--- title: "Sharp vs ARTsolar - Brand Comparison | ComparePV" description: "Compare Sharp vs ARTsolar solar panels: full portfolio, efficiency, cell technology breakdown, warranty terms and company background." source: "https://comparepv.com/sharp-vs-artsolar" --- # Sharp vs ARTsolar Sharp has the broader catalog (19 vs 0 models). Sharp leans bifacial (53% of lineup). ## The two companies | Attribute | Sharp | ARTsolar | | --- | --- | --- | | Country | Japan | South Africa | | Headquarters | Sakai, Osaka Prefecture | Durban | | Founded | 1912 | 2010 | | Employees | 40,123 | | | Annual capacity | 15.4 GW/year | | | Tier 1 | yes | no | | Listed | TYO: 6753 | | | Website | [https://global.sharp](https://global.sharp) | [https://www.artsolar.co.za](https://www.artsolar.co.za) | Sharp Corporation is a Japanese electronics company founded in 1912. It operates globally, offering a wide range of products including consumer electronics, home appliances, energy solutions, and business solutions. Since 2016, it has been majority-owned by Foxconn. ## Catalog & Power | Measure | Sharp | ARTsolar | Margin | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Panel Models | 19 | 0 | +19 | | Max Power | 740 W | 0 W | +740 W | | Avg Power | 576 W | 0 W | +576 W | ## Efficiency | Measure | Sharp | ARTsolar | Margin | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Max Efficiency | 23.82% | - | | | Avg Efficiency | 22.20% | - | | ## Reliability & Warranty | Measure | Sharp | ARTsolar | Margin | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Avg Temp Coefficient | -0.300%/°C | - | | | Bifacial Share | 10 (53%) | 0 (0%) | +53 pp | | Avg Warranty | 27.6 yrs | - | | ## Efficiency distribution Sharp skews to higher efficiency: 32% of lineup is 23%+ | Efficiency band | Sharp | ARTsolar | | --- | --- | --- | | 20-21% | 1 (5.3%) | 0 | | 21-22% | 7 (36.8%) | 0 | | 22-23% | 5 (26.3%) | 0 | | 23%+ | 6 (31.6%) | 0 | ## Power distribution Sharp offers more 600W+ panels (37% of lineup) | Power band | Sharp | ARTsolar | | --- | --- | --- | | 400-499W | 6 (31.6%) | 0 | | 500-599W | 6 (31.6%) | 0 | | 700W+ | 7 (36.8%) | 0 | ## Cell technology Dominant cell tech: **HJT** (37%) | Technology | Sharp | ARTsolar | | --- | --- | --- | | HJT | 7 (36.8%) | 0 | | PERC | 7 (36.8%) | 0 | | TOPCon | 5 (26.3%) | 0 | ## Top panels, Sharp | # | Model | Power | Efficiency | Temp. coefficient | Technology | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 1 | [GSD8K66H-740WT](https://comparepv.com/panel/sharp-gsd8k66h-740wt) | 740 | 23.8 | -0.260 | Monocrystalline | | 2 | [GSD8K66H-735WT](https://comparepv.com/panel/sharp-gsd8k66h-735wt) | 735 | 23.7 | -0.260 | Monocrystalline | | 3 | [GSD8K66H-730WT](https://comparepv.com/panel/sharp-gsd8k66h-730wt) | 730 | 23.5 | -0.260 | Monocrystalline | | 4 | [GSD8K66H-725WT](https://comparepv.com/panel/sharp-gsd8k66h-725wt) | 725 | 23.3 | -0.260 | Monocrystalline | | 5 | [GSD8K66H-720WT](https://comparepv.com/panel/sharp-gsd8k66h-720wt) | 720 | 23.2 | -0.260 | Monocrystalline | | 6 | [GSD8K66H-715WT](https://comparepv.com/panel/sharp-gsd8k66h-715wt) | 715 | 23.0 | -0.260 | Monocrystalline | | 7 | [GSD8K66H-710WT](https://comparepv.com/panel/sharp-gsd8k66h-710wt) | 710 | 22.9 | -0.260 | Monocrystalline | | 8 | [NB-JD580](https://comparepv.com/panel/sharp-nb-jd580) | 580 | 22.4 | -0.300 | Monocrystalline | | 9 | [NB-JD575](https://comparepv.com/panel/sharp-nb-jd575) | 575 | 22.3 | -0.300 | Monocrystalline | | 10 | [NB-JD570](https://comparepv.com/panel/sharp-nb-jd570) | 570 | 22.1 | -0.300 | Monocrystalline | ## Summary Sharp is a Japanese electronics company founded in 1912 and headquartered in Osaka, with a solar manufacturing history spanning several decades. It holds Tier 1 bankable status and distributes modules across Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and the UK, though it currently does not sell into the United States market. ARTsolar was founded in 2010 in New Germany, KwaZulu-Natal, and is South