Canadian Solar vs QN-SOLAR - solar panel manufacturer comparison
Canadian Solar has the broader catalog (292 vs 0 models). Canadian Solar leans bifacial (46% 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
QN-SOLAR (Qn-SOLAR PV Limited) is a China-based integrated photovoltaic manufacturer with six production bases across China, specializing in N-TOPCon solar cells and modules. The company officially launched its global business in 2022 and has expanded into upstream and downstream PV production, reaching a combined...
- Founded
- 2014
- Headquarters
- Shanghai, China
- Annual capacity
- 30-40 GW/year
- Employees
- 5000-10000
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%)
The flagships
Written summary
Canadian Solar was founded in 2001 and is incorporated in Canada, with its primary manufacturing operations based in China. The company has been listed on NASDAQ since 2006 and was named to S&P Global Commodity Insights' Premier List of Tier 1 Cleantech Companies for 2025. With module manufacturing capacity exceeding 50 GW, it consistently ranks among the five largest solar panel producers in the world. QN-SOLAR is a Shanghai-based manufacturer founded in 2014 that launched its international PV sales in 2022. It reported annual production capacity of around 20 GW for cells and 25 GW for modules in 2024, and while it entered the TaiyangNews TOP SOLAR MODULES listing in 2023 as an early credibility milestone, it appears still to be working toward full BloombergNEF Tier 1 recognition. Canadian Solar holds the stronger institutional footprint by a clear margin, with two decades of track record and deep installer networks across North America, Europe, and Australia.
Canadian Solar serves the full market spectrum. Its HiKu6 series addresses mainstream residential and commercial rooftops using PERC cell technology, while the TOPHiKu6 line applies N-type TOPCon cells for premium residential installations where roof area is limited. Bifacial BiHiKu variants target utility-scale and commercial ground-mount projects. SolarReviews ranked Canadian Solar the top solar panel brand of 2025, and the TOPHiKu6 is consistently one of the most-quoted panels on the EnergySage marketplace. QN-SOLAR markets itself explicitly as an N-TOPCon specialist, offering modules across residential and commercial wattages. Its catalog is real and its quoted efficiency figures are competitive, but independent field-test data and installer adoption outside its home market remain limited compared to more established peers.
For a typical buyer in 2025, Canadian Solar is the lower-risk default. Its confirmed Tier 1 status, competitive pricing, wide installer availability, and 30-year warranty coverage make it straightforward to recommend for both residential rooftops and commercial ground mounts. QN-SOLAR is a credible emerging option - particularly for buyers in markets where it is actively distributed - but its shorter track record and unconfirmed bankability standing mean that buyers, especially on larger utility-scale projects, should weigh those gaps carefully before committing.
Generated by Claude Sonnet · 2026-06-11
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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.