JA Solar vs Tangra - solar panel manufacturer comparison
JA Solar has the broader catalog (504 vs 0 models). JA Solar leans bifacial (47% 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
JA Solar is a global leader in the manufacturing of high-performance photovoltaic products. Founded in 2005, the company designs, develops, manufactures, and sells solar cells and modules. JA Solar's products are used in ground-mounted power plants, commercial & industrial rooftop PV systems, and residential rooftop...
- Founded
- 2005
- Headquarters
- Beijing, China
- Annual capacity
- 100+ GW/year
- Employees
- 37,289
- Listed
- SZSE: 002459
- Tier 1 bankable
- Yes
Tangra is the flagship solar module product line of Sunova Solar Technology Co., Ltd. (rebranded as Thornova Solar), a Chinese photovoltaic manufacturer founded in 2016 and headquartered in Wuxi, Jiangsu Province. The company specializes in high-efficiency N-type TOPCon bifacial modules under the Tangra series (S, M...
- Founded
- 2016
- Headquarters
- Wuxi, China
- Annual capacity
- 5-10 GW/year
- Employees
- 500-1000
- 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
JA Solar skews to higher efficiency: 15% of lineup is 23%+
JA Solar offers more 600W+ panels (14% of lineup)
Dominant cell tech: <strong>PERC</strong> (49%)
The flagships
Written summary
JA Solar and Tangra are both Chinese solar panel manufacturers holding Tier 1 bankable status, but they differ substantially in scale, track record, and market presence. JA Solar was founded in 2005, employs over 37,000 people, and operates more than 100 GW of annual production capacity, making it one of the largest solar module manufacturers in the world. It is listed on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange and has earned PVEL "Top Performer" recognition ten consecutive times, while ranking second overall on SolarReviews' Best Solar Brands of 2025. Tangra, by contrast, was founded in 2016 and employs between 500 and 1,000 people, with a production capacity of 5-10 GW. The brand appears to be associated with Sunova Solar and is marketed in European markets - including Poland - under the "Tangra S" label, though no panels are recorded for this brand in the analyzed product database, which limits direct technical comparison.
JA Solar's catalog of 524 panels spans a wide range of technologies and power classes, from PERC-based modules - which still account for roughly 52% of the portfolio - to advanced n-type TOPCon modules in the DeepBlue 4.0 Pro series, with outputs up to 740 Wp and peak efficiency reaching 24.4%. Approximately 44% of the portfolio consists of bifacial modules, making JA Solar a strong candidate for utility-scale ground-mount projects where rear-side gain matters, as well as for commercial C&I rooftop installations. The average product warranty across the portfolio approaches 28 years, reinforcing the brand's appeal for long-term infrastructure investments. Tangra - via its Sunova Solar connection, which operates branches in Poland, Germany, and several other countries - holds TUV certifications and offers up to 25-year product warranties, positioning itself as a competitively priced option for residential rooftop installs and smaller commercial projects in Central and Eastern Europe, though the absence of PVEL test results and industry awards is a notable gap.
For international buyers choosing between the two, JA Solar is the lower-risk option: its scale, independently verified performance data, global supply chain, and broad installer network make it suitable for projects of any size. Tangra may appeal to cost-sensitive buyers in markets where Sunova Solar has established local distribution, but due diligence on warranty enforcement and after-sales service availability is advisable before committing to larger volumes.
Generated by Claude Sonnet · 2026-05-13
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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.