ASM vs Sharp - solar panel manufacturer comparison
Sharp has the broader catalog (19 vs 1 models). Sharp leads on peak efficiency at 23.82%. Sharp leans bifacial (53% 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
Sharp Corporation is a Japanese electronics company founded in 1912. It operates globally, offering a wide range of products including consumer electronics, home appliances, energy solutions, and business solutions. Since 2016, it has been majority-owned by Foxconn.
- Founded
- 1912
- Headquarters
- Sakai, Osaka Prefecture, Japan
- Annual capacity
- 15.4 GW/year
- Employees
- 40,123
- Listed
- TYO: 6753
- 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
Sharp skews to higher efficiency: 32% of lineup is 23%+
Sharp offers more 600W+ panels (37% of lineup)
Dominant cell tech: <strong>HJT</strong> (37%)
The flagships
Written summary
ASM, traded as Australian Solar Manufacturing Pty Ltd, is a small domestic assembler headquartered in Australia that positions itself as the country's only locally assembled panel maker. The company sources cells and components from international suppliers and targets the Australian residential and light-commercial market; it does not appear on BloombergNEF's Tier 1 list, and its production scale remains niche by global standards. Sharp, by contrast, is a Japanese multinational founded in 1912 that began solar cell research in 1959 and moved to mass production in 1963, giving it one of the longest continuous track records in photovoltaics. Sharp carries Tier 1 bankability recognition and has the institutional depth of a large, diversified electronics group with a global distribution footprint. On the measure of scale and lender confidence, Sharp holds a substantially stronger position.
The two companies serve clearly different segments. ASM's catalog has historically centered on compact monocrystalline modules suited to Australian suburban rooftops, with older power classes well below the modern 400-plus-watt standard; it is a reasonable option for buyers who explicitly prioritize local assembly and local after-sales support. Sharp, meanwhile, offers a broad portfolio spanning residential to large commercial and utility applications, with module power outputs running from roughly 410 W to 740 W. Search results confirm that Sharp's current lineup draws on TOPCon, HJT, and PERC cell technologies, and a 610 W TOPCon module unveiled in 2024 achieved a confirmed efficiency of 22.58 percent - competitive with the wider market's premium tier.
For most buyers in 2025, Sharp is the more defensible default choice: it combines a multi-decade reliability record, Tier 1 bankability, modern high-efficiency cell technologies, and a product range that scales from a small rooftop to a ground-mounted commercial array. ASM may appeal to Australian customers with a strong preference for domestically assembled products or those requiring local warranty service without import complexity, but it cannot match Sharp's breadth, technology maturity, or financial backing.
Generated by Claude Sonnet · 2026-06-12
Other brand comparisons
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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.