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

# CSUN vs AE Solar

AE Solar has the broader catalog (646 vs 35 models). AE Solar leads on peak efficiency at 24.43%. AE Solar leans bifacial (63% of lineup).


## The two companies


| Attribute | CSUN | AE Solar |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Country | China | Germany |
| Headquarters | Nanjing | Gersthofen |
| Founded | 2004 | 2003 |
| Employees | 1000-5000 | 501-1000 |
| Annual capacity | 2-3 GW/year | 2+ GW/year |
| Tier 1 | yes | yes |
| Listed |  |  |
| Website | [https://www.csun-solar.com](https://www.csun-solar.com) | [https://ae-solar.com](https://ae-solar.com) |

China Sunergy (CSUN) is a Chinese manufacturer of solar cells and photovoltaic modules headquartered in Nanjing, Jiangsu. The company produces high-efficiency mono- and multicrystalline solar cells and modules from production facilities in China and, historically, Turkey. It was formerly listed on NASDAQ and was...

AE Solar is a German Tier 1 manufacturer of high-efficiency photovoltaic (PV) modules. The company specializes in producing durable and innovative solar panels with German engineering standards, offering solutions for residential, commercial, and utility-scale applications. AE Solar operates in over 100 countries and...


## Catalog & Power


| Measure | CSUN | AE Solar | Margin |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Panel Models | 35 | 646 | +611 |
| Max Power | 670 W | 730 W | +60 W |
| Avg Power | 478 W | 489 W | +11 W |


## Efficiency


| Measure | CSUN | AE Solar | Margin |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Max Efficiency | 21.60% | 24.43% | +2.83 pp |
| Avg Efficiency | 20.15% | 21.11% | +0.96 pp |


## Reliability & Warranty


| Measure | CSUN | AE Solar | Margin |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Avg Temp Coefficient | -0.366%/°C | -0.312%/°C | +0.054 |
| Bifacial Share | 0 (0%) | 405 (63%) | +63 pp |
| Avg Warranty | 25.0 yrs | 29.7 yrs | +4.7 yr |


## Efficiency distribution

AE Solar skews to higher efficiency: 9% of lineup is 23%+


| Efficiency band | CSUN | AE Solar |
| --- | --- | --- |
| \<20% | 11 (31.4%) | 74 (11.5%) |
| 20-21% | 13 (37.1%) | 171 (26.5%) |
| 21-22% | 11 (31.4%) | 142 (22.0%) |
| 22-23% | 0 | 199 (30.8%) |
| 23%+ | 0 | 60 (9.3%) |


## Power distribution

CSUN offers more 600W+ panels (20% of lineup)


| Power band | CSUN | AE Solar |
| --- | --- | --- |
| \<400W | 15 (42.9%) | 78 (12.1%) |
| 400-499W | 5 (14.3%) | 329 (50.9%) |
| 500-599W | 8 (22.9%) | 154 (23.8%) |
| 600-699W | 7 (20.0%) | 55 (8.5%) |
| 700W+ | 0 | 30 (4.6%) |


## Cell technology

Dominant cell tech: **PERC** (94%)

Dominant cell tech: **TOPCon** (54%)


| Technology | CSUN | AE Solar |
| --- | --- | --- |
| PERC | 33 (94.3%) | 245 (37.9%) |
| TOPCon | 2 (5.7%) | 349 (54.0%) |
| Back Contact | 0 | 21 (3.3%) |
| N-type | 0 | 17 (2.6%) |
| BIPV | 0 | 9 (1.4%) |
| HJT | 0 | 5 (0.8%) |


## Top panels, CSUN


| # | Model | Power | Efficiency | Temp. coefficient | Technology |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | [CSUN670-132M](https://comparepv.com/panel/csun-csun670-132m) | 670 | 21.6 | -0.350 | Monocrystalline |
| 2 | [CSUN665-132M](https://comparepv.com/panel/csun-csun665-132m) | 665 | 21.4 | -0.350 | Monocrystalline |
| 3 | [CSUN660-132M](https://comparepv.com/panel/csun-csun660-132m) | 660 | 21.2 | -0.350 | Monocrystalline |
| 4 | [CSUN655-132M](https://comparepv.com/panel/csun-csun655-132m) | 655 | 21.1 | -0.350 | Monocrystalline |
| 5 | [CSUN650-132M](https://comparepv.com/panel/csun-csun650-132m) | 650 | 20.9 | -0.350 | Monocrystalline |
| 6 | [CSUN645-132M](https://comparepv.com/panel/csun-csun645-132m) | 645 | 20.8 | -0.350 | Monocrystalline |
| 7 | [CSUN600-156M](https://comparepv.com/panel/csun-csun600-156m) | 600 | 21.4 | -0.360 | Monocrystalline |
| 8 | [CSUN595-156M](https://comparepv.com/panel/csun-csun595-156m) | 595 | 21.2 | -0.360 | Monocrystalline |
| 9 | [CSUN590-156M](https://comparepv.com/panel/csun-csun590-156m) | 590 | 21.1 | -0.360 | Monocrystalline |
| 10 | [CSUN585-156M](https://comparepv.com/panel/csun-csun585-156m) | 585 | 20.9 | -0.360 | Monocrystalline |


