Gokin vs Sharp - solar panel manufacturer comparison
Gokin has the broader catalog (44 vs 19 models). Gokin leads on peak efficiency at 24.50%. Sharp leans bifacial (53% 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
Sharp Corporation is a Japanese electronics company founded in 1912. It operates globally, offering a wide range of products including consumer electronics, home appliances, energy solutions, and business solutions. Since 2016, it has been majority-owned by Foxconn.
- Founded
- 1912
- Headquarters
- Sakai, Osaka Prefecture, Japan
- Annual capacity
- 15.4 GW/year
- Employees
- 40,123
- Listed
- TYO: 6753
- 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
Gokin skews to higher efficiency: 82% of lineup is 23%+
Sharp offers more 600W+ panels (37% of lineup)
Dominant cell tech: <strong>Back Contact</strong> (100%)
Dominant cell tech: <strong>HJT</strong> (37%)
The flagships
Written summary
Gokin Solar is a Chinese photovoltaic company headquartered in Zhuhai, Guangdong, founded in 2019. Despite its young age it has scaled rapidly through a vertically integrated supply chain spanning ingots, wafers, cells and modules across four production bases, and industry trackers report it entering the Q1 2026 PV ModuleTech Bankability Ratings as a Tier 1 manufacturer. Sharp, by contrast, is a long-established Japanese electronics group based in Osaka that began solar cell research in 1959 and started mass production in 1963, making it one of the pioneers of the industry; it has also been recognized as a Tier 1 bankable brand. Sharp's institutional pedigree and decades of track record give it the stronger historical footprint, while Gokin's footprint is newer but backed by aggressive, large-scale manufacturing investment.
In terms of product focus, Gokin has concentrated heavily on back-contact (BC) module technology through its "Global BC Eco" series, offering a front-side gridless design aimed at premium residential rooftops in markets such as Europe, alongside a utility-scale dual-glass BC module for ground-mount and commercial projects; reported module efficiencies sit in the 23.5 to 24.5 percent range. Sharp's historical lineup covered mono and polycrystalline silicon panels as well as thin-film products, with mono PERC among its more recent mainstream offerings, generally positioned for residential and commercial rooftops rather than utility-scale deployment. Notably, Sharp closed its European solar sales division at the end of March 2025 and no longer markets panels in the UK or Europe, which narrows its current commercial relevance in that region compared with Gokin's active expansion there.
For a typical buyer in 2025, the choice depends heavily on region and technology preference: Gokin is the more forward-looking option for buyers wanting current-generation BC technology and active European sales support, while Sharp's legacy and brand recognition remain relevant mainly in markets where its panels are still sold and serviced, though its reduced regional presence is a practical limitation for European buyers specifically.
Generated by Claude Sonnet 5 · 2026-08-29
Other brand comparisons
Shop prices: See 2 Gokin offers · See 6 Sharp 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.