Warranty pick, no clear weak spot
The AE Solar AURORA MD-120 series is designed for high energy yield in real-world conditions, even when the roof has a complex geometry or experiences periodic shading. The use of mono PERC cells doped with gallium and half-cut construction helps to minimize losses and stabilize production throughout the day, which translates into better self-consumption and more predictable system performance.
These are modules for investors who expect not only high power output on paper, but primarily durability in variable climates. Depending on the variant (mono-facial or bifacial), the panels can offer additional yield through dual-sided operation - useful on bright roofs, in ground-mounted systems, and on carports. Another advantage of the series is its resistance to typical degradation factors, including PID and LID, which makes it easier to maintain performance over time. AURORA MD-120 is the choice for homes, businesses, and projects where stability, easier installation, and reliable performance over many years are important.
Ranking
Signals from the data
Residential, commercial and shaded-installations.
Top 17% of the PERC 400-450 W segment, against a median of 25 yrs.
AE Solar offers a full 30-year warranty on both the product and the power output - while the industry standard for PERC modules is typically 25 years (e.g., the Risen RSM96 offers a 25-year power warranty). The longer warranty period directly translates into IRR calculations in prosumer and commercial projects.
AE Solar has been included in the BloombergNEF Tier 1 PV Module Manufacturer list for the 16th consecutive quarter (Q1 2025), meeting the stringent non-recourse financing criterion for 6 projects ≥10 MW, funded by 6 different banks. This status is accompanied by a headquarters in Germany and over 20 years of market presence (since 2003), which reduces counterparty risk.
Using gallium as a substitute for the standard boron eliminates the primary mechanism of LID (light-induced degradation), which is caused by boron-oxygen defects. In combination with half-cut cell technology, this reduces losses under partial shading and stabilizes the output power throughout the day.
The Aurora MD-120 series achieves a maximum efficiency of 21.35%, surpassing the comparable Zonergy ZPM MH3-72 (21.16%) and placing it at the top end of the 182 mm PERC module segment. In situations with limited roof space, this allows for higher power generation from a smaller number of modules compared to cheaper PERC modules with efficiencies of approximately 19-20%.
The datasheet confirms resistance to PID (potential-induced degradation) according to IEC 62804, as well as resistance to salt, ammonia, and sand - which is important for installations in corrosive environments (coastal and agricultural areas). TÜV and CE certifications reduce the risk of problems during bank audits of larger-scale projects.
Competing modules in the same power range - the Risen RSM96-11 (23.0%) and SunKean SKT440~460M12-96D4 (23.02%) - achieve approximately 1.65 percentage points higher efficiency. When installing 10 kWp on a limited roof area, this difference could mean the need to install 1-2 additional AURORA MD-120 modules compared to the equivalent TOPCon module.
PERC (P-type) cells exhibit an annual degradation rate of 0.5-0.7%/year, compared to ~0.25-0.4%/year for N-type TOPCon (data from comparative studies 2024-2025). Despite the presence of gallium, which limits LID (light-induced degradation), after 30 years of operation, the cumulative difference in energy production can reach 5-8% in favor of TOPCon modules offered by companies like Risen or SunKean.
- Efficiency of 20.4% matches the PERC 400-450W median
- Power density of 204.2 W/m² matches the PERC 400-450W median
- At -0.35%/°C, hot weather performance is typical for PERC 400-450W panels
- #11656 for efficiency, #10489 for temperature performance out of 14129 panels
Specifications
Simulations
Degradation from this panel's own datasheet figures. No inverter, soiling or shading losses.
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About the AURORA MD-120 series
These answers cover the whole series. Where a figure differs, the specification above is this module's own.