GCL vs AKCOME - solar panel manufacturer comparison
GCL has the broader catalog (232 vs 3 models). GCL leads on peak efficiency at 24.50%. AKCOME leans bifacial (100% 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
GCL is a global company focusing on green energy and high-efficiency photovoltaic materials. They are known for their innovation in polysilicon and wafer technologies, with a focus on low-carbon solutions. GCL is committed to building a low-carbon PV value chain and advancing global clean energy transformation.
- Founded
- 1990
- Headquarters
- Suzhou/Hong Kong, China
- Annual capacity
- 30+ GW/year
- Employees
- 6000+
- 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
GCL skews to higher efficiency: 28% of lineup is 23%+
AKCOME offers more 600W+ panels (100% of lineup)
Dominant cell tech: <strong>TOPCon</strong> (47%)
Dominant cell tech: <strong>HJT</strong> (100%)
The flagships
Written summary
GCL, formally GCL SI under the GCL-Poly Energy Holdings umbrella, is a Chinese manufacturer headquartered in Jiangsu province with roots in the broader GCL Group energy conglomerate. It is one of the largest solar producers in the world by output, having shipped more than 16 GW of modules in 2023 alone and operating a declared module production capacity of around 30 GW, with further expansion planned. Despite that scale, GCL has not consistently appeared on the Bloomberg NEF Tier 1 bankability list, which some project-finance lenders still use as a shortcut for due diligence. AKCOME Group, founded in 2006 and publicly listed in China since 2010, operates at a considerably smaller scale - its panel production capacity stood at roughly 6 GW as of early 2024 - but did achieve Bloomberg Tier 1 recognition as of 2022. On institutional footprint and raw shipment volume, GCL is the larger player by a wide margin.
The two companies diverge sharply on technology strategy. GCL has built its recent commercial lineup around n-type TOPCon cells and, as of early 2025, extended into back-contact modules targeting utility-scale and large commercial ground-mount projects. AKCOME has taken a narrower but deliberate path, concentrating its entire panel portfolio on heterojunction (HJT) cell technology, which the company uses across both residential rooftop and commercial applications. AKCOME quotes a 30-year linear power-output guarantee on its HJT modules and has reported cell efficiencies above 25.6 percent in lab conditions. It has also started pilot work on perovskite cells, signaling a longer-term technology roadmap.
For a typical buyer in 2025, GCL suits large-scale procurement where volume, supply-chain depth, and competitive module pricing matter most. AKCOME is the more relevant choice for buyers who specifically want HJT technology and are willing to accept a smaller supplier in exchange for a differentiated warranty position and cell architecture. Neither brand competes head-to-head with the dominant Tier 1 names on global market share, so project-specific bankability checks remain advisable for both.
Generated by Claude Sonnet · 2026-06-11
Other brand comparisons
Shop prices: See 6 GCL offers · See 2 AKCOME offers
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.