REC vs AEET - solar panel manufacturer comparison
REC has the broader catalog (58 vs 5 models). REC leads on peak efficiency at 22.80%. REC leans bifacial (59% 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
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
REC offers more 600W+ panels (17% of lineup)
Dominant cell tech: <strong>HJT</strong> (59%)
Dominant cell tech: <strong>PERC</strong> (100%)
The flagships
Written summary
REC Group is a solar manufacturer with Norwegian roots, founded in 1996 as Renewable Energy Corporation, with its primary production base now located in Singapore and acquired by India's Reliance Industries in 2021. That acquisition opened investment for expansion toward 5 GW of global capacity, adding planned facilities in France and the United States to the existing Singapore plant, which produced around 1.4 GW in 2022. REC has carried Bloomberg Tier 1 bankability status for years and landed in SolarReviews' top-ten brand rankings for 2025, though analysts noted some financial headwinds connected to declining shipment volumes during that period. AEET Energy Group GmbH is a German-headquartered manufacturer founded in 2003 and based in Konigsbrunn, Bavaria, distributing panels across more than 95 countries from production sites in China, Georgia, and Turkey, with stated annual capacity of around 2.5 GW. AEET also holds Bloomberg Tier 1 status and received the Kiwa PVEL Top Performer Award in 2025, giving it credible independent validation. In terms of institutional brand recognition and vertically integrated manufacturing heritage, REC holds the stronger footprint globally.
On the product side, REC is best known for its Alpha series, built on heterojunction (HJT) cell technology, which underpins the brand's industry-leading temperature coefficient of -0.24 percent per degree Celsius and one of the lowest degradation rates among mainstream manufacturers. These characteristics make REC a natural fit for premium residential rooftops and high-performance commercial installations where long-term yield matters more than upfront cost. AEET's catalog spans both established P-type PERC modules and, confirmed by PV Magazine's five-star rating for its N-type TOPCon line, newer high-efficiency product families. AEET's 30-year product warranty on select ranges is longer than what most competitors including REC offer, and the brand is positioned across residential, commercial, and utility-scale segments at a competitive mid-to-premium price point.
For a typical buyer in 2025, REC is the safer choice where premium efficiency and long-term yield guarantees justify a higher per-watt cost, particularly for residential HJT installations. AEET is a credible alternative for cost-sensitive commercial or utility projects requiring a Tier 1 bankable supplier with solid independent test results - the two brands are not interchangeable at the premium end, but AEET closes the gap considerably in value-oriented applications.
Generated by Claude Sonnet · 2026-06-08
Other brand comparisons
Shop prices: See 7 REC offers
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.