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

# Canadian Solar vs First Solar

Canadian Solar has the broader catalog (292 vs 63 models). Canadian Solar leads on peak efficiency at 24.40%. Canadian Solar leans bifacial (46% of lineup).


## The two companies


| Attribute | Canadian Solar | First Solar |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Country | Canada | USA |
| Headquarters | Kitchener | Tempe, AZ |
| Founded | 2001 | 1999 |
| Employees | 17,113 | 5500-8100 |
| Annual capacity | 51 GW/year | 21+ GW/year |
| Tier 1 | yes | yes |
| Listed | NASDAQ: CSIQ | NASDAQ: FSLR |
| Website | [https://www.canadiansolar.com](https://www.canadiansolar.com) | [https://www.firstsolar.com](https://www.firstsolar.com) |

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.

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...


## Catalog & Power


| Measure | Canadian Solar | First Solar | Margin |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Panel Models | 292 | 63 | +229 |
| Max Power | 730 W | 550 W | +180 W |
| Avg Power | 472 W | 481 W | +9 W |


## Efficiency


| Measure | Canadian Solar | First Solar | Margin |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Max Efficiency | 24.40% | 19.70% | +4.70 pp |
| Avg Efficiency | 20.66% | 18.56% | +2.10 pp |


## Reliability & Warranty


| Measure | Canadian Solar | First Solar | Margin |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Avg Temp Coefficient | -0.331%/°C | -0.320%/°C | +0.011 |
| Bifacial Share | 133 (46%) | 12 (19%) | +27 pp |
| Avg Warranty | 28.2 yrs | 29.3 yrs | +1.1 yr |


## Efficiency distribution

Canadian Solar skews to higher efficiency: 13% of lineup is 23%+


| Efficiency band | Canadian Solar | First Solar |
| --- | --- | --- |
| \<20% | 128 (43.8%) | 63 (100.0%) |
| 20-21% | 36 (12.3%) | 0 |
| 21-22% | 41 (14.0%) | 0 |
| 22-23% | 50 (17.1%) | 0 |
| 23%+ | 37 (12.7%) | 0 |


## Power distribution

Canadian Solar offers more 600W+ panels (24% of lineup)


| Power band | Canadian Solar | First Solar |
| --- | --- | --- |
| \<400W | 104 (35.6%) | 0 |
| 400-499W | 72 (24.7%) | 44 (69.8%) |
| 500-599W | 45 (15.4%) | 19 (30.2%) |
| 600-699W | 64 (21.9%) | 0 |
| 700W+ | 7 (2.4%) | 0 |


## Cell technology

Dominant cell tech: **PERC** (67%)

Dominant cell tech: **CdTe** (81%)


| Technology | Canadian Solar | First Solar |
| --- | --- | --- |
| PERC | 195 (66.8%) | 0 |
| TOPCon | 85 (29.1%) | 0 |
| HJT | 12 (4.1%) | 0 |
| CdTe | 0 | 51 (81.0%) |
| Unknown | 0 | 12 (19.0%) |


## Top panels, Canadian Solar


| # | Model | Power | Efficiency | Temp. coefficient | Technology |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | [CS7N-730TB-AG](https://comparepv.com/panel/csi-solar-co-ltd-canadian-solar-cs7n-730tb-ag) | 730 | 23.5 | -0.290 | Monocrystalline |
| 2 | [CS7N-725TB-AG](https://comparepv.com/panel/csi-solar-co-ltd-canadian-solar-cs7n-725tb-ag) | 725 | 23.3 | -0.290 | Monocrystalline |
| 3 | [CS7N-720TB-AG](https://comparepv.com/panel/csi-solar-co-ltd-canadian-solar-cs7n-720tb-ag) | 720 | 23.2 | -0.290 | Monocrystalline |
| 4 | [CS7N-715TB-AG](https://comparepv.com/panel/csi-solar-co-ltd-canadian-solar-cs7n-715tb-ag) | 715 | 23.0 | -0.290 | Monocrystalline |
| 5 | [CS7N-710TB-AG](https://comparepv.com/panel/csi-solar-co-ltd-canadian-solar-cs7n-710tb-ag) | 710 | 22.9 | -0.290 | Monocrystalline |
| 6 | [CS7N-705TB-AG](https://comparepv.com/panel/csi-solar-co-ltd-canadian-solar-cs7n-705tb-ag) | 705 | 22.7 | -0.290 | Monocrystalline |
| 7 | [CS7N-700TB-AG](https://comparepv.com/panel/csi-solar-co-ltd-canadian-solar-cs7n-700tb-ag) | 700 | 22.5 | -0.290 | Monocrystalline |
| 8 | [CS7N-695TB-AG](https://comparepv.com/panel/csi-solar-co-ltd-canadian-solar-cs7n-695tb-ag) | 695 | 22.4 | -0.290 | Monocrystalline |
| 9 | [CS7N-690TB-AG](https://comparepv.com/panel/csi-solar-co-ltd-canadian-solar-cs7n-690tb-ag) | 690 | 22.2 | -0.290 | Monocrystalline |
| 10 | [CS7N-675MS](https://comparepv.com/panel/csi-solar-co-ltd-canadian-solar-cs7n-675ms) | 675 | 21.7 | -0.340 | Monocrystalline |


