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

# Canadian Solar vs RedSolar

Canadian Solar has the broader catalog (292 vs 41 models). Canadian Solar leads on peak efficiency at 24.40%. RedSolar leans bifacial (88% of lineup).


## The two companies


| Attribute | Canadian Solar | RedSolar |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Country | Canada | China |
| Headquarters | Kitchener | Changsha |
| Founded | 2001 | 2008 |
| Employees | 17,113 | 1000-2000 |
| Annual capacity | 51 GW/year |  |
| Tier 1 | yes |  |
| Listed | NASDAQ: CSIQ |  |
| Website | [https://www.canadiansolar.com](https://www.canadiansolar.com) | [https://www.red-solar.com](https://www.red-solar.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.

Hunan Red Solar New Energy Science and Technology Co., Ltd. (RedSolar) is a state-owned high-tech enterprise incubated by the 48th Research Institute of China Electronics Technology Group Corporation (CETC), one of China's largest Fortune 500 state-owned conglomerates. The company manufactures solar cells, PV modules...


## Catalog & Power


| Measure | Canadian Solar | RedSolar | Margin |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Panel Models | 292 | 41 | +251 |
| Max Power | 730 W | 720 W | +10 W |
| Avg Power | 472 W | 582 W | +110 W |


## Efficiency


| Measure | Canadian Solar | RedSolar | Margin |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Max Efficiency | 24.40% | 23.20% | +1.20 pp |
| Avg Efficiency | 20.66% | 22.36% | +1.71 pp |


## Reliability & Warranty


| Measure | Canadian Solar | RedSolar | Margin |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Avg Temp Coefficient | -0.331%/°C | -0.303%/°C | +0.029 |
| Bifacial Share | 133 (46%) | 36 (88%) | +42 pp |
| Avg Warranty | 28.2 yrs | 29.4 yrs | +1.2 yr |


## Efficiency distribution

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


| Efficiency band | Canadian Solar | RedSolar |
| --- | --- | --- |
| \<20% | 128 (43.8%) | 0 |
| 20-21% | 36 (12.3%) | 2 (4.9%) |
| 21-22% | 41 (14.0%) | 4 (9.8%) |
| 22-23% | 50 (17.1%) | 31 (75.6%) |
| 23%+ | 37 (12.7%) | 4 (9.8%) |


## Power distribution

RedSolar offers more 600W+ panels (61% of lineup)


| Power band | Canadian Solar | RedSolar |
| --- | --- | --- |
| \<400W | 104 (35.6%) | 0 |
| 400-499W | 72 (24.7%) | 10 (24.4%) |
| 500-599W | 45 (15.4%) | 6 (14.6%) |
| 600-699W | 64 (21.9%) | 20 (48.8%) |
| 700W+ | 7 (2.4%) | 5 (12.2%) |


## Cell technology

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

Dominant cell tech: **TOPCon** (83%)


| Technology | Canadian Solar | RedSolar |
| --- | --- | --- |
| PERC | 195 (66.8%) | 5 (12.2%) |
| TOPCon | 85 (29.1%) | 34 (82.9%) |
| HJT | 12 (4.1%) | 0 |
| N-type | 0 | 2 (4.9%) |


## 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, RedSolar


| # | Model | Power | Efficiency | Temp. coefficient | Technology |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | [CETC-720T(GDF)/132](https://comparepv.com/panel/redsolar-cetc-720t-gdf-132) | 720 | 23.2 | -0.290 | Monocrystalline |
| 2 | [CETC-715T(GDF)/132](https://comparepv.com/panel/redsolar-cetc-715t-gdf-132) | 715 | 23.0 | -0.290 | Monocrystalline |
| 3 | [CETC-710T(GDF)/132](https://comparepv.com/panel/redsolar-cetc-710t-gdf-132) | 710 | 22.9 | -0.290 | Monocrystalline |
| 4 | [CETC-705T(GDF)/132](https://comparepv.com/panel/redsolar-cetc-705t-gdf-132) | 705 | 22.7 | -0.290 | Monocrystalline |
| 5 | [CETC-700T(GDF)/132](https://comparepv.com/panel/redsolar-cetc-700t-gdf-132) | 700 | 22.5 | -0.290 | Monocrystalline |
| 6 | [CETC-695T(GDF)/132](https://comparepv.com/panel/redsolar-cetc-695t-gdf-132) | 695 | 22.4 | -0.310 | Monocrystalline |
| 7 | [CETC-690T(GDF)/132](https://comparepv.com/panel/redsolar-cetc-690t-gdf-132) | 690 | 22.2 | -0.310 | Monocrystalline |
| 8 | [CETC-640T(GDF)/156](https://comparepv.com/panel/redsolar-cetc-640t-gdf-156) | 640 | 22.9 | -0.300 | Monocrystalline |
| 9 | [CETC-635T(GDF)/156](https://comparepv.com/panel/redsolar-cetc-635t-gdf-156) | 635 | 22.7 | -0.300 | Monocrystalline |
| 10 | [CETC-635TR(GDF)/132](https://comparepv.com/panel/redsolar-cetc-635tr-gdf-132) | 635 | 22.7 | -0.300 | Monocrystalline |


## Summary

Canadian Solar was founded in 1998 and is headquartered in Guelph, Ontario, Canada, trading on Nasdaq while operating manufacturing facilities across several countries, including China. The company has been named to S&P Global Commodity Insights' Tier 1 Cleantech Companies list in both the 2025 and 2026 editions, confirming strong bankability with project-finance banks. Planned capacity by the end of 2025 exceeds 51 GW of modules and 32 GW of cells annually, placing it firmly among the largest global suppliers. RedSolar (Hunan RedSolar New Energy Technology) is a Chinese manufacturer founded in 2008, incubated by the 48th Research Institute of China Electronics Technology Group Corporation, giving it a state-linked, semiconductor-derived background. It claims cumulative shipments above 30 GW and roughly 50 GW of deployed production lines across more than 50 countries, but available sources do not confirm a current BloombergNEF Tier 1 listing or coverage in independent trade outlets such as pv-magazine or PVTech. On documented bankability and audit history, Canadian Solar clearly holds the stronger institutional footprint.

Canadian Solar's lineup spans distinct use cases: the HiKu6 and TOPHiKu6 series use N-type TOPCon cells reaching around 23% efficiency and target residential and commercial rooftops, the HiHero series uses heterojunction (HJT) technology with efficiency up to 23.5%, and the TOPBiHiKu bifacial modules are built for utility-scale and C&I ground-mount projects, backed by extended 25 to 30 year warranties. RedSolar positions itself around global export markets with monocrystalline module offerings, but detailed, independently verified specifications on its dominant cell technology (PERC versus TOPCon) are harder to find in public sources, and its retail presence in Western markets appears limited compared to established Tier 1 brands.

For a typical buyer, particularly an installer or investor relying on bank financing, Canadian Solar remains the safer default choice given its proven bankability, long operating track record, and transparent technical documentation. RedSolar may appeal as a lower-cost alternative for projects outside standard institutional financing, but buyers should independently verify performance claims and certifications before committing, since third-party coverage of the brand remains comparatively sparse.

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


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

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