Africa's only 100% locally owned PV module manufacturer. It operates a sub-GW assembly plant with a nameplate capacity of approximately 340 MW per year, supported by technology partnerships with global brands including Talesun Solar and, from 2025, JA Solar. ARTsolar does not appear on BloombergNEF's published Tier 1 lists, positioning it as a regional rather than globally bankable manufacturer, and Sharp holds the considerably stronger institutional footprint on the world stage. Sharp has pivoted its entire current product line to N-type TOPCon monocrystalline technology, rolling out multiple module families throughout 2024 - from all-black 425 W panels aimed at premium residential rooftops to glass-backsheet commercial modules in the 440-580 W range and large-format 610 W double-glass bifacial panels suited to utility-scale ground mounts. All carry a 30-year linear power output guarantee. ARTsolar's facility is equipped to assemble PERC, bifacial, N-type, and HJT cell formats, and the company recently produced South Africa's first locally manufactured JA Solar DeepBlue 4.0 Pro n-type modules for a 216 MW utility project. Its core market is South African commercial and utility-scale independent power producer programmes, where local content requirements give domestically assembled panels a structural procurement advantage over imports. For buyers outside South Africa, Sharp is the clearer default - a Tier 1 manufacturer with a well-documented TOPCon range, global distribution, and decades of brand history. For South African projects where local content scoring under government IPP frameworks is decisive, ARTsolar is a credible and strategically important option. The two brands occupy fundamentally different geographic and institutional niches and are not meaningfully interchangeable. \---LINKS--- \- https://www.pv-magazine.com/2024/09/24/sharp-unveils-610-w-topcon-solar-panel-with-22-58-efficiency/ \| Sharp unveils 610 W TOPCon solar panel with 22.58% efficiency \| article \- https://www.solarreviews.com/blog/sharp-solar-panels \| Sharp Solar Panels: How They Compare To Other Top Brands \| review \- https://www.pv-magazine.com/2025/06/17/ja-solar-artsolar-agree-to-expand-pv-module-manufacturing-in-south-africa/ \| JA Solar and ARTsolar agree to expand PV module manufacturing in SA \| article \- https://www.climatescorecard.org/2025/02/artsolar-in-south-africa/ \| ARTsolar in South Africa - Climate Scorecard \| article \- https://www.pv-magazine.com/2022/11/07/talesun-artsolar-open-325-mw-module-factory-in-south-africa/ \| Talesun and ARTsolar open 325 MW module factory in South Africa \| article Sources: \- \[Sharp unveils 610 W TOPCon solar panel with 22.58% efficiency\](https://www.pv-magazine.com/2024/09/24/sharp-unveils-610-w-topcon-solar-panel-with-22-58-efficiency/) \- \[Sharp Solar Panels: How They Compare To Other Top Brands\](https://www.solarreviews.com/blog/sharp-solar-panels) \- \[JA Solar, ARTsolar agree to expand PV module manufacturing in South Africa\](https://www.pv-magazine.com/2025/06/17/ja-solar-artsolar-agree-to-expand-pv-module-manufacturing-in-south-africa/) \- \[ARTsolar in South Africa - Climate Scorecard\](https://www.climatescorecard.org/2025/02/artsolar-in-south-africa/) \- \[Talesun, ARTsolar open 325 MW module factory in South Africa\](https://www.pv-magazine.com/2022/11/07/talesun-artsolar-open-325-mw-module-factory-in-south-africa/) Written by claude-sonnet from the figures above. ## Other comparisons - [Sharp vs A.B. Energy](https://comparepv.com/sharp-vs-a-b-energy) - [AE Solar vs ARTsolar](https://comparepv.com/ae-solar-vs-artsolar) - [Sharp vs AEET](https://comparepv.com/sharp-vs-aeet) - [AIKO vs ARTsolar](https://comparepv.com/aiko-vs-artsolar) - [Sharp vs AKCOME](https://comparepv.com/sharp-vs-akcome) - [ASM vs ARTsolar](https://comparepv.com/asm-vs-artsolar) --- Source: https://comparepv.com/sharp-vs-artsolar Not in this file, on the page: the distributions above drawn as charts.