--- title: "REC vs A.B. Energy - Brand Comparison | ComparePV" description: "Compare REC vs A.B. Energy solar panels: full portfolio, efficiency, cell technology breakdown, warranty terms and company background." source: "https://comparepv.com/rec-vs-a-b-energy" --- # REC vs A.B. Energy REC has the broader catalog (58 vs 0 models). REC leans bifacial (59% of lineup). ## The two companies | Attribute | REC | A.B. Energy | | --- | --- | --- | | Country | Norway | Germany | | Headquarters | Sandvika | Wiesbaden | | Founded | 1996 | 1996 | | Employees | | 1,400 | | Annual capacity | | | | Tier 1 | yes | | | Listed | | Xetra, Frankfurt Stock Exchange: AB9 | | Website | [https://www.recgroup.com](https://www.recgroup.com) | [https://abo-energy.com](https://abo-energy.com) | ABO Energy is a renewable energy company that develops and constructs renewable energy projects, focusing on wind, solar, and storage facilities. They offer turnkey solutions and have connected several gigawatts of nominal output to the grid. The company is active internationally and is committed to driving the energy... ## Catalog & Power | Measure | REC | A.B. Energy | Margin | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Panel Models | 58 | 0 | +58 | | Max Power | 640 W | 0 W | +640 W | | Avg Power | 385 W | 0 W | +385 W | ## Efficiency | Measure | REC | A.B. Energy | Margin | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Max Efficiency | 22.80% | - | | | Avg Efficiency | 18.92% | - | | ## Reliability & Warranty | Measure | REC | A.B. Energy | Margin | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Avg Temp Coefficient | -0.300%/°C | - | | | Bifacial Share | 34 (59%) | 0 (0%) | +59 pp | | Avg Warranty | 25.5 yrs | - | | ## Efficiency distribution | Efficiency band | REC | A.B. Energy | | --- | --- | --- | | \<20% | 20 (34.5%) | 0 | | 20-21% | 8 (13.8%) | 0 | | 21-22% | 15 (25.9%) | 0 | | 22-23% | 15 (25.9%) | 0 | ## Power distribution REC offers more 600W+ panels (17% of lineup) | Power band | REC | A.B. Energy | | --- | --- | --- | | \<400W | 21 (36.2%) | 0 | | 400-499W | 26 (44.8%) | 0 | | 500-599W | 1 (1.7%) | 0 | | 600-699W | 10 (17.2%) | 0 | ## Cell technology Dominant cell tech: **HJT** (59%) | Technology | REC | A.B. Energy | | --- | --- | --- | | HJT | 34 (58.6%) | 0 | | Unknown | 22 (37.9%) | 0 | | N-type | 2 (3.4%) | 0 | ## Top panels, REC | # | Model | Power | Efficiency | Temp. coefficient | Technology | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 1 | [REC640AA PRO M](https://comparepv.com/panel/rec-rec640aa-pro-m) | 640 | 22.5 | -0.240 | Monocrystalline | | 2 | [REC640AA Pro MG](https://comparepv.com/panel/rec-rec640aa-pro-mg) | 640 | 22.5 | -0.240 | Monocrystalline | | 3 | [REC630AA PRO M](https://comparepv.com/panel/rec-rec630aa-pro-m) | 630 | 22.2 | -0.240 | Monocrystalline | | 4 | [REC630AA Pro MG](https://comparepv.com/panel/rec-rec630aa-pro-mg) | 630 | 22.2 | -0.240 | Monocrystalline | | 5 | [REC620AA PRO M](https://comparepv.com/panel/rec-rec620aa-pro-m) | 620 | 21.8 | -0.240 | Monocrystalline | | 6 | [REC620AA Pro MG](https://comparepv.com/panel/rec-rec620aa-pro-mg) | 620 | 21.8 | -0.240 | Monocrystalline | | 7 | [REC610AA PRO M](https://comparepv.com/panel/rec-rec610aa-pro-m) | 610 | 21.5 | -0.240 | Monocrystalline | | 8 | [REC610AA Pro MG](https://comparepv.com/panel/rec-rec610aa-pro-mg) | 610 | 21.5 | -0.240 | Monocrystalline | | 9 | [REC600AA PRO M](https://comparepv.com/panel/rec-rec600aa-pro-m) | 600 | 21.1 | -0.240 | Monocrystalline | | 10 | [REC600AA Pro MG](https://comparepv.com/panel/rec-rec600aa-pro-mg) | 600 | 21.1 | -0.240 | Monocrystalline | ## Summary REC Group is a Norwegian-founded solar manufacturer established in 1996 under the name Fornybar Energi AS, with module production now