--- title: "KIOTO Solar vs ARTsolar - Brand Comparison | ComparePV" description: "Compare KIOTO Solar vs ARTsolar solar panels: full portfolio, efficiency, cell technology breakdown, warranty terms and company background." source: "https://comparepv.com/kioto-solar-vs-artsolar" --- # KIOTO Solar vs ARTsolar KIOTO Solar has the broader catalog (7 vs 0 models). KIOTO Solar leans bifacial (57% of lineup). ## The two companies | Attribute | KIOTO Solar | ARTsolar | | --- | --- | --- | | Country | Austria | South Africa | | Headquarters | St. Veit an der Glan | Durban | | Founded | 1991 | 2010 | | Employees | 201-500 | | | Annual capacity | \<1 GW/year | | | Tier 1 | no | no | | Listed | | | | Website | [https://www.kiotosolar.com](https://www.kiotosolar.com) | [https://www.artsolar.co.za](https://www.artsolar.co.za) | KIOTO Solar (KIOTO Photovoltaics GmbH) is an Austrian manufacturer of photovoltaic modules, producing panels exclusively at its facility in St. Veit an der Glan, Carinthia. The company traces its roots to 1991 as part of the Sonnenkraft group, with PV module production beginning in 2005. It is the market leader for PV... ## Catalog & Power | Measure | KIOTO Solar | ARTsolar | Margin | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Panel Models | 7 | 0 | +7 | | Max Power | 450 W | 0 W | +450 W | | Avg Power | 446 W | 0 W | +446 W | ## Efficiency | Measure | KIOTO Solar | ARTsolar | Margin | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Max Efficiency | 22.83% | - | | | Avg Efficiency | 22.53% | - | | ## Reliability & Warranty | Measure | KIOTO Solar | ARTsolar | Margin | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Avg Temp Coefficient | -0.309%/°C | - | | | Bifacial Share | 4 (57%) | 0 (0%) | +57 pp | | Avg Warranty | 27.1 yrs | - | | ## Efficiency distribution | Efficiency band | KIOTO Solar | ARTsolar | | --- | --- | --- | | 22-23% | 7 (100.0%) | 0 | ## Power distribution | Power band | KIOTO Solar | ARTsolar | | --- | --- | --- | | 400-499W | 7 (100.0%) | 0 | ## Cell technology Dominant cell tech: **TOPCon** (100%) | Technology | KIOTO Solar | ARTsolar | | --- | --- | --- | | TOPCon | 7 (100.0%) | 0 | ## Top panels, KIOTO Solar | # | Model | Power | Efficiency | Temp. coefficient | Technology | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 1 | [KPV 450 Wp HC NE](https://comparepv.com/panel/kioto-solar-kpv-450-wp-hc-ne) | 450 | 22.5 | -0.300 | Monocrystalline | | 2 | [KPV 450Wp HC](https://comparepv.com/panel/kioto-solar-kpv-450wp-hc) | 450 | 22.5 | -0.320 | Monocrystalline | | 3 | [KPV 450Wp HC NE (G/G-TC)](https://comparepv.com/panel/kioto-solar-kpv-450wp-hc-ne-g-g-tc) | 450 | 22.5 | -0.300 | Monocrystalline | | 4 | [KPV 445Wp HC](https://comparepv.com/panel/kioto-solar-kpv-445wp-hc) | 445 | 22.8 | -0.320 | Monocrystalline | | 5 | [KPV 445Wp HC NE (G/G-TC)](https://comparepv.com/panel/kioto-solar-kpv-445wp-hc-ne-g-g-tc) | 445 | 22.8 | -0.300 | Monocrystalline | | 6 | [KPV 440 Wp HCB](https://comparepv.com/panel/kioto-solar-kpv-440-wp-hcb) | 440 | 22.0 | -0.320 | Monocrystalline | | 7 | [KPV 440Wp HC NE (G/G-TC)](https://comparepv.com/panel/kioto-solar-kpv-440wp-hc-ne-g-g-tc) | 440 | 22.5 | -0.300 | Monocrystalline | ## Summary ARTsolar is a South African company founded in 2011 and headquartered in Pinetown, KwaZulu-Natal, marketing itself as South Africa's only locally owned solar module manufacturer. Its bankability rests on technology-transfer partnerships with Tier 1 Chinese OEMs - successively Talesun, LONGi