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

# Canadian Solar vs Suniva

Canadian Solar has the broader catalog (292 vs 0 models). Canadian Solar leans bifacial (46% of lineup).


## The two companies


| Attribute | Canadian Solar | Suniva |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Country | Canada | United States |
| Headquarters | Kitchener | Norcross, Georgia |
| Founded | 2001 | 2007 |
| Employees | 17,113 | 100-200 |
| Annual capacity | 51 GW/year | 1-3 GW/year |
| Tier 1 | yes |  |
| Listed | NASDAQ: CSIQ |  |
| Website | [https://www.canadiansolar.com](https://www.canadiansolar.com) | [https://suniva.com](https://suniva.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.

Suniva is an American manufacturer of monocrystalline silicon photovoltaic solar cells, spun out of Georgia Tech's University Center of Excellence in Photovoltaics in 2007. After filing for bankruptcy in 2017 and emerging under new ownership in 2019, the company restarted manufacturing operations in Norcross, Georgia...


## Catalog & Power


| Measure | Canadian Solar | Suniva | Margin |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Panel Models | 292 | 0 | +292 |
| Max Power | 730 W | 0 W | +730 W |
| Avg Power | 472 W | 0 W | +472 W |


## Efficiency


| Measure | Canadian Solar | Suniva | Margin |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Max Efficiency | 24.40% | - |  |
| Avg Efficiency | 20.66% | - |  |


## Reliability & Warranty


| Measure | Canadian Solar | Suniva | Margin |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Avg Temp Coefficient | -0.331%/°C | - |  |
| Bifacial Share | 133 (46%) | 0 (0%) | +46 pp |
| Avg Warranty | 28.2 yrs | - |  |


## Efficiency distribution

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


| Efficiency band | Canadian Solar | Suniva |
| --- | --- | --- |
| \<20% | 128 (43.8%) | 0 |
| 20-21% | 36 (12.3%) | 0 |
| 21-22% | 41 (14.0%) | 0 |
| 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 | Suniva |
| --- | --- | --- |
| \<400W | 104 (35.6%) | 0 |
| 400-499W | 72 (24.7%) | 0 |
| 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 | Suniva |
| --- | --- | --- |
| PERC | 195 (66.8%) | 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 |


## Summary

Canadian Solar was founded in 2001 and is headquartered in Guelph, Ontario, Canada, though the bulk of its manufacturing is based in China and Southeast Asia. It is one of the five largest solar module producers globally, has traded on NASDAQ since 2006, and in 2025 was named to the S&P Global Commodity Insights Premier List of Tier 1 Cleantech Companies. Module manufacturing capacity was reported at roughly 59 GW as of mid-2025 - a scale that only a handful of manufacturers worldwide can approach. Suniva is a US-based solar cell manufacturer originally founded in Georgia; its institutional history is far less stable, as the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2017 after being undercut by lower-cost Asian imports, then spent years largely dormant before restarting cell production at its Georgia facility and shipping its first cells to module partner Heliene in early 2025. Suniva does not appear on standard Tier 1 bankability lists, and Canadian Solar carries the far stronger institutional footprint by every conventional measure.

Canadian Solar's product range covers residential, commercial, and utility-scale applications. Its HiKu6 line uses PERC cell technology and targets mainstream residential and light commercial rooftops, while the TOPHiKu6 series uses N-type TOPCon cells aimed at homeowners needing higher efficiency in limited roof space. A bifacial TOPCon variant targets utility-scale ground mounts. SolarReviews named Canadian Solar its top panel brand for 2025, and EnergySage reports it is the most commonly quoted panel on their marketplace. Suniva, by contrast, operates primarily as a cell manufacturer rather than a full panel brand - its cells feed module assemblers like Heliene, with the finished product marketed around US-manufactured content and Buy American compliance. Suniva has also announced a planned 4.5 GW cell factory in South Carolina targeting 2027 operations.

For most residential or commercial buyers in 2025, Canadian Solar is the clear default - widely available, bankable, well-reviewed, and priced near or below the national average. Suniva's differentiated value sits in procurement contexts requiring documented US domestic content, but buyers should weigh the company's still-short post-bankruptcy operating history and limited direct panel availability through mainstream installer channels.

\---LINKS---

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

\- https://www.energysage.com/solar-panels/canadian-solar-inc/ \| Canadian Solar Inc. Solar Panels - 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 named to S&P Global Tier 1 Cleantech list 2025 \| article

\- https://pv-magazine-usa.com/2026/04/14/suniva-to-build-4-5-gw-solar-cell-factory-in-south-carolina/ \| Suniva to build 4.5 GW solar cell factory in South Carolina \| article

\- https://www.pv-tech.org/suniva-victim-to-asian-panel-overcapacity-as-it-files-for-chapter-11-bankru/ \| Suniva files for Chapter 11 citing Asian panel overcapacity - PV Tech \| article

Sources:

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

\- \[Canadian Solar Inc. Solar Panels - EnergySage\](https://www.energysage.com/solar-panels/canadian-solar-inc/)

\- \[Canadian Solar named to S&P Global Tier 1 Cleantech list 2025\](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/canadian-solar-makes-sp-global-commodity-insights-premier-list-of-tier-1-cleantech-companies-2025-302553562.html)

\- \[Suniva to build 4.5 GW solar cell factory in South Carolina - PV Magazine USA\](https://pv-magazine-usa.com/2026/04/14/suniva-to-build-4-5-gw-solar-cell-factory-in-south-carolina/)

\- \[Suniva files for Chapter 11 citing Asian panel overcapacity - PV Tech\](https://www.pv-tech.org/suniva-victim-to-asian-panel-overcapacity-as-it-files-for-chapter-11-bankru/)

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


---

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

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