of roughly 2.5 GW across manufacturing sites in China, Georgia, and Turkey, giving it a considerably stronger institutional footprint.

On the product side, Tangra's flagship N-type bifacial dual-glass modules - the M PRO series in the 575-595W range - earned Kiwa PVEL Top Performer recognition across all seven reliability test categories in 2025, including an enhanced 40 mm hail stress test, making them a credible choice for commercial and utility-scale projects where durability is the priority. AE Solar fields a broader lineup centered on N-type TOPCon technology, with its Meteor module - a 132-cell G12R half-cut bifacial double-glass design - earning a five-star rating in PV Magazine's 2025 module test. The company backs its panels with a 30-year product and performance warranty and distributes across more than 100 countries.

For most buyers in 2025, AE Solar is the lower-risk default. Its longer track record, higher production scale, and unbroken run of bankability ratings give project financiers and EPCs more comfort at the underwriting stage. Tangra's PVEL Top Performer credential is technically meaningful, but Thornova Solar's shorter market history limits its project-finance pedigree. Buyers with a less finance-constrained procurement and access to competitive Tangra pricing will find a technically sound product - but for straightforward institutional procurement, AE Solar carries the stronger pedigree.

\---LINKS---

\- https://www.pv-tech.org/industry-updates/thornova-solar-achieves-kiwa-pvel-top-performer-status/ \| Thornova Solar achieves Kiwa PVEL Top Performer status \| article

\- https://www.pv-magazine.com/press-releases/thornova-solar-ranked-as-bnef-tier-1-module-manufacturer/ \| Thornova Solar ranked as BNEF Tier 1 module manufacturer \| article

\- https://www.energysage.com/supplier/24781/ae-solar-energy/ \| AE Solar Energy profile and reviews - EnergySage \| review

\- https://www.solarreviews.com/manufacturers/ae-solar \| AE Solar manufacturer review - SolarReviews \| review

\- https://8msolar.com/ae-solar-panels-review/ \| AE Solar panels expert review - 8MSolar \| review

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)
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- [AKCOME vs Tangra](https://comparepv.com/akcome-vs-tangra)
- [AE Solar vs ARTsolar](https://comparepv.com/ae-solar-vs-artsolar)
- [ASM vs Tangra](https://comparepv.com/asm-vs-tangra)


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

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