## Top panels, AE Solar


| # | Model | Power | Efficiency | Temp. coefficient | Technology |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | [CME-132BDS-730](https://comparepv.com/panel/ae-solar-cme-132bds-730) | 730 | 23.5 | -0.290 | Monocrystalline |
| 2 | [CME-132BDS-730W](https://comparepv.com/panel/ae-solar-cme-132bds-730w) | 730 | 23.5 | -0.290 | Monocrystalline |
| 3 | [CME-132BDS-725](https://comparepv.com/panel/ae-solar-cme-132bds-725) | 725 | 23.4 | -0.290 | Monocrystalline |
| 4 | [CME-132-725W](https://comparepv.com/panel/ae-solar-cme-132-725w) | 725 | 23.4 | -0.290 | Monocrystalline |
| 5 | [CME-132BDS-725W](https://comparepv.com/panel/ae-solar-cme-132bds-725w) | 725 | 23.4 | -0.290 | Monocrystalline |
| 6 | [AE CME-132 720](https://comparepv.com/panel/ae-solar-ae-cme-132-720) | 720 | 23.2 | -0.290 | Monocrystalline |
| 7 | [CME-132BDS-720](https://comparepv.com/panel/ae-solar-cme-132bds-720) | 720 | 23.2 | -0.290 | Monocrystalline |
| 8 | [AE CME-132-720](https://comparepv.com/panel/ae-solar-ae-cme-132-720-1) | 720 | 23.2 | -0.290 | Monocrystalline |
| 9 | [CME-132-720W](https://comparepv.com/panel/ae-solar-cme-132-720w) | 720 | 23.2 | -0.290 | Monocrystalline |
| 10 | [CME-132BDS-720W](https://comparepv.com/panel/ae-solar-cme-132bds-720w) | 720 | 23.2 | -0.290 | Monocrystalline |


## Summary

AE Solar is a German-headquartered manufacturer operating since 2003, with production facilities in China, Georgia and Turkey delivering a combined annual output of roughly 2.5 GW. The company has appeared on BloombergNEF's Tier 1 list sixteen consecutive times, most recently in Q1 2025, positioning it as one of the more consistently bankable mid-sized producers serving the European market. CSUN, formally China Sunergy, is a Chinese company headquartered in Nanjing, founded in 2004 and NASDAQ-listed since 2007, holding Tier 1 status as well, with a similar design capacity of around 2.5 GW and a track record of having shipped more than 15 GW of modules globally over the past decade. In terms of continuity on bankability lists and institutional footprint, AE Solar currently holds a slight edge, though both brands are recognized as established, financeable suppliers.

AE Solar's lineup spans several distinct series - the PERC-based Aurora range as its mainstream product, the TOPCon-based Meteor series, and the HJT-based Comet series, which reaches efficiencies above 23 percent and performs well in low-light and high-temperature conditions, alongside the Terra series aimed at utility-scale and AgriPV projects. This gives AE Solar a fairly broad footprint across residential rooftop, commercial and utility-scale segments. CSUN's portfolio centers on monocrystalline and multicrystalline modules, including standard P-type and HP cells, marketed for residential, commercial and industrial systems and sold both under its own brand and via OEM arrangements with system integrators and developers.

For an international buyer weighing the two, AE Solar is the more forward-looking default given its broader adoption of TOPCon and HJT cell technology and its steadier presence on Tier 1 bankability lists, making it a reasonable fit for both rooftop and larger commercial projects. CSUN remains a credible alternative, particularly where a long supply history and Tier 1 status matter more than cutting-edge cell technology, but its product range leans more conservative. The gap between the two, however, is not dramatic, and both can be considered viable, bankable options depending on project priorities.

Written by claude-sonnet-5 from the figures above.


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- [ASM vs AE Solar](https://comparepv.com/asm-vs-ae-solar)


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Source: https://comparepv.com/csun-vs-ae-solar

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