--- title: "SolarWorld vs Trina Solar - Brand Comparison | ComparePV" description: "Compare SolarWorld vs Trina Solar solar panels: full portfolio, efficiency, cell technology breakdown, warranty terms and company background." source: "https://comparepv.com/solarworld-vs-trina-solar" --- # SolarWorld vs Trina Solar Trina Solar has the broader catalog (340 vs 0 models). Trina Solar leans bifacial (43% of lineup). ## The two companies | Attribute | SolarWorld | Trina Solar | | --- | --- | --- | | Country | Germany | China | | Headquarters | Bonn | Changzhou | | Founded | 1998 | 1997 | | Employees | 3000-5000 | | | Annual capacity | 1-2 GW/year | | | Tier 1 | | yes | | Listed | | | | Website | | [https://www.trinasolar.com](https://www.trinasolar.com) | SolarWorld AG was a German photovoltaic manufacturer and one of the largest solar panel producers in the Western world, covering the full value chain from polysilicon feedstock to finished modules. The company operated major manufacturing plants in Freiberg, Germany and Hillsboro, Oregon, USA, and was once a leading... ## Catalog & Power | Measure | SolarWorld | Trina Solar | Margin | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Panel Models | 0 | 340 | +340 | | Max Power | 0 W | 760 W | +760 W | | Avg Power | 0 W | 520 W | +520 W | ## Efficiency | Measure | SolarWorld | Trina Solar | Margin | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Max Efficiency | - | 24.80% | | | Avg Efficiency | - | 21.71% | | ## Reliability & Warranty | Measure | SolarWorld | Trina Solar | Margin | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Avg Temp Coefficient | - | -0.302%/°C | | | Bifacial Share | 0 (0%) | 145 (43%) | +43 pp | | Avg Warranty | - | 28.2 yrs | | ## Efficiency distribution Trina Solar skews to higher efficiency: 22% of lineup is 23%+ | Efficiency band | SolarWorld | Trina Solar | | --- | --- | --- | | \<20% | 0 | 22 (6.5%) | | 20-21% | 0 | 57 (16.8%) | | 21-22% | 0 | 83 (24.4%) | | 22-23% | 0 | 102 (30.0%) | | 23%+ | 0 | 76 (22.4%) | ## Power distribution Trina Solar offers more 600W+ panels (34% of lineup) | Power band | SolarWorld | Trina Solar | | --- | --- | --- | | \<400W | 0 | 28 (8.2%) | | 400-499W | 0 | 142 (41.8%) | | 500-599W | 0 | 54 (15.9%) | | 600-699W | 0 | 72 (21.2%) | | 700W+ | 0 | 44 (12.9%) | ## Cell technology Dominant cell tech: **TOPCon** (73%) | Technology | SolarWorld | Trina Solar | | --- | --- | --- | | TOPCon | 0 | 248 (72.9%) | | PERC | 0 | 75 (22.1%) | | Unknown | 0 | 11 (3.2%) | | N-type | 0 | 6 (1.8%) | ## Top panels, Trina Solar | # | Model | Power | Efficiency | Temp. coefficient | Technology | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 1 | [TSM-NEG21C.20Q-760](https://comparepv.com/panel/trina-solar-tsm-neg21c-20q-760) | 760 | 24.5 | -0.260 | Monocrystalline | | 2 | [TSM-NEG21C.20Q-755](https://comparepv.com/panel/trina-solar-tsm-neg21c-20q-755) | 755 | 24.3 | -0.260 | Monocrystalline | | 3 | [TSM-NEG21C.20Q-750](https://comparepv.com/panel/trina-solar-tsm-neg21c-20q-750) | 750 | 24.1 | -0.260 | Monocrystalline | | 4 | [TSM-NEG21C.20Q-745](https://comparepv.com/panel/trina-solar-tsm-neg21c-20q-745) | 745 | 24.0 | -0.260 | Monocrystalline | | 5 | [TSM-NEG21C.20-740](https://comparepv.com/panel/trina-solar-co-ltd-tsm-neg21c-20-740) | 740 | 23.8 | -0.290 | Monocrystalline | | 6 | [TSM-NEG21C.20 740](https://comparepv.com/panel/trina-solar-tsm-neg21c-20-740) | 740 | 23.8 | -0.290 | Monocrystalline | | 7 | [TSM-NEG21C.20Q-740](https://comparepv.com/panel/trina-solar-tsm-neg21c-20q-740) | 740 | 23.8 | -0.260 | Monocrystalline | | 8 | [TSM-NEG21C.20-735](https://comparepv.com/panel/trina-solar-co-ltd-tsm-neg21c-20-735) | 735 | 23.7 | -0.290 | Monocrystalline | | 9 | [TSM-NEG21C.20 735](https://comparepv.com/panel/trina-solar-tsm-neg21c-20-735) | 735 | 23.7 | -0.290 | Monocrystalline | | 10 | [TSM-NEG21C.20Q-735](https://comparepv.com/panel/trina-solar-tsm-neg21c-20q-735) | 735 | 23.7 | -0.260 | Monocrystalline | ## Summary SolarWorld was a German solar manufacturer headquartered in Bonn, incorporated as SolarWorld AG in 1998 and for nearly two decades regarded as one of Europe's most prominent module producers. The company filed for insolvency in May 2017, citing persistent price erosion and an inability to project a viable financial future. A restructured entity, SolarWorld Industries GmbH, emerged briefly but filed for insolvency again in March 2018. As of 2025, SolarWorld is no longer an active manufacturer, carries no current BloombergNEF Tier 1 status, and offers no active factory warranty support for new installations. Trina Solar, by contrast, is a Chinese manufacturer that has maintained consistent BloombergNEF Tier 1 bankability and, according to Q2 2025 data, operates at approximately 100 GW of annual production capacity, placing it among the top four global module suppliers alongside Jinko Solar, LONGi, and JA Solar. On institutional footprint and supply-chain depth, Trina Solar has no meaningful competitor from SolarWorld in this comparison. SolarWorld built its reputation on monocrystalline PERC modules and was an early mover in bifacial PERC cell development; however, that product catalog is no longer commercially available with active manufacturer backing. Trina Solar's current lineup is anchored in N-type TOPCon technology across all market segments. The Vertex S+ series targets residential rooftop and commercial rooftop applications with module power outputs confirmed by pv-magazine at up to 485 W and efficiencies reaching 24.3%. For utility-scale ground-mount projects, the Vertex N and high-power Vertex NEG series deliver up to 760 W per module with independently validated efficiencies of up to 24.5-24.8%, and the company has secured the world's first UL 61730 certification for 2000 V modules in the 210 mm format, reducing balance-of-system costs on large sites. For any international buyer evaluating these two names today, the comparison is not between two competing active brands. SolarWorld exists only as a legacy reference; Trina Solar is a fully operational, bankable manufacturer with a documented global track record, active technical support, and a broad product range suited to residential, commercial, and utility-scale deployment. The practical verdict is straightforward: Trina Solar is the only viable choice of the two for a new procurement decision. Written by claude-sonnet from the figures above. ## Other comparisons - [SolarWorld vs A.B. Energy](https://comparepv.com/solarworld-vs-a-b-energy) - [AE Solar vs Trina Solar](https://comparepv.com/ae-solar-vs-trina-solar) - [SolarWorld vs AEET](https://comparepv.com/solarworld-vs-aeet) - [AIKO vs Trina Solar](https://comparepv.com/aiko-vs-trina-solar) - [SolarWorld vs AKCOME](https://comparepv.com/solarworld-vs-akcome) - [ARTsolar vs Trina Solar](https://comparepv.com/artsolar-vs-trina-solar) --- Source: https://comparepv.com/solarworld-vs-trina-solar