## Top panels, First Solar


| # | Model | Power | Efficiency | Temp. coefficient | Technology |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | [FS-7550A-TR1](https://comparepv.com/panel/first-solar-fs-7550a-tr1) | 550 | 19.7 | -0.320 | Thin film |
| 2 | [FS-7550A-FT1](https://comparepv.com/panel/first-solar-fs-7550a-ft1) | 550 | 19.7 | -0.320 | Thin film |
| 3 | [FS-7545A-TR1](https://comparepv.com/panel/first-solar-fs-7545a-tr1) | 545 | 19.5 | -0.320 | Thin film |
| 4 | [FS-7545A-FT1](https://comparepv.com/panel/first-solar-fs-7545a-ft1) | 545 | 19.5 | -0.320 | Thin film |
| 5 | [FS-7540A-TR1](https://comparepv.com/panel/first-solar-fs-7540a-tr1) | 540 | 19.3 | -0.320 | Thin film |
| 6 | [FS-7540A-FT1](https://comparepv.com/panel/first-solar-fs-7540a-ft1) | 540 | 19.3 | -0.320 | Thin film |
| 7 | [FS-7535A-TR1](https://comparepv.com/panel/first-solar-fs-7535a-tr1) | 535 | 19.1 | -0.320 | Thin film |
| 8 | [FS-7535A-FT1](https://comparepv.com/panel/first-solar-fs-7535a-ft1) | 535 | 19.1 | -0.320 | Thin film |
| 9 | [FS-7532A-FT1](https://comparepv.com/panel/first-solar-fs-7532a-ft1) | 532 | 19.0 | -0.320 | Thin film |
| 10 | [FS-7530A-TR1](https://comparepv.com/panel/first-solar-fs-7530a-tr1) | 530 | 19.0 | -0.320 | Thin film |


## Summary

Canadian Solar is a Canadian manufacturer founded in 1995 that has repeatedly earned Tier 1 status, most recently appearing on S&P Global Commodity Insights inaugural 2025 Premier List of Tier 1 Cleantech Companies for both PV modules and battery storage. The company runs roughly 61 GW of annual production capacity and has shipped close to 165 GW of modules worldwide to date, giving it one of the broadest global footprints among module suppliers. First Solar, headquartered in the United States, is the world's leading producer of cadmium telluride thin-film cells, with over 20 GW of annual manufacturing capacity spread across factories in the US, India, Malaysia and Vietnam, and it holds a strong bankability reputation among project financiers thanks to the predictable energy yield of its CdTe technology.

The two companies differ sharply in product scope. Canadian Solar covers the full spectrum: HiKu PERC panels for residential rooftops, TOPHiKu and TOPBiHiKu N-type TOPCon modules for commercial and utility installations, and the newer HiHero heterojunction (HJT) line offering high efficiency with low annual degradation. First Solar, by contrast, is built almost exclusively around utility-scale deployment - its flagship Series 7 modules are physically large and heavy, unsuited to residential or small commercial rooftops, and are marketed as workhorses for large, often subsidy-backed power plants, primarily in the US and Indian markets.

For a residential or commercial buyer, Canadian Solar is effectively the only realistic option between the two, since First Solar simply does not compete in that space. First Solar becomes relevant only at utility scale, where its CdTe technology's low degradation and climate resilience are the deciding factors rather than typical rooftop economics. Rather than being direct rivals, the two brands largely serve separate segments of the solar market.

Written by claude-sonnet-5 from the figures above.


## Other comparisons

- [Canadian Solar vs A.B. Energy](https://comparepv.com/canadian-solar-vs-a-b-energy)
- [AE Solar vs First Solar](https://comparepv.com/ae-solar-vs-first-solar)
- [Canadian Solar vs AEET](https://comparepv.com/canadian-solar-vs-aeet)
- [AIKO vs First Solar](https://comparepv.com/aiko-vs-first-solar)
- [Canadian Solar vs AKCOME](https://comparepv.com/canadian-solar-vs-akcome)
- [ARTsolar vs First Solar](https://comparepv.com/artsolar-vs-first-solar)


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Source: https://comparepv.com/canadian-solar-vs-first-solar

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