Top 18 Solar Panel Manufacturers in Europe 2022 2

It is an acknowledged fact among businessmen that a business is only as good as their chosen manufacturer. And it makes sense why this rings so true for a lot of businessmen. After all, a manufacturer is the one that makes the final products — from scratch to finish — for you. So, in a way, your manufacturer is the one that helps lift your business from the ground. And that is why choosing the right manufacturer is an absolute must for businesses out there. 

Businesses in the solar industry, particularly solar installers, are not exempt from this. As solar installers, it’s imperative that you choose wisely when it comes to deciding the right solar manufacturer for you. Luckily, there are a ton of solar manufacturers found all over the world, with a lot of them in Asia, some of them in the United States, and of course, some of them in Europe as well. 

So, if you live in Europe and you’re wondering if you have to go out of your continent to find a solar manufacturer, you can breathe easily now. There are a lot of reliable solar manufacturers that you can find in Europe. And to help you with your search for these reliable manufacturers, here is a list of the top ones that you should definitely check out:

SolarWorld

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SolarWorld is dedicated to the manufacture and marketing of photovoltaic products all over the world. The company has been in business for over three decades now, and it has had considerable involvement in all aspects of solar power — from PV panel production to turnkey solar power system construction. It has three primary facilities, namely in Bonn, Germany (headquarters), Freiberg, Germany, and Hillsboro, Oregon (U.S. headquarters). With the success of the U.S. branch of the company, SolarWorld launched in 2017 a subsidiary named SolarWorld Americas. Eventually, in 2018, SolarWorld Americas was taken over by SunPower. 

In addition to their primary facilities, SolarWorld also has sales offices in numerous countries, particularly in Germany, Spain, U.S.A., South Africa, U.K., and Singapore. 

Hanwha Q Cells

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Hanwha Q Cells is a manufacturer of photovoltaic cells with headquarters both in Seoul, South Korea, and Thalheim, Germany. Additionally, the company has four state-of-the-art research and development centers in Germany, Korea, China, and Malaysia. Hanwha Q Cells dedicates much of their time to creating these R&D centers so that they can make sure that the quality of their products is of the highest kind. 

Another thing that the company does to ensure the high quality of its solar modules is to independently test them and have them certified by the rigorous and independent quality assurance program of the German certification institute, VDE. Hanwha Q Cells also has fully automated manufacturing factories with a Manufacturing Execution System (MES) that allows for full traceability of all products from procurement to logistics. 

REC Group

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Based in Norway, REC Group was founded in 1996 and has since become one of the world’s leading providers of solar energy solutions. In particular, it is the largest European brand of solar panels. By the end of 2015, REC had been able to produce around 20 million solar panels and about 5 GW of clean energy. That number is enough to power almost 8 million people at home. And as of recently, the numbers have risen up to over 34 million panels manufactured, about 8.7 GW produced, which is equivalent to powering over 17 million people at home. 

In addition to the quality and quantity of the products sold, REC is also dedicated to doing initiatives such as in-depth industry and market studies. The company also offers a dependable warranty to its customers as well as after-sales service. In other words, with all their contributions, it is no wonder that the REC Group is widely considered a thought leader in the solar industry. 

Kioto Solar

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Founded in 2007, Kioto Solar is an Austria-based provider of solar thermal and PV systems. Even before officially forming the company, Kioto has been in the solar business for over 25 years already, thus making them a pioneer in the PV and solar market. 

As of right now, Kioto Solar has a production capacity of 150 MW PV modules and 15,000 freshwater modules and stratified layer modules. All of their products are created and produced in Austria, and they are being distributed all over the world through bases in Switzerland, Italy, Germany, Spain, Portugal, South Africa, Hungary, Slovenia, and Turkey.

Photowatt

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Photowatt is a manufacturer of photovoltaic panels from France. They design and produce PV modules using crystalline silicon technology, and these modules can be used for a variety of applications — from residential equipment to ground-based power plants. For over 35 years now, Photowatt has had 600 MWp of total installed capacity, 4 million manufactured solar panels, and 25 MWp manufacturing pilot lines and cells. Additionally, they also have an annual production capacity of 100 MWp. 

