AIKO vs BYD - solar panel manufacturer comparison
AIKO has the broader catalog (144 vs 115 models). AIKO leads on peak efficiency at 25.20%. BYD leans bifacial (95% of lineup).
Both catalogues are read from the manufacturers' own datasheets. A brand is not scored against the market here, only against the other brand on this page.
The two companies
- Founded
- 2009
- Headquarters
- Shanghai, China
- Listed
- SZSE: 600732
- Tier 1 bankable
- Yes
- Founded
- 1995
- Headquarters
- Shenzhen, China
- Listed
- SZSE: 002594
- Tier 1 bankable
- Yes
Catalogue against catalogue
An average over a catalogue describes the range a manufacturer publishes, not the module you would buy. A brand with two flagship panels and eighty older ones averages worse than one that has retired its back catalogue.
What each of them builds
AIKO skews to higher efficiency: 85% of lineup is 23%+
AIKO offers more 600W+ panels (60% of lineup)
Dominant cell tech: <strong>Back Contact</strong> (83%)
Dominant cell tech: <strong>TOPCon</strong> (63%)
The flagships
Written summary
AIKO is a Chinese solar manufacturer that has rapidly built its profile around All-Back-Contact (ABC) cell technology, and holds Bloomberg NEF Tier 1 bankability status. The company has expanded its production footprint significantly, with operational capacity across facilities in Zhuhai and Yiwu, and plans to ship more than 20 GW of modules annually in the near term. BYD is a Chinese industrial conglomerate founded in Shenzhen in 1995, originally as a battery producer; it entered the photovoltaic module business in 2009 and also carries Bloomberg NEF Tier 1 status. BYD operates panel manufacturing plants in China and Brazil, though its dedicated solar production scale is considerably smaller than AIKO's, reflecting that solar remains one division within a much larger enterprise. On institutional footprint and technology focus, AIKO carries more weight as a pure-play solar specialist.
AIKO's product lineup is built almost entirely on ABC technology, delivering module efficiencies that comfortably exceed those of conventional TOPCon competitors, with the Neostar series reaching confirmed figures above 24 percent. That performance comes at a price premium of roughly 20 to 30 percent over mid-tier Chinese brands, making AIKO most compelling for constrained residential rooftops where every square meter counts. BYD's panel range spans from around 395 W to 650 W, targeting both residential and commercial-scale projects. Its module efficiencies are competitive but more modest, and its 12-year product warranty is notably shorter than the 25-year product warranty AIKO offers, even though BYD's performance guarantee runs to 30 years.
For a buyer in 2025 with limited roof space and a long investment horizon, AIKO's higher efficiency and stronger product warranty make it the more defensible choice despite the cost premium. BYD suits buyers who prioritize a lower upfront price and are comfortable with the trade-offs on warranty depth and efficiency ceiling. The two brands are not interchangeable - they occupy distinct positions on the performance-versus-cost spectrum.
Generated by Claude Sonnet · 2026-06-11
Other brand comparisons
Shop prices: See 179 AIKO offers
Comparisons are computed from manufacturer datasheets held in the ComparePV database and may not reflect a brand's complete current lineup. Nothing on this page is paid placement.