AIKO vs Esse Solar - solar panel manufacturer comparison
AIKO has the broader catalog (144 vs 0 models). AIKO leans bifacial (24% 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
Esse Solar is an Italian company that provides solar solutions to solar professionals, businesses, and individuals who want to improve their energy efficiency. The company was founded in 1991 and is based in Gallarate. Esse Solar has raised $6.54M in funding from VAM Investments.
- Founded
- 1991
- Headquarters
- Gallarate, Italy
- Employees
- 11-50
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%)
The flagships
Written summary
Esse Solar S.r.l. is an Italian company headquartered in Gallarate, Lombardy, founded in 2019 as an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) integrator and certified photovoltaic materials distributor - it does not manufacture solar panels itself. Within roughly three years of operation the firm reported over 50 MW of installed power across residential, commercial, and ground-mount projects in Italy, drawing on the heritage of a larger energy group with more than four decades of operating history. AIKO, by contrast, is a Chinese panel manufacturer established in Guangzhou and focused exclusively on its proprietary N-type ABC (All-Back-Contact) cell technology. AIKO holds BloombergNEF Tier 1 bankable-supplier status as of Q3 2024 and has expanded its production capacity to approximately 20 GW per year, making it one of the more rapidly scaling specialists in the global module market. On institutional footprint and manufacturing depth, AIKO is in an entirely different category.
Because Esse Solar operates as an installer and distributor rather than a panel producer, the two brands serve fundamentally different roles in the supply chain. Esse Solar's offering covers turnkey photovoltaic and thermal-hydraulic systems for the Italian market, integrating third-party modules with heat-pump solutions for residential and industrial customers. AIKO's own product lineup, centred on its Neostar and Comet series, targets premium residential rooftops and commercial applications where maximum power density matters; its ABC modules have repeatedly topped the TaiyangNews global efficiency rankings, with mass-produced modules reaching confirmed efficiencies above 24% as of late 2025. AIKO has also begun winning utility-scale procurement bids in China and is expanding into European and Southeast Asian markets.
For a buyer selecting a panel brand, Esse Solar is not a comparable option - it is a potential installer or distributor, not a module origin. Anyone evaluating AIKO modules for a European project would typically engage a local EPC partner like Esse Solar to handle procurement logistics and installation. AIKO is the stronger default choice for buyers who specifically want high-efficiency N-type modules backed by bankable manufacturer warranties, while Esse Solar is relevant to Italian buyers seeking a competent local integration partner regardless of which panel brand they ultimately specify.
Generated by Claude Sonnet · 2026-05-19
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.