Photowatt has formed a joint venture with Canadian Solar and ECM Greentech to specialize in the low-carbon production of advanced technology silicon ingots and wafers in France. In 2014, the company reopened a module assembly line in the country, and then in 2016, they launched the modules and cells in Crystal Advanced technology. Long story short, Photowatt has proven that they are a pioneer in the solar industry with the contributions they made over 35 years. 

Victron Energy

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Victron Energy is a solar manufacturing company that was founded in 1975 in the Netherlands. The company has a wide variety of energy-related products, and some of their more commonly known ones include solar panels, inverters, charge controllers, battery systems, battery monitors, and DC-to-DC converters (power optimizers). Their products are also tailored to a variety of industries, such as automotive, industrial, marine, and telecom. Victron Energy works with 779 dealers on all the continents, thus making the company a trusted one to work with.

Lorentz

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Founded in Germany in 1993, Lorentz is a company that has pioneered, innovated, and excelled in the engineering and manufacturing of solar-powered water pumping. They use a technology that utilizes the power of the sun to pump water, and they design, develop, and manufacture the widest range of these solar pumps for everyone. The primary reason why Lorentz heavily focuses on solar pumps is that they believe that solar pumps will be the ones to sustain and enhance the lives of millions of people, including their livestock and crops. That vision is essentially encompassed in their company tagline, which is: “Sun. Water. Life.”

In addition to solar pumps, Lorentz also produces solar pump accessories, pump monitoring services, and PV modules. Considering the kinds of products that Lorentz sells, it is no wonder that they work primarily with homeowners, farmers, NGOs, communities, and water providers. 

ATERSA Group

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ATERSA Group was founded in 1983 after the companies ELECSOL and ATESOL merged together. From its conception, ATERSA has developed, manufactured, and commercialized all the components needed for the configuration of a solar PV system. Some of their products include the installation and commission of several PV systems to supply electrical energy to navigation lighthouses, telecommunication relays, rural electrification, water pumps, public lighting, and many more. 

ATERSA has a production capacity of up to 344 MW. And this number will go up as the company continues to provide highly specialized engineering and supply the best comprehensive solutions for solar systems in national and international products. 

Megasol Energy

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Megasol Energy was founded by Markus Gisler when he was only 12 years old in 1993. His passion for integrating the use of solar energy into the lives of everyone is what drove him to create this company in the first place. And since its conception, Megasol has transformed from being a garage company to becoming the leading solar manufacturing company in all of Europe. 

Megasol offers a variety of products that are related to solar energy. Some of these products include solar modules, inverters, mounting systems and accessories, and BIPV for roofs and facades. Megasol prides itself on the products that they make. In fact, the company has received multiple awards and certifications for the products, particularly the Top Brand PV Label award that they received in 2018 from EuPD Research. Additionally, several Swiss and European solar prizes testify to the trust that Megasol has gotten over the years. 

Luxor Solar

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Luxor Solar is a premium manufacturer for solar modules since 2004. With over 13 years of expertise in the development and production of solar modules and a customer base in over 60 countries, this company is considered one of the top solar brands in Germany. Luxor has a production capacity of 350 MWp, and they have been awarded the “Top PV Brand” seal by EuPD Research. 

Moreover, Luxor Solar also has 18 successful power plants in various countries, particularly Germany, Japan, Morrocco, Sweden, Croatia, Denmark, Italy, Egypt, Norway, and many more. 

Solarwatt

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Founded in 1993 in Dresden, Germany, Solarwatt is the leading German manufacturer of PV systems and one of the largest power storage providers worldwide. For their modules, Solarwatt has chosen to use glass-glass technology as a new standard in 1998. This is because this technology is characterized by special longevity, extreme robustness, and the highest yields. Additionally, they also have an intelligent energy management system that optimizes the use of your solar power from your roof.  

The headquarters for Solarwatt is located in Dresden, Germany, but they also have branches somewhere else all over the world. These branches are located in countries like Australia, France, Great Britain, Italy, the Netherlands, and Spain. Furthermore, Solarwatt’s customers can also be found in over 50 countries all over the world. 

