ARTsolar vs Leapton - solar panel manufacturer comparison
Leapton has the broader catalog (119 vs 0 models). Leapton leans bifacial (49% 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
Leapton Energy, headquartered in Japan, is a global leader in the solar PV industry, specializing in Tier-1 solar modules, battery energy storage systems (BESS), and inverters. With over 10 years of experience, Leapton Energy's products are now available in more than 70 countries worldwide.
- Founded
- 2012
- Headquarters
- Kobe, Japan
- Annual capacity
- 3+ GW/year
- 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
Leapton skews to higher efficiency: 7% of lineup is 23%+
Leapton offers more 600W+ panels (32% of lineup)
Dominant cell tech: <strong>TOPCon</strong> (88%)
The flagships
Written summary
ARTsolar, founded in 2010 and based in South Africa, is a niche regional manufacturer with a production capacity of roughly 250 MW per year and a portfolio that currently consists of a single 600 Wp TOPCon module. It is not listed on any major stock exchange and does not hold Tier 1 bankable status. Leapton, headquartered in Japan with manufacturing concentrated in Changshu, China, was founded in 2012 and has scaled to over 3 GW of annual capacity. Leapton holds a consistent position on the Bloomberg NEF Tier 1 list and earned Top Performer recognition in Kiwa PVEL's 2025 PV Module Reliability Scorecard. By any institutional measure - production scale, third-party validation, and lender familiarity - Leapton carries a meaningfully stronger footprint.
On the portfolio level, ARTsolar's single product achieves 23.21% efficiency at 600 Wp, with a temperature coefficient of -0.31% per degree Celsius and a 30-year product warranty - competitive numbers on paper. Leapton's 119-panel lineup averages 22.17% efficiency and 546 Wp, but reaches a peak of 23.32% efficiency and 720 Wp at the top of its range. Leapton's average temperature coefficient of -0.307% per degree Celsius is essentially equivalent to ARTsolar's, and its warranty averages 29.5 years across the range. Notably, around 49% of Leapton's panels are bifacial, making a substantial portion of the lineup well-suited to ground-mount and commercial flat-roof installations where rear-side gain is practical. ARTsolar's sole panel is monofacial and best suited to residential rooftops. Leapton's 88% TOPCon share signals a clear technology direction, while ARTsolar's single model is 100% TOPCon.
For most buyers in 2025, Leapton is the more practical default. Its Tier 1 status unlocks project financing that ARTsolar cannot, its broader range addresses residential through utility-scale needs, and its third-party reliability endorsements reduce procurement risk. ARTsolar's 600 Wp panel is technically credible but carries bankability uncertainty and no comparable independent validation - making it a viable choice primarily for buyers in South Africa who have a strong preference for regional supply chains.
- Leapton Solar Named Top Performer in Kiwa PVEL 2025 Scorecard
- Leapton debuts 600-625 W TOPCon panel based on rectangular wafers
- Leapton TOPCon module range, max conversion efficiency 22.95%
- ARTsolar imports 99% of product, court told - GroundUp investigation
- Leapton Solar Panels - Budget Tier 1 panels made in China
Generated by Claude Sonnet · 2026-05-11
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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.