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

# Canadian Solar vs REC

Canadian Solar has the broader catalog (292 vs 58 models). Canadian Solar leads on peak efficiency at 24.40%. REC leans bifacial (59% of lineup).


## The two companies


| Attribute | Canadian Solar | REC |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Country | Canada | Norway |
| Headquarters | Kitchener | Sandvika |
| Founded | 2001 | 1996 |
| Employees | 17,113 |  |
| Annual capacity | 51 GW/year |  |
| Tier 1 | yes | yes |
| Listed | NASDAQ: CSIQ |  |
| Website | [https://www.canadiansolar.com](https://www.canadiansolar.com) | [https://www.recgroup.com](https://www.recgroup.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 | REC | Margin |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Panel Models | 292 | 58 | +234 |
| Max Power | 730 W | 640 W | +90 W |
| Avg Power | 472 W | 385 W | +87 W |


## Efficiency


| Measure | Canadian Solar | REC | Margin |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Max Efficiency | 24.40% | 22.80% | +1.60 pp |
| Avg Efficiency | 20.66% | 18.92% | +1.74 pp |


## Reliability & Warranty


| Measure | Canadian Solar | REC | Margin |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Avg Temp Coefficient | -0.331%/°C | -0.300%/°C | +0.031 |
| Bifacial Share | 133 (46%) | 34 (59%) | +13 pp |
| Avg Warranty | 28.2 yrs | 25.5 yrs | +2.7 yr |


## Efficiency distribution

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


| Efficiency band | Canadian Solar | REC |
| --- | --- | --- |
| \<20% | 128 (43.8%) | 20 (34.5%) |
| 20-21% | 36 (12.3%) | 8 (13.8%) |
| 21-22% | 41 (14.0%) | 15 (25.9%) |
| 22-23% | 50 (17.1%) | 15 (25.9%) |
| 23%+ | 37 (12.7%) | 0 |


## Power distribution

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


| Power band | Canadian Solar | REC |
| --- | --- | --- |
| \<400W | 104 (35.6%) | 21 (36.2%) |
| 400-499W | 72 (24.7%) | 26 (44.8%) |
| 500-599W | 45 (15.4%) | 1 (1.7%) |
| 600-699W | 64 (21.9%) | 10 (17.2%) |
| 700W+ | 7 (2.4%) | 0 |


## Cell technology

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

Dominant cell tech: **HJT** (59%)


| Technology | Canadian Solar | REC |
| --- | --- | --- |
| PERC | 195 (66.8%) | 0 |
| TOPCon | 85 (29.1%) | 0 |
| HJT | 12 (4.1%) | 34 (58.6%) |
| Unknown | 0 | 22 (37.9%) |
| N-type | 0 | 2 (3.4%) |


## 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, REC


| # | Model | Power | Efficiency | Temp. coefficient | Technology |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | [REC640AA PRO M](https://comparepv.com/panel/rec-rec640aa-pro-m) | 640 | 22.5 | -0.240 | Monocrystalline |
| 2 | [REC640AA Pro MG](https://comparepv.com/panel/rec-rec640aa-pro-mg) | 640 | 22.5 | -0.240 | Monocrystalline |
| 3 | [REC630AA PRO M](https://comparepv.com/panel/rec-rec630aa-pro-m) | 630 | 22.2 | -0.240 | Monocrystalline |
| 4 | [REC630AA Pro MG](https://comparepv.com/panel/rec-rec630aa-pro-mg) | 630 | 22.2 | -0.240 | Monocrystalline |
| 5 | [REC620AA PRO M](https://comparepv.com/panel/rec-rec620aa-pro-m) | 620 | 21.8 | -0.240 | Monocrystalline |
| 6 | [REC620AA Pro MG](https://comparepv.com/panel/rec-rec620aa-pro-mg) | 620 | 21.8 | -0.240 | Monocrystalline |
| 7 | [REC610AA PRO M](https://comparepv.com/panel/rec-rec610aa-pro-m) | 610 | 21.5 | -0.240 | Monocrystalline |
| 8 | [REC610AA Pro MG](https://comparepv.com/panel/rec-rec610aa-pro-mg) | 610 | 21.5 | -0.240 | Monocrystalline |
| 9 | [REC600AA PRO M](https://comparepv.com/panel/rec-rec600aa-pro-m) | 600 | 21.1 | -0.240 | Monocrystalline |
| 10 | [REC600AA Pro MG](https://comparepv.com/panel/rec-rec600aa-pro-mg) | 600 | 21.1 | -0.240 | Monocrystalline |


## Summary

Canadian Solar is a Canadian-registered company headquartered in Guelph, Ontario, listed on NASDAQ since 2006, with manufacturing concentrated mainly in China alongside growing capacity in Southeast Asia and North America. It appears on Tier 1 manufacturer lists and has been named to S&P Global's premier list of Tier 1 cleantech companies, with module production capacity in the tens of gigawatts per year, making it one of the largest players in the global market. REC Group traces its roots to Norway, was founded in 1996, is now part of the Reliance group, and manufactures primarily in Singapore; it appears on BloombergNEF's Tier 1 list as well, though its production scale is notably smaller than Canadian Solar's. In terms of institutional footprint and sheer scale, Canadian Solar clearly has the stronger position.

Canadian Solar covers a broad range of use cases, from residential rooftop panels to commercial and industrial (C&I) installations and utility-scale ground-mount solar farms, and it also develops battery storage systems under its e-STORAGE brand. Its mainstream product lines rely on TOPCon cells (TOPHiKu series), while its premium tier includes heterojunction (HJT) modules under the HiDM and low-carbon HiHero series. REC, by contrast, focuses primarily on the residential and smaller commercial segment, built around its Alpha Pure and Alpha Pure-R heterojunction panels, which are known for very low annual degradation, lead-free construction, and strong performance in hot climates.

For buyers pursuing large ground-mount or utility-scale projects, Canadian Solar is the more natural default given its production scale, bankability, and diversified portfolio. For homeowners prioritizing maximum efficiency, aesthetics, and long-term durability on a rooftop system, REC remains a strong premium alternative, typically at a higher price per watt. Both brands are considered solid and bankable, so the choice often comes down to project scale and budget rather than a clear quality gap.

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 REC](https://comparepv.com/ae-solar-vs-rec)
- [Canadian Solar vs AEET](https://comparepv.com/canadian-solar-vs-aeet)
- [AIKO vs REC](https://comparepv.com/aiko-vs-rec)
- [Canadian Solar vs AKCOME](https://comparepv.com/canadian-solar-vs-akcome)
- [ARTsolar vs REC](https://comparepv.com/artsolar-vs-rec)


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

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