---
title: "AIKO vs Thornova Solar - Brand Comparison | ComparePV"
description: "Compare AIKO vs Thornova Solar solar panels: full portfolio, efficiency, cell technology breakdown, warranty terms and company background."
source: "https://comparepv.com/aiko-vs-thornova-solar"
---

# AIKO vs Thornova Solar

AIKO has the broader catalog (144 vs 0 models). AIKO leans bifacial (24% of lineup).


## The two companies


| Attribute | AIKO | Thornova Solar |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Country | China | China |
| Headquarters | Shanghai | Wuxi |
| Founded | 2009 | 2016 |
| Employees |  | 500-1000 |
| Annual capacity |  | 5-10 GW/year |
| Tier 1 | yes | yes |
| Listed | SZSE: 600732 |  |
| Website | [https://www.aikosolar.com](https://www.aikosolar.com) | [https://www.thornova-solar.com](https://www.thornova-solar.com) |

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 | AIKO | Thornova Solar | Margin |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Panel Models | 144 | 0 | +144 |
| Max Power | 805 W | 0 W | +805 W |
| Avg Power | 581 W | 0 W | +581 W |


## Efficiency


| Measure | AIKO | Thornova Solar | Margin |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Max Efficiency | 25.20% | - |  |
| Avg Efficiency | 23.65% | - |  |


## Reliability & Warranty


| Measure | AIKO | Thornova Solar | Margin |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Avg Temp Coefficient | -0.271%/°C | - |  |
| Bifacial Share | 35 (24%) | 0 (0%) | +24 pp |
| Avg Warranty | 29.5 yrs | - |  |


## Efficiency distribution

AIKO skews to higher efficiency: 85% of lineup is 23%+


| Efficiency band | AIKO | Thornova Solar |
| --- | --- | --- |
| \<20% | 3 (2.1%) | 0 |
| 20-21% | 3 (2.1%) | 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 | Thornova Solar |
| --- | --- | --- |
| \<400W | 2 (1.4%) | 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%)


| Technology | AIKO | Thornova Solar |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Back Contact | 119 (82.6%) | 0 |
| N-type | 17 (11.8%) | 0 |
| PERC | 7 (4.9%) | 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 |


## Summary

AIKO is a Chinese manufacturer headquartered in Foshan, Guangdong, founded in 2009. The company has built its reputation around its proprietary All Back Contact (ABC) cell architecture, an n-type design that relocates all electrical contacts to the rear of the cell to eliminate front-side shading losses. AIKO achieved BloombergNEF Tier 1 status in 2024 and reports an annual production capacity of approximately 20 GW. It has topped the TaiyangNews High-Efficiency Module ranking for more than 34 consecutive months and reached 25% mass-production module efficiency by early 2026. Thornova Solar, by contrast, is a far younger brand - registered in the United States around 2021-2022 with manufacturing based in Vietnam and historical ties to China's Sunova Solar. It achieved BNEF Tier 1 status by Q3 2023 and carries a B rating in the PV Tech Bankability Report, though the brand's intellectual property was acquired by ICE EYE in 2025. AIKO holds the deeper institutional footprint and longer manufacturing track record of the two.

AIKO's product range centers on its ABC modules, aimed at premium residential rooftop installations where buyers prioritize maximum power output per square meter - a decisive advantage on constrained roof areas. The company has been steadily converting capacity at its Yiwu and Chuzhou manufacturing bases from TOPCon to ABC. Thornova Solar offers bifacial TOPCon and PERC modules spanning mid-range residential formats up to large-format G12 panels exceeding 700 W, with its Tangra M PRO series earning a Kiwa PVEL Top Performer distinction across all seven reliability test categories in 2025. Thornova's lineup is positioned toward cost-conscious commercial and utility-scale buyers who need bankable, third-party validated modules without paying a premium for the latest cell generation.

For buyers prioritizing peak efficiency and willing to pay a premium, AIKO's ABC technology is difficult to match in the current market. For buyers optimizing cost-per-watt on larger commercial or ground-mount projects, Thornova's bifacial TOPCon lineup offers solid third-party validation at a more accessible price point. The two brands target meaningfully different segments, so the right choice depends almost entirely on project type and budget.

\---LINKS---

\- https://www.pv-tech.org/aiko-capacity-upgrades-abc-cell-technology/ \| Aiko steps up ABC transition with 11GW capacity upgrade \| article

\- https://taiyangnews.info/technology/aiko-solar-abc-module-power-efficiency \| AIKO ABC Module - Making the Most of Each Electron - TaiyangNews \| article

\- https://www.solarquotes.com.au/panels/aiko-solar-review.html \| Aiko Solar panels review - SolarQuotes \| review

\- https://www.pv-magazine.com/press-releases/thornova-solar-ranked-as-bnef-tier-1-module-manufacturer/ \| Thornova Solar ranked as BNEF Tier 1 module manufacturer \| article

Written by claude-sonnet from the figures above.


## Other comparisons

- [AIKO vs A.B. Energy](https://comparepv.com/aiko-vs-a-b-energy)
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- [AIKO vs AEET](https://comparepv.com/aiko-vs-aeet)
- [AKCOME vs Thornova Solar](https://comparepv.com/akcome-vs-thornova-solar)
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- [ASM vs Thornova Solar](https://comparepv.com/asm-vs-thornova-solar)


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Source: https://comparepv.com/aiko-vs-thornova-solar

Not in this file, on the page: the distributions above drawn as charts.