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

# Canadian Solar vs SOMI

Canadian Solar has the broader catalog (292 vs 6 models). Canadian Solar leads on peak efficiency at 24.40%. Canadian Solar leans bifacial (46% of lineup).


## The two companies


| Attribute | Canadian Solar | SOMI |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Country | Canada |  |
| Headquarters | Kitchener |  |
| Founded | 2001 |  |
| Employees | 17,113 |  |
| Annual capacity | 51 GW/year |  |
| Tier 1 | yes | no |
| Listed | NASDAQ: CSIQ |  |
| Website | [https://www.canadiansolar.com](https://www.canadiansolar.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 | SOMI | Margin |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Panel Models | 292 | 6 | +286 |
| Max Power | 730 W | 550 W | +180 W |
| Avg Power | 472 W | 538 W | +66 W |


## Efficiency


| Measure | Canadian Solar | SOMI | Margin |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Max Efficiency | 24.40% | 21.30% | +3.10 pp |
| Avg Efficiency | 20.66% | 20.80% | +0.14 pp |


## Reliability & Warranty


| Measure | Canadian Solar | SOMI | Margin |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Avg Temp Coefficient | -0.331%/°C | -0.350%/°C | +0.019 |
| Bifacial Share | 133 (46%) | 0 (0%) | +46 pp |
| Avg Warranty | 28.2 yrs | 30.0 yrs | +1.8 yr |


## Efficiency distribution

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


| Efficiency band | Canadian Solar | SOMI |
| --- | --- | --- |
| \<20% | 128 (43.8%) | 0 |
| 20-21% | 36 (12.3%) | 4 (66.7%) |
| 21-22% | 41 (14.0%) | 2 (33.3%) |
| 22-23% | 50 (17.1%) | 0 |
| 23%+ | 37 (12.7%) | 0 |


## Power distribution

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


| Power band | Canadian Solar | SOMI |
| --- | --- | --- |
| \<400W | 104 (35.6%) | 0 |
| 400-499W | 72 (24.7%) | 0 |
| 500-599W | 45 (15.4%) | 6 (100.0%) |
| 600-699W | 64 (21.9%) | 0 |
| 700W+ | 7 (2.4%) | 0 |


## Cell technology

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

Dominant cell tech: **PERC** (100%)


| Technology | Canadian Solar | SOMI |
| --- | --- | --- |
| PERC | 195 (66.8%) | 6 (100.0%) |
| TOPCon | 85 (29.1%) | 0 |
| HJT | 12 (4.1%) | 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, SOMI


| # | Model | Power | Efficiency | Temp. coefficient | Technology |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | [SP550M-72HB](https://comparepv.com/panel/somi-sp550m-72hb) | 550 | 21.3 | -0.350 | Monocrystalline |
| 2 | [SP545M-72HB](https://comparepv.com/panel/somi-sp545m-72hb) | 545 | 21.1 | -0.350 | Monocrystalline |
| 3 | [SP540M-72HB](https://comparepv.com/panel/somi-sp540m-72hb) | 540 | 20.9 | -0.350 | Monocrystalline |
| 4 | [SP535M-72HB](https://comparepv.com/panel/somi-sp535m-72hb) | 535 | 20.7 | -0.350 | Monocrystalline |
| 5 | [SP530M-72HB](https://comparepv.com/panel/somi-sp530m-72hb) | 530 | 20.5 | -0.350 | Monocrystalline |
| 6 | [SP525M-72HB](https://comparepv.com/panel/somi-sp525m-72hb) | 525 | 20.3 | -0.350 | Monocrystalline |


## Summary

Canadian Solar is a publicly traded Canadian-founded company (incorporated in 2001, NASDAQ-listed since 2006) whose manufacturing operations are now headquartered in China under its CSI Solar subsidiary. It is one of the largest solar module producers in the world, with nameplate module capacity reported at roughly 59 GW as of mid-2025. The company is a consistent presence on BloombergNEF's Tier 1 bankability list and was named to S&P Global Commodity Insights' Premier List of Tier 1 Cleantech Companies in 2025. SOMI, by contrast, did not surface in any credible industry source across multiple targeted searches - no Tier 1 rankings, no coverage by pv-magazine, EnergySage, SolarReviews, or any recognized trade publication. On institutional footprint alone, Canadian Solar is in a different league.

Canadian Solar's current product lineup spans both residential and large-scale commercial and utility markets. Its mainstream residential lines - HiKu6 and the N-type TOPHiKu6 - deploy TOPCon cell technology confirmed by independent reviewers, with the TOPHiKu6 reaching efficiencies around 22-23% and modules up to roughly 690 W on the utility side. The company also produces HJT modules under its HiHero brand, positioned toward buyers prioritizing low embodied carbon. SolarReviews ranked Canadian Solar the top residential solar brand of 2025, citing competitive pricing (around $2.96 per watt for a typical U.S. installation) alongside a 30-year performance warranty. Because no verified product or technology information for SOMI could be found through independent searches, no equivalent description can responsibly be provided.

For a typical buyer in 2025, Canadian Solar is a well-supported, bankable choice backed by a global supply chain, documented warranties, and strong installer availability. Whether SOMI is a regional reseller, a private-label brand, or an emerging manufacturer with limited public presence is unclear from available sources - and that opacity itself is a meaningful risk factor any buyer should investigate before committing.

\---LINKS---

\- https://www.solarreviews.com/blog/canadian-solar-panels-expert-review \| Canadian Solar Panels 2025 Expert Review - SolarReviews \| review

\- https://www.energysage.com/solar/best-solar-panels-complete-ranking/canadian-solar-panels-complete-review/ \| Canadian Solar Panels Complete Review - EnergySage \| review

\- https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/canadian-solar-makes-sp-global-commodity-insights-premier-list-of-tier-1-cleantech-companies-2025-302553562.html \| Canadian Solar Makes S&P Global Tier 1 Cleantech List 2025 \| article

\- https://investors.canadiansolar.com/news-releases/news-release-details/canadian-solar-reports-fourth-quarter-and-full-year-2025-results \| Canadian Solar Full Year 2025 Results - Investor Relations \| article

Written by claude-sonnet from the figures above.


## Other comparisons

- [Canadian Solar vs A.B. Energy](https://comparepv.com/canadian-solar-vs-a-b-energy)
- [AE Solar vs SOMI](https://comparepv.com/ae-solar-vs-somi)
- [Canadian Solar vs AEET](https://comparepv.com/canadian-solar-vs-aeet)
- [AIKO vs SOMI](https://comparepv.com/aiko-vs-somi)
- [Canadian Solar vs AKCOME](https://comparepv.com/canadian-solar-vs-akcome)
- [ARTsolar vs SOMI](https://comparepv.com/artsolar-vs-somi)


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

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