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

# Canadian Solar vs Runtech China

Canadian Solar has the broader catalog (292 vs 21 models). Canadian Solar leads on peak efficiency at 24.40%. Canadian Solar leans bifacial (46% of lineup).


## The two companies


| Attribute | Canadian Solar | Runtech China |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Country | Canada | China |
| Headquarters | Kitchener | Xi'an |
| Founded | 2001 | 2008 |
| Employees | 17,113 | 50+ |
| Annual capacity | 51 GW/year |  |
| Tier 1 | yes |  |
| Listed | NASDAQ: CSIQ |  |
| Website | [https://www.canadiansolar.com](https://www.canadiansolar.com) | [http://www.runtechenergy.com](http://www.runtechenergy.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.

Runtech Energy, founded in 2008, is a leading independent solar production supplier and designer. They are a trader of solar modules and PV project developer, with over 500MW of premium quality modules deployed worldwide. Runtech is committed to providing high-quality solar products and system integration services.


## Catalog & Power


| Measure | Canadian Solar | Runtech China | Margin |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Panel Models | 292 | 21 | +271 |
| Max Power | 730 W | 420 W | +310 W |
| Avg Power | 472 W | 301 W | +171 W |


## Efficiency


| Measure | Canadian Solar | Runtech China | Margin |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Max Efficiency | 24.40% | 24.30% | +0.10 pp |
| Avg Efficiency | 20.66% | 18.59% | +2.07 pp |


## Reliability & Warranty


| Measure | Canadian Solar | Runtech China | Margin |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Avg Temp Coefficient | -0.331%/°C | -0.350%/°C | +0.018 |
| Bifacial Share | 133 (46%) | 1 (5%) | +41 pp |
| Avg Warranty | 28.2 yrs | 25.0 yrs | +3.2 yr |


## Efficiency distribution

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


| Efficiency band | Canadian Solar | Runtech China |
| --- | --- | --- |
| \<20% | 128 (43.8%) | 13 (61.9%) |
| 20-21% | 36 (12.3%) | 4 (19.0%) |
| 21-22% | 41 (14.0%) | 3 (14.3%) |
| 22-23% | 50 (17.1%) | 0 |
| 23%+ | 37 (12.7%) | 1 (4.8%) |


## Power distribution

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


| Power band | Canadian Solar | Runtech China |
| --- | --- | --- |
| \<400W | 104 (35.6%) | 16 (76.2%) |
| 400-499W | 72 (24.7%) | 5 (23.8%) |
| 500-599W | 45 (15.4%) | 0 |
| 600-699W | 64 (21.9%) | 0 |
| 700W+ | 7 (2.4%) | 0 |


## Cell technology

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


| Technology | Canadian Solar | Runtech China |
| --- | --- | --- |
| PERC | 195 (66.8%) | 0 |
| TOPCon | 85 (29.1%) | 0 |
| HJT | 12 (4.1%) | 0 |
| Unknown | 0 | 21 (100.0%) |


## 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, Runtech China


| # | Model | Power | Efficiency | Temp. coefficient | Technology |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | [RT420WM](https://comparepv.com/panel/runtech-china-rt420wm) | 420 | 21.6 | -0.350 | Monocrystalline |
| 2 | [RT415WM](https://comparepv.com/panel/runtech-china-rt415wm) | 415 | 21.3 | -0.350 | Monocrystalline |
| 3 | [RT410WM](https://comparepv.com/panel/runtech-china-rt410wm) | 410 | 21.0 | -0.350 | Monocrystalline |
| 4 | [RT405WM](https://comparepv.com/panel/runtech-china-rt405wm) | 405 | 20.8 | -0.350 | Monocrystalline |
| 5 | [RT400WM](https://comparepv.com/panel/runtech-china-rt400wm) | 400 | 20.5 | -0.350 | Monocrystalline |
| 6 | [RT395WM](https://comparepv.com/panel/runtech-china-rt395wm) | 395 | 20.2 | -0.350 | Monocrystalline |
| 7 | [RT390WM](https://comparepv.com/panel/runtech-china-rt390wm) | 390 | 20.0 | -0.350 | Monocrystalline |
| 8 | [RT-355M](https://comparepv.com/panel/runtech-china-rt-355m) | 355 | 18.5 | -0.410 | Polycrystalline |
| 9 | [RT 355M](https://comparepv.com/panel/runtech-china-rt-355m-1) | 355 | 18.5 | -0.410 | Polycrystalline |
| 10 | [RT-350M](https://comparepv.com/panel/runtech-china-rt-350m) | 350 | 18.0 | -0.410 | Polycrystalline |


## Summary

Canadian Solar is a Canadian manufacturer headquartered in Guelph, Ontario, founded in 2001, with manufacturing concentrated in China and a NASDAQ listing dating back to 2006. The company appears on BloombergNEF Tier 1 lists and was named to the S&P Global Energy Premier list of Tier 1 cleantech companies for 2026, with planned module capacity of roughly 51 GW by the end of 2025, placing it among the largest and most bankable players in the industry. Runtech China is a much smaller Chinese entity based in Xi'an with a factory in Changzhou, operating since roughly 2008-2014 primarily as an OEM/ODM supplier, with an annual production capacity around 200 MW and cumulative global deployment under 500 MW - a scale not comparable to Canadian Solar, and its self-described Tier 1 status appears mainly in the company's own marketing materials rather than independent industry sources. On institutional footprint and bankability track record, Canadian Solar holds a clear and significant advantage.

Canadian Solar's current lineup centers on TOPCon technology (its TOPCon 3.0 series, reaching about 24.8 percent efficiency) alongside an expanding HJT range (including the HiHero series at 695-730 W), with distinct product families for residential rooftops, commercial and industrial installations, and utility-scale ground-mount projects, backed by FM Approvals hail-resilience certification. Runtech China functions more as an OEM/ODM supplier and distributor - it has even signed a distribution agreement with Longi - offering modules spanning 5 W to 600 W, which points to a flexible, smaller-scale supplier model rather than an in-house mature technology roadmap.

For a typical international buyer, whether residential or commercial, Canadian Solar is the safer, better-documented default given its global scale, long public listing history, and independently verified Tier 1 standing. Runtech China may offer price advantages for smaller or niche projects, but given the limited independent verification of its market claims, buyers should scrutinize documentation, certifications, and warranty terms closely before committing.

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


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Source: https://comparepv.com/canadian-solar-vs-runtech-china

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