First Solar vs Hyundai - solar panel manufacturer comparison
Hyundai has the broader catalog (65 vs 63 models). Hyundai leads on peak efficiency at 23.40%. Hyundai leans bifacial (66% of lineup).
Both catalogues are read from the manufacturers' own datasheets. A brand is not scored against the market here, only against the other brand on this page.
The two companies
First Solar is a leading American solar technology company and global provider of responsibly produced eco-efficient solar modules, advancing the fight against climate change. The company manufactures thin-film photovoltaic (PV) modules using cadmium telluride (CdTe) semiconductor technology. First Solar is unique...
- Founded
- 1999
- Headquarters
- Tempe, AZ, USA
- Annual capacity
- 21+ GW/year
- Employees
- 5500-8100
- Listed
- NASDAQ: FSLR
- Tier 1 bankable
- Yes
HD Hyundai Energy Solutions is a global provider of solar cells and modules, offering solutions for residential, commercial, and utility-scale projects. They provide monofacial, bifacial, and shingled PV modules, along with inverters and various PV solutions. The company is committed to developing next-generation...
- Founded
- 2004
- Headquarters
- Seongnam-si, South Korea
- Annual capacity
- 1.35 GW/year
- Employees
- 206
- Tier 1 bankable
- Yes
Catalogue against catalogue
An average over a catalogue describes the range a manufacturer publishes, not the module you would buy. A brand with two flagship panels and eighty older ones averages worse than one that has retired its back catalogue.
What each of them builds
Hyundai skews to higher efficiency: 6% of lineup is 23%+
Hyundai offers more 600W+ panels (5% of lineup)
Dominant cell tech: <strong>CdTe</strong> (81%)
Dominant cell tech: <strong>HJT</strong> (38%)
The flagships
Written summary
First Solar is an American manufacturer headquartered in Tempe, Arizona, founded in 1999 and now the largest thin-film PV producer in the world and the largest solar module maker in the Western Hemisphere. The company holds BloombergNEF Tier 1 bankability status and operates facilities in the United States, India, Malaysia, and Vietnam, with total nameplate capacity reaching roughly 21 GW annually as of 2025 and a target of over 25 GW by 2026. HD Hyundai Energy Solutions traces its roots to Hyundai Heavy Industries, founded in 1972 in South Korea, and also carries BloombergNEF Tier 1 status. Its scale is more modest and primarily serves mid-tier commercial and residential markets rather than competing head-to-head on gigawatt utility contracts. On raw institutional footprint and manufacturing volume, First Solar holds a decisive advantage.
The two companies serve almost entirely different segments. First Solar's flagship Series 7 module uses the company's proprietary cadmium telluride thin-film technology and is built almost exclusively for large utility-scale ground-mount projects - its form factor, wiring design, and tracker compatibility are optimized for multi-megawatt installations. Hyundai Energy Solutions targets a broader audience: its XG and YH residential series and its HiN-T line of N-type TOPCon bifacial commercial panels - with module efficiencies confirmed above 22% for newer models - suit everything from rooftop residential jobs to mid-scale commercial arrays. Hyundai's TOPCon panels earned a top-performer ranking in the 2024 PVEL Product Quality Scorecard, reinforcing their quality credentials outside the utility tier.
For a typical residential or small commercial buyer in 2025, Hyundai Energy Solutions is the more relevant choice, given its product variety, rooftop-ready form factors, 30-year performance warranty on TOPCon lines, and proven quality testing results. First Solar is essentially not a competitor in that space - its strength lies in large infrastructure projects where its thin-film technology's lower temperature coefficient and established US supply chain are decisive advantages.
- First Solar to open fifth US factory adding 3.7 GW annual production
- First Solar Series 7 - Made in America, for America
- Complete Review of Hyundai Solar Panels in 2025 - SolarReviews
- HD Hyundai Energy Solutions begins mass production of N-Type TOPCon cells
- Tier 1 Solar Panels List 2025 - Updated Manufacturers and Rankings
Generated by Claude Sonnet · 2026-06-21
Other brand comparisons
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Comparisons are computed from manufacturer datasheets held in the ComparePV database and may not reflect a brand's complete current lineup. Nothing on this page is paid placement.