ASM vs First Solar - solar panel manufacturer comparison
First Solar has the broader catalog (63 vs 1 models). First Solar leads on peak efficiency at 19.70%. First Solar leans bifacial (19% 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
Australian Solar Manufacturing (ASM) is a small Australian solar panel assembler that produces crystalline monocrystalline modules domestically using components sourced from Germany, Japan, the USA, and China. The company focuses on providing locally assembled PV modules tailored to Australian conditions, supporting...
- Founded
- 2009
- Headquarters
- Hallam, Victoria, Australia
- Employees
- 1-10
First Solar is a leading American solar technology company and global provider of responsibly produced eco-efficient solar modules, advancing the fight against climate change. The company manufactures thin-film photovoltaic (PV) modules using cadmium telluride (CdTe) semiconductor technology. First Solar is unique...
- Founded
- 1999
- Headquarters
- Tempe, AZ, USA
- Annual capacity
- 21+ GW/year
- Employees
- 5500-8100
- Listed
- NASDAQ: FSLR
- 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
Dominant cell tech: <strong>CdTe</strong> (81%)
The flagships
Written summary
ASM, which stands for Australian Solar Manufacturing, is a small module assembler founded in 2009 and headquartered in Victoria, Australia. The company assembles monocrystalline panels using imported components sourced internationally but does not manufacture photovoltaic cells itself. No evidence of Tier 1 or BloombergNEF bankability recognition was found for ASM, reflecting its limited scale and regional focus. First Solar, by contrast, is a publicly traded US company headquartered in Tempe, Arizona and one of the world's largest thin-film photovoltaic producers, with approximately 21 GW of total global nameplate production capacity and roughly 13 GW of annual US nameplate capacity as of 2025 - a figure it is on track to grow beyond 17 GW by 2027. First Solar carries a far stronger institutional footprint and is widely regarded as bankable by project financiers worldwide.
ASM's product range is oriented toward standard Australian residential rooftop installations, with assembled monocrystalline modules at wattages that sit below the 400-500 Wp range now common in most new deployments globally. The company does not publicise a clearly defined commercial or utility product line. First Solar's flagship offering is the Series 7 module, a large-format cadmium telluride (CdTe) thin-film panel rated between 525 W and 550 W with module efficiencies of 18.8 to 19.7 percent. Series 7 units feature a frameless design, a temperature coefficient of approximately -0.28 percent per degree Celsius, and a 30-year performance warranty backed by a 0.3 percent annual degradation rate - all of which suit large ground-mount and utility-scale projects rather than rooftop residential use.
These two brands are not direct competitors and serve fundamentally different buyer profiles. For a homeowner in Australia seeking a locally assembled panel, ASM may be worth considering, though its limited public documentation makes independent evaluation difficult. For any utility-scale developer, commercial IPP, or institutional buyer anywhere in the world, First Solar is the vastly more credible choice in 2025 - with proven technology, strong warranties, and a manufacturing base sized for project-scale procurement.
Generated by Claude Sonnet · 2026-06-26
Other brand comparisons
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.