Canadian Solar vs Meyer Burger - solar panel manufacturer comparison
Canadian Solar has the broader catalog (292 vs 24 models). Canadian Solar leads on peak efficiency at 24.40%. Meyer Burger leans bifacial (58% 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
- Founded
- 1953
- Headquarters
- Thun, Switzerland
- Listed
- SIX: MBTN
- 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%+
Canadian Solar offers more 600W+ panels (24% 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 by Dr. Shawn Qu in Guelph, Ontario, went public on Nasdaq in 2006, and shifted the bulk of its manufacturing to China early on. The company has repeatedly been named to Tier 1 bankability lists, including the S&P Global Energy Premier List of Tier 1 Cleantech Companies in both 2025 and 2026, and reports annual production capacity of roughly 61 GW, with cumulative module shipments approaching 177 GW over 25 years of operation. Meyer Burger, by contrast, is a Swiss company founded in 1953 as a precision machinery maker, headquartered in Thun, which moved into photovoltaics in the 1980s and became known for pioneering heterojunction (HJT) cell technology paired with its patented SmartWire interconnection, opening cell and module plants in Germany (Bitterfeld-Wolfen) in 2021. On institutional footing the two are no longer comparable: Meyer Burger filed for insolvency of its German units in May 2025, shut its Arizona module plant, laid off hundreds of workers, and after failing to secure a buyer wound down production entirely, selling manufacturing equipment to Waaree Solar in September 2025.
Canadian Solar's current lineup centers on N-type TOPCon modules, including bifacial series such as TOPBiHiKu reaching 690-705 W, marketed across residential rooftop, commercial and industrial, and utility-scale ground-mount projects, with up to 30-year performance warranties on select monofacial products. Meyer Burger built its reputation on premium heterojunction panels with efficiencies around 20-22 percent, praised for strong high-temperature performance and KIWA PVEL Top Performer recognition, and was positioned mainly for residential and premium rooftop installations, including a notable supply deal with IKEA, backed by 25-30 year warranties.
For a typical buyer today, Canadian Solar is the more practical default given its active production, established Tier 1 status, and functioning warranty infrastructure. Meyer Burger panels remain technically respected, but with the manufacturer having ceased operations, buyers face real uncertainty over long-term warranty servicing, since any future claims would depend on whoever ultimately holds the liquidated assets.
Generated by Claude Sonnet 5 · 2026-09-22
Other brand comparisons
Shop prices: See 39 Canadian Solar offers · See 15 Meyer Burger 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.