Sun Earth vs AE Solar - solar panel manufacturer comparison
AE Solar has the broader catalog (646 vs 60 models). AE Solar leads on peak efficiency at 24.43%.
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
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...
- Founded
- 2003
- Headquarters
- Gersthofen, Germany
- Annual capacity
- 2+ GW/year
- Employees
- 501-1000
- Tier 1 bankable
- Yes
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
Sun Earth skews to higher efficiency: 37% of lineup is 23%+
AE Solar offers more 600W+ panels (13% of lineup)
Dominant cell tech: <strong>TOPCon</strong> (82%)
Dominant cell tech: <strong>TOPCon</strong> (54%)
The flagships
Written summary
AE Solar is a German-headquartered manufacturer founded in 2003 in Königsbrunn, with production facilities in China, Georgia, and Turkey and an annual manufacturing capacity exceeding 2 GW. The company holds Bloomberg NEF Tier 1 bankable status and has been recognized as Europe's sole Tier 1 manufacturer with high bankability in 2024, alongside distinctions such as the first DIBt certification for a Tier 1 PV module maker and a 2023 PV Top Performer award. Sun Earth is a Chinese manufacturer with roots stretching back to the early 1990s, giving it a longer operating history, though it does not currently appear on Tier 1 bankability lists. Sun Earth operates a vertically integrated supply chain - from silicon to finished modules - and maintains regional offices in Australia, Germany, the United States, and other markets, but its portfolio is considerably smaller at 60 models compared to AE Solar's 442.
AE Solar's broad portfolio supports a wide range of applications: residential rooftop installs benefit from the brand recognition and warranty terms averaging nearly 30 years, while high-power modules reaching 730 Wp and efficiencies up to 24.43% make AE Solar a credible choice for utility-scale ground-mount and commercial C&I projects where bankability is a prerequisite for project finance. Sun Earth, despite its non-Tier-1 status, shows a higher average portfolio efficiency of 22.4% versus AE Solar's 21.3%, a better average temperature coefficient of -0.294%/°C against -0.313%/°C, and an 81.7% share of TOPCon technology in its lineup - all figures that are technically competitive for self-financed commercial or ground-mount installations where raw performance-per-watt matters more than lender approval.
For international buyers working within project finance structures or seeking bankable supply chains, AE Solar is the more straightforward choice given its Tier 1 status and established European distribution. Sun Earth represents a viable alternative for buyers funding projects from equity or seeking a cost-competitive TOPCon-heavy portfolio without a hard bankability requirement - the superior average efficiency and temperature coefficient translate to measurable yield gains, provided the absence of Tier 1 certification is acceptable to the project's stakeholders.
Generated by Claude Sonnet · 2026-05-13
Other brand comparisons
Shop prices: See 12 Sun Earth offers · See 5 AE Solar 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.