---
title: "SOMI vs AE Solar - Brand Comparison | ComparePV"
description: "Compare SOMI vs AE Solar solar panels: full portfolio, efficiency, cell technology breakdown, warranty terms and company background."
source: "https://comparepv.com/somi-vs-ae-solar"
---

# SOMI vs AE Solar

AE Solar has the broader catalog (646 vs 6 models). AE Solar leads on peak efficiency at 24.43%. AE Solar leans bifacial (63% of lineup).


## The two companies


| Attribute | SOMI | AE Solar |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Country |  | Germany |
| Headquarters |  | Gersthofen |
| Founded |  | 2003 |
| Employees |  | 501-1000 |
| Annual capacity |  | 2+ GW/year |
| Tier 1 | no | yes |
| Listed |  |  |
| Website |  | [https://ae-solar.com](https://ae-solar.com) |

AE Solar is a German Tier 1 manufacturer of high-efficiency photovoltaic (PV) modules. The company specializes in producing durable and innovative solar panels with German engineering standards, offering solutions for residential, commercial, and utility-scale applications. AE Solar operates in over 100 countries and...


## Catalog & Power


| Measure | SOMI | AE Solar | Margin |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Panel Models | 6 | 646 | +640 |
| Max Power | 550 W | 730 W | +180 W |
| Avg Power | 538 W | 489 W | +49 W |


## Efficiency


| Measure | SOMI | AE Solar | Margin |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Max Efficiency | 21.30% | 24.43% | +3.13 pp |
| Avg Efficiency | 20.80% | 21.11% | +0.31 pp |


## Reliability & Warranty


| Measure | SOMI | AE Solar | Margin |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Avg Temp Coefficient | -0.350%/°C | -0.312%/°C | +0.038 |
| Bifacial Share | 0 (0%) | 405 (63%) | +63 pp |
| Avg Warranty | 30.0 yrs | 29.7 yrs | +0.3 yr |


## Efficiency distribution

AE Solar skews to higher efficiency: 9% of lineup is 23%+


| Efficiency band | SOMI | AE Solar |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 20-21% | 4 (66.7%) | 171 (26.5%) |
| 21-22% | 2 (33.3%) | 142 (22.0%) |
| \<20% | 0 | 74 (11.5%) |
| 22-23% | 0 | 199 (30.8%) |
| 23%+ | 0 | 60 (9.3%) |


## Power distribution

AE Solar offers more 600W+ panels (13% of lineup)


| Power band | SOMI | AE Solar |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 500-599W | 6 (100.0%) | 154 (23.8%) |
| \<400W | 0 | 78 (12.1%) |
| 400-499W | 0 | 329 (50.9%) |
| 600-699W | 0 | 55 (8.5%) |
| 700W+ | 0 | 30 (4.6%) |


## Cell technology

Dominant cell tech: **PERC** (100%)

Dominant cell tech: **TOPCon** (54%)


| Technology | SOMI | AE Solar |
| --- | --- | --- |
| PERC | 6 (100.0%) | 245 (37.9%) |
| TOPCon | 0 | 349 (54.0%) |
| Back Contact | 0 | 21 (3.3%) |
| N-type | 0 | 17 (2.6%) |
| BIPV | 0 | 9 (1.4%) |
| HJT | 0 | 5 (0.8%) |


## Top panels, SOMI


| # | Model | Power | Efficiency | Temp. coefficient | Technology |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | [SP550M-72HB](https://comparepv.com/panel/somi-sp550m-72hb) | 550 | 21.3 | -0.350 | Monocrystalline |
| 2 | [SP545M-72HB](https://comparepv.com/panel/somi-sp545m-72hb) | 545 | 21.1 | -0.350 | Monocrystalline |
| 3 | [SP540M-72HB](https://comparepv.com/panel/somi-sp540m-72hb) | 540 | 20.9 | -0.350 | Monocrystalline |
| 4 | [SP535M-72HB](https://comparepv.com/panel/somi-sp535m-72hb) | 535 | 20.7 | -0.350 | Monocrystalline |
| 5 | [SP530M-72HB](https://comparepv.com/panel/somi-sp530m-72hb) | 530 | 20.5 | -0.350 | Monocrystalline |
| 6 | [SP525M-72HB](https://comparepv.com/panel/somi-sp525m-72hb) | 525 | 20.3 | -0.350 | Monocrystalline |


