--- title: "AIKO vs KB Solar - Brand Comparison | ComparePV" description: "Compare AIKO vs KB Solar solar panels: full portfolio, efficiency, cell technology breakdown, warranty terms and company background." source: "https://comparepv.com/aiko-vs-kb-solar" --- # AIKO vs KB Solar AIKO has the broader catalog (144 vs 5 models). AIKO leads on peak efficiency at 25.20%. KB Solar leans bifacial (100% of lineup). ## The two companies | Attribute | AIKO | KB Solar | | --- | --- | --- | | Country | China | | | Headquarters | Shanghai | | | Founded | 2009 | | | Employees | | | | Annual capacity | | | | Tier 1 | yes | no | | Listed | SZSE: 600732 | | | Website | [https://www.aikosolar.com](https://www.aikosolar.com) | | ## Catalog & Power | Measure | AIKO | KB Solar | Margin | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Panel Models | 144 | 5 | +139 | | Max Power | 805 W | 385 W | +420 W | | Avg Power | 581 W | 375 W | +206 W | ## Efficiency | Measure | AIKO | KB Solar | Margin | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Max Efficiency | 25.20% | 20.90% | +4.30 pp | | Avg Efficiency | 23.65% | 20.38% | +3.27 pp | ## Reliability & Warranty | Measure | AIKO | KB Solar | Margin | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Avg Temp Coefficient | -0.271%/°C | -0.330%/°C | +0.059 | | Bifacial Share | 35 (24%) | 5 (100%) | +76 pp | | Avg Warranty | 29.5 yrs | 30.0 yrs | +0.5 yr | ## Efficiency distribution AIKO skews to higher efficiency: 85% of lineup is 23%+ | Efficiency band | AIKO | KB Solar | | --- | --- | --- | | \<20% | 3 (2.1%) | 0 | | 20-21% | 3 (2.1%) | 5 (100.0%) | | 21-22% | 3 (2.1%) | 0 | | 22-23% | 12 (8.3%) | 0 | | 23%+ | 123 (85.4%) | 0 | ## Power distribution AIKO offers more 600W+ panels (60% of lineup) | Power band | AIKO | KB Solar | | --- | --- | --- | | \<400W | 2 (1.4%) | 5 (100.0%) | | 400-499W | 50 (34.7%) | 0 | | 500-599W | 5 (3.5%) | 0 | | 600-699W | 78 (54.2%) | 0 | | 700W+ | 9 (6.2%) | 0 | ## Cell technology Dominant cell tech: **Back Contact** (83%) Dominant cell tech: **PERC** (100%) | Technology | AIKO | KB Solar | | --- | --- | --- | | Back Contact | 119 (82.6%) | 0 | | N-type | 17 (11.8%) | 0 | | PERC | 7 (4.9%) | 5 (100.0%) | | Flexible | 1 (0.7%) | 0 | ## Top panels, AIKO | # | Model | Power | Efficiency | Temp. coefficient | Technology | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 1 | [AIKO-A805-GRH78Dw](https://comparepv.com/panel/aiko-aiko-a805-grh78dw) | 805 | 25.1 | -0.260 | Monocrystalline | | 2 | [AIKO-A800-GRH78Dw](https://comparepv.com/panel/aiko-aiko-a800-grh78dw) | 800 | 24.9 | -0.260 | Monocrystalline | | 3 | [AIKO-A795-GRH78Dw](https://comparepv.com/panel/aiko-aiko-a795-grh78dw) | 795 | 24.8 | -0.260 | Monocrystalline | | 4 | [AIKO-A790-GRH78Dw](https://comparepv.com/panel/aiko-aiko-a790-grh78dw) | 790 | 24.6 | -0.260 | Monocrystalline | | 5 | [AIKO-A785-GRH78Dw](https://comparepv.com/panel/aiko-aiko-a785-grh78dw) | 785 | 24.4 | -0.260 | Monocrystalline | | 6 | [AIKO-A780-GRH78Dw](https://comparepv.com/panel/aiko-aiko-a780-grh78dw) | 780 | 24.3 | -0.260 | Monocrystalline | | 7 | [AIKO-A775-GRH78Dw](https://comparepv.com/panel/aiko-aiko-a775-grh78dw) | 775 | 24.1 | -0.260 | Monocrystalline | | 8 | [AIKO-A770-GRH78Dw](https://comparepv.com/panel/aiko-aiko-a770-grh78dw) | 770 | 24.0 | -0.260 | Monocrystalline | | 9 | [AIKO-A700-MAE78Dw](https://comparepv.com/panel/aiko-aiko-a700-mae78dw) | 700 | 25.0 | -0.260 | Monocrystalline | | 10 | [AIKO-A695-MAE78Dw](https://comparepv.com/panel/aiko-aiko-a695-mae78dw) | 695 | 24.9 | -0.260 | Monocrystalline | ## Top panels, KB Solar | # | Model | Power | Efficiency | Temp. coefficient | Technology | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 1 | [KBS-385](https://comparepv.com/panel/kb-solar-kbs-385) | 385 | 20.9 | -0.330 | Monocrystalline | | 2 | [KBS-380](https://comparepv.com/panel/kb-solar-kbs-380) | 380 | 20.6 | -0.330 | Monocrystalline | | 3 | [KBS-375](https://comparepv.com/panel/kb-solar-kbs-375) | 375 | 20.3 | -0.330 | Monocrystalline | | 4 | [KBS-370](https://comparepv.com/panel/kb-solar-kbs-370) | 370 | 20.1 | -0.330 | Monocrystalline | | 5 | [KBS-365](https://comparepv.com/panel/kb-solar-kbs-365) | 365 | 20.0 | -0.330 | Monocrystalline | ## Summary KB Solar is a small US-based manufacturer and installer founded in 2022 by brothers Ivan and Alex Karastanov in Spartanburg, South Carolina, where "KB" reflects the family name behind the business. It operates at a regional scale, assembling panels locally and targeting primarily the South Carolina market. No Tier 1 or BloombergNEF bankability designation has been documented for the company, and its annual production volume is not publicly reported - consistent with its position as a niche domestic assembler rather than a utility-scale supplier. AIKO, by contrast, is a Chinese manufacturer headquartered in Guangzhou that has grown rapidly into a globally recognized player, achieving BloombergNEF Tier 1 status as of Q3 2024 and reporting cell and module capacity in the tens of gigawatts per year, with roughly 12 GWp of modules shipped in the first half of 2025 alone. On institutional footprint and financial bankability, AIKO is in a categorically different tier. KB Solar's current catalog centers on PERC-based panels in the 375W-450W range, with half-cell and 12BB configurations offered in both monofacial and bifacial variants, accompanied by a 30-year performance warranty and a 12-year product guarantee. The product line is well suited to residential and small commercial rooftop projects in the US Southeast, where local assembly and responsive customer service are competitive advantages. AIKO has built its reputation around its proprietary ABC (All Back Contact) cell technology, which places electrical contacts entirely on the rear of the cell to eliminate front-side shading losses. The resulting Neostar modules have reached mass-produced efficiencies above 24%, among the highest recorded for commercial panels, and the brand has expanded across residential, commercial, and utility segments globally, winning the 2025 SolarQuotes Installers' Choice Award in Australia. For most buyers outside the US Southeast, AIKO is the stronger default in 2025 - it carries verified bankability, industry-leading efficiency, and a global service network. KB Solar makes sense for buyers who specifically value US-assembled product, want a local relationship for a smaller residential project in South Carolina, or are operating under a domestic-content procurement requirement, but it cannot yet match AIKO on third-party bankability, technology leadership, or supply scale. \---LINKS--- \- https://www.solarquotes.com.au/panels/aiko-solar-review.html \| AIKO Solar panels review - SolarQuotes Australia \| review \- https://aikosolar.com/en/aiko-achieves-prestigious-tier1-status/ \| AIKO achieves BloombergNEF Tier 1 status announcement \| article \- https://taiyangnews.info/markets/china-solar-pv-news-snippets-march-12-2025 \| China Solar PV - AIKO wins 1 GW utility-scale BC module bid \| article \- https://kb-solar.com/about-us/ \| KB Solar - About Us (Spartanburg, South Carolina) \| article \- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdkVNV5djeA \| NEW AIKO Neostar 3 Review - Are Aiko Solar Panels the BEST in 2025? \| video Written by claude-sonnet from the figures above. ## Other comparisons - [AIKO vs A.B. Energy](https://comparepv.com/aiko-vs-a-b-energy) - [AE Solar vs KB Solar](https://comparepv.com/ae-solar-vs-kb-solar) - [AIKO vs AEET](https://comparepv.com/aiko-vs-aeet) - [AKCOME vs KB Solar](https://comparepv.com/akcome-vs-kb-solar) - [AIKO vs ARTsolar](https://comparepv.com/aiko-vs-artsolar) - [ASM vs KB Solar](https://comparepv.com/asm-vs-kb-solar) --- Source: https://comparepv.com/aiko-vs-kb-solar Not in this file, on the page: the distributions above drawn as charts.