--- title: "Hyundai vs Sonnen - Brand Comparison | ComparePV" description: "Compare Hyundai vs Sonnen solar panels: full portfolio, efficiency, cell technology breakdown, warranty terms and company background." source: "https://comparepv.com/hyundai-vs-sonnen" --- # Hyundai vs Sonnen Hyundai has the broader catalog (65 vs 0 models). Hyundai leans bifacial (66% of lineup). ## The two companies | Attribute | Hyundai | Sonnen | | --- | --- | --- | | Country | South Korea | Germany | | Headquarters | Seongnam-si | Wildpoldsried | | Founded | 2004 | 2010 | | Employees | 206 | 1000-2000 | | Annual capacity | 1.35 GW/year | | | Tier 1 | yes | | | Listed | Korea Stock Exchange: 322000 | | | Website | [https://www.hd-hyundaies.co.kr](https://www.hd-hyundaies.co.kr) | [https://sonnengroup.com](https://sonnengroup.com) | 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... Sonnen is a German energy storage technology company specializing in intelligent home battery systems, most notably the sonnenBatterie — the world's first all-in-one lithium-ion home battery system commercially available. The company also develops virtual power plant (VPP) solutions and energy community platforms... ## Catalog & Power | Measure | Hyundai | Sonnen | Margin | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Panel Models | 65 | 0 | +65 | | Max Power | 640 W | 0 W | +640 W | | Avg Power | 442 W | 0 W | +442 W | ## Efficiency | Measure | Hyundai | Sonnen | Margin | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Max Efficiency | 23.40% | - | | | Avg Efficiency | 21.49% | - | | ## Reliability & Warranty | Measure | Hyundai | Sonnen | Margin | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Avg Temp Coefficient | -0.300%/°C | - | | | Bifacial Share | 43 (66%) | 0 (0%) | +66 pp | | Avg Warranty | 27.4 yrs | - | | ## Efficiency distribution Hyundai skews to higher efficiency: 6% of lineup is 23%+ | Efficiency band | Hyundai | Sonnen | | --- | --- | --- | | \<20% | 7 (10.8%) | 0 | | 20-21% | 17 (26.2%) | 0 | | 21-22% | 12 (18.5%) | 0 | | 22-23% | 25 (38.5%) | 0 | | 23%+ | 4 (6.2%) | 0 | ## Power distribution Hyundai offers more 600W+ panels (5% of lineup) | Power band | Hyundai | Sonnen | | --- | --- | --- | | \<400W | 8 (12.3%) | 0 | | 400-499W | 49 (75.4%) | 0 | | 500-599W | 5 (7.7%) | 0 | | 600-699W | 3 (4.6%) | 0 | ## Cell technology Dominant cell tech: **HJT** (38%) | Technology | Hyundai | Sonnen | | --- | --- | --- | | HJT | 25 (38.5%) | 0 | | PERC | 25 (38.5%) | 0 | | Unknown | 9 (13.8%) | 0 | | TOPCon | 6 (9.2%) | 0 | ## Top panels, Hyundai | # | Model | Power | Efficiency | Temp. coefficient | Technology | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 1 | [HiS-T640NJ](https://comparepv.com/panel/hd-hyundai-energy-solutions-his-t640nj) | 640 | 22.9 | -0.290 | Monocrystalline | | 2 | [HiS-T635NJ](https://comparepv.com/panel/hd-hyundai-energy-solutions-his-t635nj) | 635 | 22.7 | -0.290 | Monocrystalline | | 3 | [HiS-T630NJ](https://comparepv.com/panel/hd-hyundai-energy-solutions-his-t630nj) | 630 | 22.5 | -0.290 | Monocrystalline | | 4 | [HiT-H520LF-FB(ZB)](https://comparepv.com/panel/hyundai-hit-h520lf-fb-zb) | 520 | 23.4 | -0.240 | Monocrystalline | | 5 | [HiT-H515LF-FB(ZB)](https://comparepv.com/panel/hyundai-hit-h515lf-fb-zb) | 515 | 23.2 | -0.240 | Monocrystalline | | 6 | [HiT-H510LF-FB(ZB)](https://comparepv.com/panel/hyundai-hit-h510lf-fb-zb) | 510 | 22.9 | -0.240 | Monocrystalline | | 7 | [HiT-H505LF-FB(ZB)](https://comparepv.com/panel/hyundai-hit-h505lf-fb-zb) | 505 | 22.7 | -0.240 | Monocrystalline | | 8 | [HiT-H500LF-FB(ZB)](https://comparepv.com/panel/hyundai-hit-h500lf-fb-zb) | 500 | 22.5 | -0.240 | Monocrystalline | | 9 | [HiT-H460LE-FB(ZB)](https://comparepv.com/panel/hyundai-hit-h460le-fb-zb) | 460 | 23.0 | -0.240 | Monocrystalline | | 10 | [HiT-H460CE-BF](https://comparepv.com/panel/hyundai-hit-h460ce-bf) | 460 | 23.0 | -0.240 | Monocrystalline | ## Summary Hyundai Energy Solutions, the solar division of South Korea's HD