## Top panels, AE Solar


| # | Model | Power | Efficiency | Temp. coefficient | Technology |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | [CME-132BDS-730](https://comparepv.com/panel/ae-solar-cme-132bds-730) | 730 | 23.5 | -0.290 | Monocrystalline |
| 2 | [CME-132BDS-730W](https://comparepv.com/panel/ae-solar-cme-132bds-730w) | 730 | 23.5 | -0.290 | Monocrystalline |
| 3 | [CME-132BDS-725](https://comparepv.com/panel/ae-solar-cme-132bds-725) | 725 | 23.4 | -0.290 | Monocrystalline |
| 4 | [CME-132-725W](https://comparepv.com/panel/ae-solar-cme-132-725w) | 725 | 23.4 | -0.290 | Monocrystalline |
| 5 | [CME-132BDS-725W](https://comparepv.com/panel/ae-solar-cme-132bds-725w) | 725 | 23.4 | -0.290 | Monocrystalline |
| 6 | [AE CME-132 720](https://comparepv.com/panel/ae-solar-ae-cme-132-720) | 720 | 23.2 | -0.290 | Monocrystalline |
| 7 | [CME-132BDS-720](https://comparepv.com/panel/ae-solar-cme-132bds-720) | 720 | 23.2 | -0.290 | Monocrystalline |
| 8 | [AE CME-132-720](https://comparepv.com/panel/ae-solar-ae-cme-132-720-1) | 720 | 23.2 | -0.290 | Monocrystalline |
| 9 | [CME-132-720W](https://comparepv.com/panel/ae-solar-cme-132-720w) | 720 | 23.2 | -0.290 | Monocrystalline |
| 10 | [CME-132BDS-720W](https://comparepv.com/panel/ae-solar-cme-132bds-720w) | 720 | 23.2 | -0.290 | Monocrystalline |


## Summary

AE Solar is a German manufacturer founded in 2003 and headquartered in Königsbrunn, Bavaria, operating under the legal name AE Alternative Energy GmbH. The company has appeared on the BloombergNEF Global Tier 1 Solar Module Manufacturer list for the 16th consecutive time as of Q1 2025, and was specifically recognized in 2024 as Europe's sole Tier 1 producer with high bankability. Its global annual production capacity stands at approximately 2.5 GW, distributed across facilities in China, Georgia, and a Turkish plant opened in early 2025 and dedicated to TOPCon and MonoPerc output. SOMI Applications and Services s.r.o. is a Czech Republic-based company operating at a considerably smaller scale; it does not appear on any major Tier 1 or bankability list, and independent industry coverage remains sparse. On institutional standing and market reach, AE Solar holds a decisive advantage.

AE Solar's portfolio addresses residential, commercial and industrial (C&I), and utility-scale segments. Its Meteor series is built on N-type TOPCon cells with module output ranging from 415 W to 725 W, while the Aurora series spans 360 W to 660 W across monofacial, bifacial glass-backsheet, and bifacial double-glass configurations. A Kiwa PVEL Top Performer Award earned in 2025 further strengthens its credentials for project-financed applications. SOMI's lineup is more limited, centered on monocrystalline PERC and bifacial PERC panels in the 425-550 Wp range, supplemented by hybrid inverters and LFP battery storage - a package best suited to small residential or light commercial buyers in Central European markets.

For most buyers - particularly those pursuing financed or larger-scale installations - AE Solar is the stronger default: verified bankability, a broad technology range covering both TOPCon and legacy PERC, and a global service network all support that choice. SOMI may offer a cost-competitive entry point for smaller residential projects where financing requirements are minimal, but the scarcity of independent performance data makes any confident long-term reliability assessment difficult. These two brands are not interchangeable - the gap in institutional scale and product depth is substantial.

Written by claude-sonnet from the figures above.


## Other comparisons

- [SOMI vs A.B. Energy](https://comparepv.com/somi-vs-a-b-energy)
- [AEET vs AE Solar](https://comparepv.com/aeet-vs-ae-solar)
- [SOMI vs AIKO](https://comparepv.com/somi-vs-aiko)
- [AKCOME vs AE Solar](https://comparepv.com/akcome-vs-ae-solar)
- [SOMI vs ARTsolar](https://comparepv.com/somi-vs-artsolar)
- [ASM vs AE Solar](https://comparepv.com/asm-vs-ae-solar)


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Source: https://comparepv.com/somi-vs-ae-solar

Not in this file, on the page: the distributions above drawn as charts.