centered in Singapore. In 2021, the company was acquired by Reliance Industries Ltd. of India, which committed to scaling manufacturing capacity to over 5 GW across Singapore, Europe, and the United States. REC has historically appeared on BloombergNEF Tier 1 lists, though industry analysts noted in 2024-2025 that shipment volumes declined sharply and questions were raised about financial stability following the ownership transition. A.B. Energy, by contrast, is a small Italian company registered as a seller and distributor of solar components rather than an integrated module manufacturer. Public databases list it as a reseller operating in the Italian market, with no verifiable production capacity, Tier 1 classification, or BloombergNEF bankability record publicly available. In terms of institutional footprint, REC Group holds a substantially stronger global position. REC's current product portfolio centers on its Alpha Pure family, which uses heterojunction (HJT) cell technology and is aimed squarely at premium residential rooftops where space is limited and performance in heat or low-light conditions is valued. The company also offers its TwinPeak 5 series, which uses PERC technology and targets cost-sensitive residential and light commercial buyers. Because A.B. Energy is positioned as a distributor rather than a manufacturer, it does not carry its own proprietary panel families - it is generally understood to resell modules sourced from third-party producers, and the specific brands or technologies it handles are not consistently disclosed in public-facing sources. For a typical buyer in 2025 evaluating these two brands head to head, REC is the clearer default choice where transparency, documented product performance, and manufacturer accountability matter. A.B. Energy may serve as a local channel partner in Italy for price-sensitive commercial projects, but the absence of verifiable manufacturing credentials and bankability data makes it difficult to recommend it over an established module brand for any project requiring long-term performance guarantees. \---LINKS--- \- https://www.solarreviews.com/blog/rec-solar-panels-complete-review \| REC Solar Panels Expert Review 2025 - SolarReviews \| review \- https://solartechonline.com/blog/rec-solar-panels-review-2025/ \| REC Solar Panels Review 2025 - Performance and Cost Analysis \| review \- https://www.recgroup.com/en/news/norwegian-solar-energy-company-rec-group-becomes-part-reliance-industries-ltd-and-accelerates \| REC Group joins Reliance Industries and accelerates expansion \| article \- https://www.enfsolar.com/a-b-energy \| A.B. Energy srls - ENF Solar Seller Listing Italy \| article Sources: \- \[2025 Expert Review Of REC Solar Panels - SolarReviews\](https://www.solarreviews.com/blog/rec-solar-panels-complete-review) \- \[REC Solar Panels Review 2025: Performance, Cost & Expert Analysis\](https://solartechonline.com/blog/rec-solar-panels-review-2025/) \- \[REC Group becomes part of Reliance Industries Ltd.\](https://www.recgroup.com/en/news/norwegian-solar-energy-company-rec-group-becomes-part-reliance-industries-ltd-and-accelerates) \- \[A.B. Energy srls - ENF Solar\](https://www.enfsolar.com/a-b-energy) Written by claude-sonnet from the figures above. ## Other comparisons - [REC vs AE Solar](https://comparepv.com/rec-vs-ae-solar) - [AEET vs A.B. Energy](https://comparepv.com/aeet-vs-a-b-energy) - [REC vs AIKO](https://comparepv.com/rec-vs-aiko) - [AKCOME vs A.B. Energy](https://comparepv.com/akcome-vs-a-b-energy) - [REC vs ARTsolar](https://comparepv.com/rec-vs-artsolar) - [ASM vs A.B. Energy](https://comparepv.com/asm-vs-a-b-energy) --- Source: https://comparepv.com/rec-vs-a-b-energy Not in this file, on the page: the distributions above drawn as charts.