Hyundai Group - a Fortune Global 500 conglomerate - has manufactured solar modules since the early 2000s and holds Bloomberg Tier 1 bankable status. It is recognised as a PVEL 2025 Top Performer, an independently verified reliability benchmark. The company began mass production of N-type TOPCon cells in April 2025, signalling a deliberate push into the higher-efficiency segment. Sonnen, by contrast, is a German energy storage specialist founded in 2010 in Wildpoldsried, Bavaria. It does not manufacture solar panels; instead it produces smart residential battery systems designed to store power generated by third-party solar arrays. Sonnen was acquired by Shell in 2019 and has since been positioned for a further sale at a reported valuation of roughly 1.35-1.8 billion euros. In terms of institutional footprint, Hyundai carries the broader solar manufacturing credential. Hyundai Energy Solutions' current residential lineup centres on N-type TOPCon modules - the NF series in all-black format reaching roughly 22.53% efficiency - plus older bifacial PERC models in the YH series suited to ground-mounted residential or light commercial applications. A 640 W bifacial TOPCon panel also targets larger commercial and utility-adjacent projects. Sonnen's products sit at the other end of the value chain: the sonnenCore+ and sonnenEvo are lithium iron phosphate (LFP) residential battery units warranted for 10,000 charge cycles, paired with a virtual power plant network that can earn homeowners credits for grid participation. For a buyer shopping for solar panels, Hyundai Energy Solutions is the relevant choice - it is a genuine, Tier 1 bankable module manufacturer with a full product range covering residential through commercial scales. Sonnen belongs in a separate purchasing decision, namely the choice of battery storage paired alongside whichever panels a homeowner installs. The two brands are complementary rather than competing; a well-specified residential solar-plus-storage system could plausibly include both. \---LINKS--- \- https://pv-magazine-usa.com/press-releases/hd-hyundai-energy-solutions-begins-mass-production-of-n-type-topcon-cells/ \| HD Hyundai Energy Solutions begins mass production of N-Type TOPCon cells \| article \- https://www.solarreviews.com/blog/complete-review-hyundai-solar-panels \| Complete Review of Hyundai Solar Panels 2025 - SolarReviews \| review \- https://www.solarreviews.com/blog/sonnen-battery-review \| Expert Review of sonnen Batteries - Cost and Performance \| review \- https://www.energy-storage.news/shell-putting-residential-storage-and-vpp-firm-sonnen-up-for-sale-reports/ \| Shell putting residential storage and VPP firm sonnen up for sale \| article Sources: \- \[Complete Review Of Hyundai Solar Panels In 2025\](https://www.solarreviews.com/blog/complete-review-hyundai-solar-panels) \- \[HD Hyundai Energy Solutions begins mass production of N-Type TOPCon cells\](https://pv-magazine-usa.com/press-releases/hd-hyundai-energy-solutions-begins-mass-production-of-n-type-topcon-cells/) \- \[Expert Review of sonnen Batteries\](https://www.solarreviews.com/blog/sonnen-battery-review) \- \[Shell putting residential storage and VPP firm sonnen up for sale\](https://www.energy-storage.news/shell-putting-residential-storage-and-vpp-firm-sonnen-up-for-sale-reports/) \- \[Sonnen GmbH - Wikipedia\](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonnen\_GmbH) Written by claude-sonnet from the figures above. ## Other comparisons - [Hyundai vs A.B. Energy](https://comparepv.com/hyundai-vs-a-b-energy) - [AE Solar vs Sonnen](https://comparepv.com/ae-solar-vs-sonnen) - [Hyundai vs AEET](https://comparepv.com/hyundai-vs-aeet) - [AIKO vs Sonnen](https://comparepv.com/aiko-vs-sonnen) - [Hyundai vs AKCOME](https://comparepv.com/hyundai-vs-akcome) - [ARTsolar vs Sonnen](https://comparepv.com/artsolar-vs-sonnen) --- Source: https://comparepv.com/hyundai-vs-sonnen Not in this file, on the page: the distributions above drawn as charts.