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

# Canadian Solar vs Top Solar

Canadian Solar has the broader catalog (292 vs 1 models). Canadian Solar leads on peak efficiency at 24.40%. Canadian Solar leans bifacial (46% of lineup).


## The two companies


| Attribute | Canadian Solar | Top Solar |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Country | Canada | China |
| Headquarters | Kitchener | Shenzhen |
| Founded | 2001 |  |
| Employees | 17,113 | 200+ |
| Annual capacity | 51 GW/year | \<1 GW/year |
| Tier 1 | yes |  |
| Listed | NASDAQ: CSIQ |  |
| Website | [https://www.canadiansolar.com](https://www.canadiansolar.com) | [https://www.topsolar-energy.com](https://www.topsolar-energy.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.

Shenzhen Top Solar Energy Co., Ltd. is a Chinese solar panel manufacturer specializing in monocrystalline, flexible, folding, and portable solar panels, as well as off-grid and on-grid solar power systems. The company has its own R&D teams and production lines, serving customers across the US, Europe, Japan, the...


## Catalog & Power


| Measure | Canadian Solar | Top Solar | Margin |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Panel Models | 292 | 1 | +291 |
| Max Power | 730 W | 150 W | +580 W |
| Avg Power | 472 W | 150 W | +322 W |


## Efficiency


| Measure | Canadian Solar | Top Solar | Margin |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Max Efficiency | 24.40% | 18.60% | +5.80 pp |
| Avg Efficiency | 20.66% | 18.60% | +2.06 pp |


## Reliability & Warranty


| Measure | Canadian Solar | Top Solar | Margin |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Avg Temp Coefficient | -0.331%/°C | -0.420%/°C | +0.089 |
| 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 | Top Solar |
| --- | --- | --- |
| \<20% | 128 (43.8%) | 1 (100.0%) |
| 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 | Top Solar |
| --- | --- | --- |
| \<400W | 104 (35.6%) | 1 (100.0%) |
| 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%)

Dominant cell tech: **Back Contact** (100%)


| Technology | Canadian Solar | Top Solar |
| --- | --- | --- |
| PERC | 195 (66.8%) | 0 |
| TOPCon | 85 (29.1%) | 0 |
| HJT | 12 (4.1%) | 0 |
| Back Contact | 0 | 1 (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, Top Solar


| # | Model | Power | Efficiency | Temp. coefficient | Technology |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | [TS-EFS150M](https://comparepv.com/panel/top-solar-ts-efs150m) | 150 | 18.6 | -0.420 | Monocrystalline |


## Summary

Canadian Solar is a Canadian-founded company established in 2001 by Dr. Shawn Qu, with corporate roots in Ontario and manufacturing spread across China, Southeast Asia, and the United States. It is publicly listed on NASDAQ and has consistently appeared on BloombergNEF Tier 1 lists as well as the S&P Global Commodity Insights Premier List of Tier 1 Cleantech Companies in 2025. With module manufacturing capacity reported at roughly 59 GW, it ranks among the largest vertically integrated solar producers in the world and is widely regarded as one of the most bankable brands available to project financiers and residential installers alike. Top Solar, by contrast, does not surface in major industry databases, Tier 1 lists, or established review platforms such as EnergySage or SolarReviews, making it impossible to verify its scale, bankability standing, or corporate profile from credible public sources.

On the product side, Canadian Solar's current lineup centers on N-type TOPCon technology through its TOPHiKu6 series, which achieves efficiencies up to approximately 22.5 percent and is backed by a 30-year performance warranty. The company serves both the premium residential rooftop segment and large utility-scale ground-mount projects globally through its HiKu and HiKu7 module families. Because no credible product data for Top Solar could be found through independent sources, any characterization of its typical use cases or cell technology would be speculative.

For a buyer making a purchase decision in 2025, Canadian Solar is the clear default choice between these two options. It carries documented Tier 1 status, broad installer availability, competitive pricing - averaging around $2.96 per watt according to SolarReviews data - and a long track record of post-sale warranty support. Top Solar cannot be recommended with confidence until independent reviews and verifiable company credentials become available.

\---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 Makes S&P Global Tier 1 Cleantech List 2025 \| article

\- https://www.cleanenergyreviews.info/blog/canadian-solar-panels-review \| Canadian Solar panels review - Clean Energy Reviews \| review

\- https://www.vicoexport.com/en/58668/tier-1-list-of-solar-panel-manufacturers-q1-2025/ \| Tier 1 List of Solar Panel Manufacturers Q1 2025 \| 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 Top Solar](https://comparepv.com/ae-solar-vs-top-solar)
- [Canadian Solar vs AEET](https://comparepv.com/canadian-solar-vs-aeet)
- [AIKO vs Top Solar](https://comparepv.com/aiko-vs-top-solar)
- [Canadian Solar vs AKCOME](https://comparepv.com/canadian-solar-vs-akcome)
- [ARTsolar vs Top Solar](https://comparepv.com/artsolar-vs-top-solar)


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

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