Solar, and JA Solar - which allow its locally assembled output to carry Tier 1-quality accreditation backed by those partners' credentials. Court filings from 2023-2025 allege the company imported the large majority of finished panels from China rather than producing them domestically, a dispute unresolved as of 2025. Stated annual capacity is in the 300-500 MW range. KIOTO Solar (KIOTO Photovoltaics GmbH) is an Austrian manufacturer based in St. Veit/Glan, Carinthia, operating under the Sonnenkraft group since the 1990s. It holds the market-leader position in Austria and distributes across Central Europe, but with domestic output reported at around 70 MW as of 2024, it falls well below the thresholds associated with BloombergNEF Tier 1 recognition. On institutional footprint, ARTsolar's direct OEM ties to Tier 1 Chinese partners give it the stronger bankability argument for large project finance in South Africa. ARTsolar's portfolio centers on monocrystalline modules - distributor listings reference half-cut TOPCon variants alongside standard mono - targeting South Africa's Independent Power Producer programs and commercial rooftops where local-content policy shapes procurement. KIOTO Solar addresses a broader European audience with standard residential rooftop modules, glass-glass panels suited to commercial and carport applications, and an optimizer-integrated "Power MAXIM Plus" series designed for shaded installations. Available datasheets indicate monocrystalline PERC technology across KIOTO's current lineup, with no confirmed shift to TOPCon evident in public 2024-2025 product documentation. For European buyers, KIOTO Solar is the more practical option: Austrian-made quality, established regional distribution, and a range that spans residential to small-commercial needs. For projects subject to South African local-content requirements, ARTsolar remains the default despite the ongoing manufacturing controversy. Both are regional specialists - neither positions as a direct competitor to major global Tier 1 producers at utility scale. \---LINKS--- \- https://www.pv-magazine.com/2019/05/27/artsolar-south-africa-must-preserve-its-solar-module-industry/ \| ARTsolar on preserving South Africa's solar module industry \| article \- https://groundup.org.za/article/local-manufacturer-actually-imports-99-its-product-court-told/ \| Court case: ARTsolar accused of importing 99% of panels from China \| article \- https://www.engineeringnews.co.za/article/artsolar-and-ja-solar-driving-south-africas-renewable-energy-revolution-2025-06-12 \| ARTsolar and JA Solar partnership - South Africa renewables 2025 \| article \- https://www.enfsolar.com/kioto-solar \| KIOTO Photovoltaics GmbH - ENF Solar panel directory entry \| review \- https://www.vpsolar.com/en/kioto-solar-best-quality-pv-panels-from-austria/ \| KIOTO Solar - best quality PV panels from Austria \| review Written by claude-sonnet from the figures above. ## Other comparisons - [KIOTO Solar vs A.B. Energy](https://comparepv.com/kioto-solar-vs-a-b-energy) - [AE Solar vs ARTsolar](https://comparepv.com/ae-solar-vs-artsolar) - [KIOTO Solar vs AEET](https://comparepv.com/kioto-solar-vs-aeet) - [AIKO vs ARTsolar](https://comparepv.com/aiko-vs-artsolar) - [KIOTO Solar vs AKCOME](https://comparepv.com/kioto-solar-vs-akcome) - [ASM vs ARTsolar](https://comparepv.com/asm-vs-artsolar) --- Source: https://comparepv.com/kioto-solar-vs-artsolar Not in this file, on the page: the distributions above drawn as charts.