Canadian Solar vs AKCOME - solar panel manufacturer comparison
Canadian Solar has the broader catalog (292 vs 3 models). Canadian Solar leads on peak efficiency at 24.40%. AKCOME leans bifacial (100% 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
Canadian Solar Inc. is a global renewable energy company founded in 2001. Headquartered in Kitchener, Ontario, it manufactures solar PV modules and provides battery energy storage solutions. The company also develops utility-scale solar power and battery energy storage projects.
- Founded
- 2001
- Headquarters
- Kitchener, Canada
- Annual capacity
- 51 GW/year
- Employees
- 17,113
- Listed
- NASDAQ: CSIQ
- 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
Canadian Solar skews to higher efficiency: 13% of lineup is 23%+
AKCOME offers more 600W+ panels (100% of lineup)
Dominant cell tech: <strong>PERC</strong> (67%)
Dominant cell tech: <strong>HJT</strong> (100%)
The flagships
Written summary
Canadian Solar was founded in 2001 and is incorporated in Canada, with its primary manufacturing operations based in China. It has been listed on NASDAQ since 2006 and consistently appears on major bankability rankings, most recently earning a place on S&P Global Commodity Insights' Premier List of Tier 1 Cleantech Companies for 2025. With module manufacturing capacity reported at approximately 59 GW as of mid-2025 per SEC filings, it ranks among the largest solar producers in the world. AKCOME (Jiangsu Akcome Science and Technology) was also founded in 2006 and listed on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange in 2010, positioning itself as a specialist in heterojunction (HJT) technology with planned production capacity of several gigawatts. However, AKCOME's financial standing has deteriorated sharply: the company has reported net losses every year since 2019, had its subsidiary Zhejiang Akcome Photovoltaic Technology enter court-ordered bankruptcy reorganization in July 2024, and was subsequently delisted from the Shenzhen Stock Exchange after its shares fell below 1 yuan for 20 consecutive trading days. Canadian Solar holds a substantially stronger institutional footprint by every measurable criterion.
On the product side, Canadian Solar serves residential, commercial, and utility-scale markets with a broad portfolio including the HiKu6 series (PERC technology) and the TOPHiKu6 series (N-type TOPCon), along with bifacial variants suited to large ground-mount projects. AKCOME built its identity around HJT panels, a high-efficiency cell technology, and at its peak was recognized by BloombergNEF as a Tier 1 manufacturer and cited as a global leader in HJT volume and cell efficiency. That technical ambition, however, was never matched by financial stability, and its current production status is unclear following the 2024 bankruptcy proceedings.
For a typical buyer in 2025, Canadian Solar is the clear default choice. Its scale, NASDAQ-listed transparency, bankability certifications, and active product roadmap offer the long-term warranty support and project financing eligibility that residential and commercial buyers need. AKCOME's HJT technology was genuinely interesting, but the company's insolvency proceedings and delisting make it an impractical recommendation until its restructuring outcome is resolved.
Generated by Claude Sonnet · 2026-05-22
Other brand comparisons
Shop prices: See 39 Canadian Solar offers · See 2 AKCOME 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.