Canadian Solar vs Philadelphia Solar - solar panel manufacturer comparison
Canadian Solar has the broader catalog (292 vs 99 models). Canadian Solar leads on peak efficiency at 24.40%. Philadelphia Solar leans bifacial (67% 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
Philadelphia Solar is a Jordanian Tier 1 solar module and steel mounting structure manufacturer that was established in 2007. It is the first MEA-based company to manufacture, develop, design, construct, own, and operate utility-scale, commercial and industrial photovoltaic plants. The company exports to over 52...
- Founded
- 2007
- Headquarters
- Amman, Jordan
- Annual capacity
- 0.58 GW/year
- Employees
- 51-200
- 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>PERC</strong> (55%)
The flagships
Written summary
Canadian Solar is a Canadian-headquartered manufacturer founded in 2001 and listed on NASDAQ since 2006, with manufacturing concentrated in China and Southeast Asia. It appears on S&P Global Commodity Insights' Tier 1 Cleantech Companies list and reports annual production capacity in the range of 61 GW, placing it among the largest and most established names in global PV manufacturing. Philadelphia Solar, founded in 2007 in Amman, Jordan, was the first PV panel manufacturer in the MENA region and also holds Tier 1 status per the PV ModuleTech bankability report, but its annual production capacity sits around 500 MWp - roughly two orders of magnitude smaller than Canadian Solar's. In terms of institutional footprint and global scale, Canadian Solar has a clear edge.
Canadian Solar's product range spans the PERC-based HiKu6 line alongside newer TOPCon modules such as TOPHiKu6 and the bifacial TOPBiHiKu7, covering everything from residential rooftops to commercial and utility-scale ground-mount projects. Philadelphia Solar's catalog is centered on mono- and polycrystalline PERC modules, complemented by its own Magnelis steel mounting structure production, positioning it as a more specialized turnkey supplier serving Middle Eastern and African markets rather than a globally diversified technology leader.
For a typical international buyer, Canadian Solar is generally the safer default choice given its larger manufacturing base, longer public trading history, and broader warranty support infrastructure across regions. Philadelphia Solar remains a credible but more regional and niche alternative, better suited to buyers already sourcing turnkey PV and mounting solutions from the MENA supply chain rather than a like-for-like substitute in most other markets.
Generated by Claude Sonnet 5 · 2026-08-11
Other brand comparisons
Shop prices: See 40 Canadian Solar offers · See 5 Philadelphia Solar 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.