AIKO vs S-Energy - solar panel manufacturer comparison
AIKO has the broader catalog (144 vs 91 models). AIKO leads on peak efficiency at 25.20%. S-Energy leans bifacial (77% 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
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>PERC</strong> (59%)
The flagships
Written summary
S-Energy is a South Korean manufacturer founded in 1992 as a division of Samsung Electronics and spun off as an independent entity in 2001. Its factory is located in Daejeon, South Korea, with an annual production capacity of roughly 500 MW - a relatively modest figure by today's standards. The company holds Tier 1 status with Bloomberg New Energy Finance, confirming a baseline level of financial bankability. AIKO, by contrast, is a Chinese manufacturer that has grown rapidly into one of the more ambitious players in the premium efficiency segment. AIKO achieved its own BNEF Tier 1 recognition in 2024 and is scaling toward shipment volumes that may exceed 20 GW, giving it a far larger industrial footprint than S-Energy.
S-Energy's product range centers on monocrystalline half-cut panels suited to budget-conscious residential and light commercial rooftops, where competitive pricing is prioritized over cutting-edge cell architecture. Independent reviews note the company does not consistently deploy the latest cell passivation technologies across its lineup, which partly explains the modest cost advantage it offers installers. AIKO, on the other hand, has built its entire brand identity around ABC (All Back Contact) cell technology, which places both electrical contacts on the rear of the cell to maximize light capture on the front surface. The company demonstrated a module efficiency record of 25.2 percent at Intersolar 2024 and won the 2025 SolarQuotes Installers' Choice Awards, underscoring strong installer confidence in its product quality.
For a typical buyer in 2025, the two brands serve different tiers of the market and are not interchangeable. S-Energy makes the most sense when budget and supply reliability in a specific region are the primary concerns. AIKO is the stronger choice for buyers who want premium efficiency and are willing to pay for it - particularly in space-constrained residential rooftops or commercial projects where every watt of output matters. In any efficiency-first evaluation, AIKO holds a clear advantage.
Generated by Claude Sonnet · 2026-05-18
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.