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

# Canadian Solar vs KB Solar

Canadian Solar has the broader catalog (292 vs 5 models). Canadian Solar leads on peak efficiency at 24.40%. KB Solar leans bifacial (100% of lineup).


## The two companies


| Attribute | Canadian Solar | KB Solar |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Country | Canada |  |
| Headquarters | Kitchener |  |
| Founded | 2001 |  |
| Employees | 17,113 |  |
| Annual capacity | 51 GW/year |  |
| Tier 1 | yes | no |
| Listed | NASDAQ: CSIQ |  |
| Website | [https://www.canadiansolar.com](https://www.canadiansolar.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.


## Catalog & Power


| Measure | Canadian Solar | KB Solar | Margin |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Panel Models | 292 | 5 | +287 |
| Max Power | 730 W | 385 W | +345 W |
| Avg Power | 472 W | 375 W | +97 W |


## Efficiency


| Measure | Canadian Solar | KB Solar | Margin |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Max Efficiency | 24.40% | 20.90% | +3.50 pp |
| Avg Efficiency | 20.66% | 20.38% | +0.28 pp |


## Reliability & Warranty


| Measure | Canadian Solar | KB Solar | Margin |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Avg Temp Coefficient | -0.331%/°C | -0.330%/°C | +0.001 |
| Bifacial Share | 133 (46%) | 5 (100%) | +54 pp |
| Avg Warranty | 28.2 yrs | 30.0 yrs | +1.8 yr |


## Efficiency distribution

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


| Efficiency band | Canadian Solar | KB Solar |
| --- | --- | --- |
| \<20% | 128 (43.8%) | 0 |
| 20-21% | 36 (12.3%) | 5 (100.0%) |
| 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 | KB Solar |
| --- | --- | --- |
| \<400W | 104 (35.6%) | 5 (100.0%) |
| 400-499W | 72 (24.7%) | 0 |
| 500-599W | 45 (15.4%) | 0 |
| 600-699W | 64 (21.9%) | 0 |
| 700W+ | 7 (2.4%) | 0 |


## Cell technology

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

Dominant cell tech: **PERC** (100%)


| Technology | Canadian Solar | KB Solar |
| --- | --- | --- |
| PERC | 195 (66.8%) | 5 (100.0%) |
| TOPCon | 85 (29.1%) | 0 |
| HJT | 12 (4.1%) | 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, KB Solar


| # | Model | Power | Efficiency | Temp. coefficient | Technology |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | [KBS-385](https://comparepv.com/panel/kb-solar-kbs-385) | 385 | 20.9 | -0.330 | Monocrystalline |
| 2 | [KBS-380](https://comparepv.com/panel/kb-solar-kbs-380) | 380 | 20.6 | -0.330 | Monocrystalline |
| 3 | [KBS-375](https://comparepv.com/panel/kb-solar-kbs-375) | 375 | 20.3 | -0.330 | Monocrystalline |
| 4 | [KBS-370](https://comparepv.com/panel/kb-solar-kbs-370) | 370 | 20.1 | -0.330 | Monocrystalline |
| 5 | [KBS-365](https://comparepv.com/panel/kb-solar-kbs-365) | 365 | 20.0 | -0.330 | Monocrystalline |


## Summary

Canadian Solar is a Canadian company, founded in 2001 and headquartered in Guelph, Ontario, that has grown into one of the largest solar module producers in the world. It has been publicly listed on NASDAQ since 2006 and, as of its FY2025 filings, carries module manufacturing capacity of roughly 59 GW. The company was named to the S&P Global Commodity Insights Premier List of Tier 1 Cleantech Companies for 2025, confirming its bankability for project finance. KB Solar is a far smaller, US-based operation founded in 2021 by brothers Ivan and Alex Karastanov in Spartanburg, South Carolina, with an annual production capacity of approximately 120 MW. No Tier 1 or comparable bankability designation for KB Solar was found in available industry sources. On institutional footprint and financing credibility, Canadian Solar is in a different category entirely.

Canadian Solar's main residential and commercial product lines are the HiKu6 series, built on PERC cell technology, and the TOPHiKu6 series, which uses N-type TOPCon cells and reaches efficiencies of up to roughly 23 percent, as confirmed by multiple independent reviews. A bifacial variant, BiHiKu, serves utility-scale and ground-mount projects. KB Solar offers 450W and 375W panels targeting residential, commercial, agricultural, and industrial customers; independent sources do not confirm which cell technology the company uses, so no cell-type claim is made here. KB Solar's primary appeal appears to be its US-made origin and the ability to work directly with a local manufacturer-installer, which may carry value for buyers with domestic content requirements or who prefer a single point of contact.

For most buyers in 2025 - especially those financing a commercial or utility-scale project - Canadian Solar is the safer default given its proven bankability, global warranty-service network, and broad product range. KB Solar is best assessed as a regional, domestically manufactured option for buyers in the southeastern US who prioritize "Made in USA" supply chains and close vendor relationships over global scale.

\---LINKS---

\- https://www.solarreviews.com/blog/canadian-solar-panels-expert-review \| Canadian Solar Panels 2025 Expert Review - SolarReviews \| review

\- https://www.cleanenergyreviews.info/blog/canadian-solar-panels-review \| Canadian Solar panels review - Clean Energy Reviews \| review

\- https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/canadian-solar-makes-sp-global-commodity-insights-premier-list-of-tier-1-cleantech-companies-2025-302553562.html \| Canadian Solar named to S&P Global Tier 1 Cleantech list 2025 \| article

\- https://www.bbb.org/us/sc/spartanburg/profile/solar-installation/kb-solar-of-spartanburg-llc-0673-90045945 \| KB Solar of Spartanburg - BBB Business Profile \| review

\- https://investors.canadiansolar.com/news-releases/news-release-details/canadian-solar-reports-fourth-quarter-and-full-year-2025-results \| Canadian Solar Q4 and Full Year 2025 Results \| article

Sources:

\- \[Canadian Solar Panels 2025 Expert Review\](https://www.solarreviews.com/blog/canadian-solar-panels-expert-review)

\- \[Canadian Solar panels review - Clean Energy Reviews\](https://www.cleanenergyreviews.info/blog/canadian-solar-panels-review)

\- \[Canadian Solar named to S&P Global Tier 1 Cleantech list 2025\](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/canadian-solar-makes-sp-global-commodity-insights-premier-list-of-tier-1-cleantech-companies-2025-302553562.html)

\- \[KB Solar of Spartanburg - BBB Business Profile\](https://www.bbb.org/us/sc/spartanburg/profile/solar-installation/kb-solar-of-spartanburg-llc-0673-90045945)

\- \[Canadian Solar Q4 and Full Year 2025 Results\](https://investors.canadiansolar.com/news-releases/news-release-details/canadian-solar-reports-fourth-quarter-and-full-year-2025-results)

Written by claude-sonnet from the figures above.


## Other comparisons

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


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

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