--- title: "AE Solar vs Thornova Solar - Brand Comparison | ComparePV" description: "Compare AE Solar vs Thornova Solar solar panels: full portfolio, efficiency, cell technology breakdown, warranty terms and company background." source: "https://comparepv.com/ae-solar-vs-thornova-solar" --- # AE Solar vs Thornova Solar AE Solar has the broader catalog (646 vs 0 models). AE Solar leans bifacial (63% of lineup). ## The two companies | Attribute | AE Solar | Thornova Solar | | --- | --- | --- | | 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... Thornova Solar, formerly known as Sunova Solar Technology Co., Ltd., is a Chinese manufacturer of high-efficiency photovoltaic modules and solar cells with production facilities in China and Indonesia. The company specializes in advanced solar panel technology and holds BNEF Tier 1 bankable module manufacturer status... ## Catalog & Power | Measure | AE Solar | Thornova Solar | 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 | Thornova Solar | Margin | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Max Efficiency | 24.43% | - | | | Avg Efficiency | 21.11% | - | | ## Reliability & Warranty | Measure | AE Solar | Thornova Solar | 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 | Thornova Solar | | --- | --- | --- | | \<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 | Thornova Solar | | --- | --- | --- | | \<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 | Thornova Solar | | --- | --- | --- | | 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 was founded in 2003 by Alexander Maier and his brothers in Königsbrunn, Bavaria, and remains headquartered in Germany, with manufacturing facilities in China, Georgia, and Turkey that together support an annual capacity of approximately 2.5 GW. As of Q1 2025, AE Solar has been included on BloombergNEF's Global Tier 1 Solar Module Manufacturer list for the 16th time; BNEF also recognized it as Europe's sole Tier 1 PV manufacturer with high bankability in 2024. Thornova Solar traces its origins to Sunova Solar Technology, founded in 2016 in Wuxi, Jiangsu, China, with the Thornova brand later adopted to unify the company's global commercial identity. Its factories in China and Indonesia - including a 2.5 GW-capacity Indonesian facility - support a reported total module output of 6.5 GW per year. Thornova holds BloombergNEF Tier 1 status as of Q1 2026, a B-rating in PV Tech's ModuleTech Bankability Report, and placed 14th out of more than 38 manufacturers in Wood Mackenzie's H2 2024 ranking. On overall institutional footprint, AE Solar's longer Tier 1 continuity and European headquarters give it a clear advantage for project finance in European markets. AE Solar's current lineup covers both TOPCon and HJT cell technologies. The Meteor series offers N-type TOPCon modules targeting commercial and utility-scale projects, while the Comet series uses HJT cells with efficiencies reaching up to 23.05%, making it well suited to premium residential and space-constrained rooftop installations. A 30-year product warranty - well above the common 10-12 year industry norm - is a meaningful differentiator for financed projects. Thornova Solar focuses on bifacial TOPCon and PERC modules, including high-power G12-format panels rated up to 720 W with efficiencies of up to 23.2%. Its modules earned a Top Performer recognition in Kiwa PVEL's 2025 PV Module Reliability Scorecard, reinforcing their suitability for utility-scale ground-mount and large C&I applications. Both manufacturers address the residential, commercial, and utility segments. For most international buyers, AE Solar is the lower-risk default in European markets, supported by its longer Tier 1 track record, European institutional presence, and above-standard warranty terms. Thornova Solar is a compelling alternative for volume-focused procurement or high-wattage utility projects, backed by solid bankability credentials and substantial manufacturing scale. The two brands are broadly comparable in technology generation, so the practical decision will typically come down to local distributor availability and project-specific power or format requirements. 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 Thornova Solar](https://comparepv.com/aeet-vs-thornova-solar) - [AE Solar vs AIKO](https://comparepv.com/ae-solar-vs-aiko) - [AKCOME vs Thornova Solar](https://comparepv.com/akcome-vs-thornova-solar) - [AE Solar vs ARTsolar](https://comparepv.com/ae-solar-vs-artsolar) - [ASM vs Thornova Solar](https://comparepv.com/asm-vs-thornova-solar) --- Source: https://comparepv.com/ae-solar-vs-thornova-solar Not in this file, on the page: the distributions above drawn as charts.