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

# Canadian Solar vs Thornova

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


## The two companies


| Attribute | Canadian Solar | Thornova |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Country | Canada | China |
| Headquarters | Kitchener | Wuxi |
| Founded | 2001 | 2016 |
| Employees | 17,113 |  |
| Annual capacity | 51 GW/year | 5-10 GW/year |
| Tier 1 | yes | yes |
| Listed | NASDAQ: CSIQ |  |
| Website | [https://www.canadiansolar.com](https://www.canadiansolar.com) | [https://www.thornova-solar.com](https://www.thornova-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.

Thornova Solar (formerly Sunova Solar) is a Chinese photovoltaic manufacturer headquartered in Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, specializing in high-efficiency TOPCon and PERC bifacial solar modules. The company operates manufacturing facilities in China and Indonesia with a combined module capacity of 6.5 GW and cell capacity...


## Catalog & Power


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


## Reliability & Warranty


| Measure | Canadian Solar | Thornova | 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 | Thornova |
| --- | --- | --- |
| \<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 | Thornova |
| --- | --- | --- |
| \<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 | Thornova |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 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 is a Canadian-founded company established in 2001, now headquartered in Guelph, Ontario, with the bulk of its manufacturing in China. It is one of the largest solar module producers in the world, with a module production capacity reported at roughly 59 GW as of mid-2025. Canadian Solar holds BloombergNEF Tier 1 status and in 2025 was added to the S&P Global Commodity Insights Premier List of Tier 1 Cleantech Companies. It has been publicly listed on NASDAQ since 2006, giving it a long track record of institutional financing and bankability. Thornova Solar is a younger brand, incorporated in 2022 and based in Fremont, California, operating as an independent subsidiary of the Chinese manufacturer Sunova Solar Technology. Thornova achieved BNEF Tier 1 listing in August 2023 and earned a B-rating in the PVTech Bankability Report as of Q3 2025, marking solid but more nascent institutional credibility. In terms of scale and depth of market presence, Canadian Solar carries the clearly stronger footprint.

Canadian Solar offers a broad portfolio spanning residential, commercial, and utility applications. Its current lineup centers on N-type TOPCon modules such as the TOPHiKu6 for mainstream rooftop work and the HiHero series, which uses HJT cell technology and targets premium residential buyers seeking higher efficiency and an extended 30-year performance warranty. The company also supplies large-format panels for utility-scale ground-mount projects through its CSI Solar division. Thornova's catalog is narrower but deliberately focused on high-output N-type bifacial modules - its Tangra M PRO line covers roughly 575 to 605 W and was recognized as an Overall Highest Achiever in the RETC PVMI report and a Top Performer across all seven reliability categories by Kiwa PVEL in 2025. Thornova markets primarily to residential and commercial installers in North America, competing on performance certification scores and localized warehousing rather than sheer volume.

For most buyers in 2025, Canadian Solar is the safer default choice - it offers a proven warranty service infrastructure, decades of bankability data, and a wide product range that fits nearly any project size. Thornova is worth serious consideration for installers specifically seeking high-power bifacial modules in the North American market, where its logistics footprint and recent third-party test awards make it competitive. Buyers prioritizing long-term manufacturer stability should still favor Canadian Solar, while those optimizing for tested output performance per dollar in a bifacial residential or light-commercial context may find Thornova's Tangra M PRO a credible alternative.

\---LINKS---

\- https://www.pv-magazine.com/press-releases/thornova-solar-ranked-as-bnef-tier-1-module-manufacturer/ \| Thornova Solar ranked as BNEF Tier 1 module manufacturer \| article

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

\- https://a1solarstore.com/blog/thornova-solar-panels-review-sharp-solutions.html \| Thornova Solar panels review 2026 - A1 SolarStore Magazine \| 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 Companies 2025 list \| article

\- https://www.thornova-solar.com/news/corporate-news/297.html \| Thornova Solar module receives Kiwa PVEL 2025 Top Performer award \| article

Sources:

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

\- \[Thornova Solar ranked as BNEF Tier 1 module manufacturer - pv magazine\](https://www.pv-magazine.com/press-releases/thornova-solar-ranked-as-bnef-tier-1-module-manufacturer/)

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

\- \[Thornova Solar panels review 2026 - A1 SolarStore Magazine\](https://a1solarstore.com/blog/thornova-solar-panels-review-sharp-solutions.html)

\- \[Thornova Solar module receives Kiwa PVEL 2025 Top Performer award\](https://www.thornova-solar.com/news/corporate-news/297.html)

\- \[Thornova Solar Maintains B-Rating in PVTech Bankability Report\](https://www.thornova-solar.com/news/corporate-news/305.html)

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


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

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