IBC Solar

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Established in 1982, IBC Solar is a Germany-based solar company. The company released the first solar modules under its own brand name in 1998, and in 2016, they surpassed the 3 GW mark in total capacity. IBC Solar’s products are tailor-made based on the individual concept and needs of their clients. And their clientele is also quite wide, from private households up to commercial sectors. 

All in all, IBC has a total of 7 regional companies in Germany, the Netherlands, Japan, Singapore, South Africa, India, and Turkey. 

Aleo Solar

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Aleo Solar is a solar manufacturing company in Germany that has been in the business since 2001. This company is a subsidiary of the SAS Group, which is the third-largest manufacturer in the world of silicon wafers as well as a supplier for components for computers, phones, cameras, cars, trains, and other devices. As a result, the SAS Group and Aleo Solar have been trusted by numerous companies, such as IBM, Intel, Samsung, Bosch, ABB, and Sharp. 

By the end of 2015, Aleo Solar had an annual production capacity of 280 MW, and as of right now, they have about 65 distributors in over 21 different countries. 

Sunerg Solar

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Sunerg Solar started its business in solar manufacturing in 1978. And since its beginnings, the company has come a long way. They started their business with the first solar collectors for heating water, branded as “Sunerg Lauri — Solar Systems,” and then they slowly paved their way to other PV products. The majority of the products are done in Italy, but from time to time, solar projects will also be done in France and Slovenia. 

In addition to the manufacturing and selling of solar modules, Sunerg Solar also offers a complete cycle of design, manufacturing, and pre-and post-sales support. 

Hanover Solar

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Headquartered in Hanover, Germany, Hanover Solar is one of the leading companies that produce solar cell technologies. The company makes use of advanced technology, automatic ABB production equipment, as well as a scientific and strict Germany management code. Their primary goal is to allow end-users to fully appreciate the high-quality German products at an affordable price. 

Ever since its earliest beginnings, Hanover Solar has produced over 15 million solar panels, with a total of 3.6 GW of installed capacity. Additionally, they have a wide array of customers in over 59 countries, and their solar modules are widely used in commercial and residential projects in Europe, Japan, New Zealand, and Australia. 

RECOM

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Established in 2007, RECOM has become one of the largest PV module manufacturing companies in all of Europe. The products that RECOM manufactures include 60- and 72-cell monocrystalline and polycrystalline panels as well as bifacial, glass-glass, half-cut, and “smart” modules with a pre-assembled micro-inverter. Some of their other notable projects include a 7.6 MW solar plant in Germany and a 5.2 MW plant in Ukraine. And in September 2018, RECOM announced its plans to add a total of 1 GW manufacturing capacity in France and Armenia. 

Selfa 

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Established in 1932, Selfa is the first Polish manufacturer of electric heating elements. Soon after its initial establishment, it became one of the first PV module manufacturers in Poland. The products that Selfa usually manufacturers include 60- and 72-cell PV modules with customized solutions like single-column modules, facade modules, portable modules, coloured modules, and BIPV. Long story short, Selfa prides itself on providing design, eligibility studies services, and panel supply for a solar PV plant construction. 

Related article: The World’s Largest Solar Power Plants

Takeaway

It’s a truth among businessmen that your chosen manufacturer will be the make-or-break element of any kind of business. This truth is particularly applicable for businesses in the solar industry, particularly solar installers. That is why, when it comes to picking the right solar manufacturer for you, you have to choose wisely. 

With this, then it is good news that reliable solar manufacturers are everywhere. So, if your business is based in Europe, there’s no need to worry because you’re likely going to have a solar manufacturing company that’s near you. The 18 companies mentioned are only some of the widely known manufacturing companies in Europe. So, look them up. Examine their products and services. Find that one company that you like. And if you like, you can also search for other companies not mentioned in the list. Whatever you do, you need to put effort into doing your research because, remember, your business will only be as good as the solar manufacturer that you’ve chosen.

Related article: Top Solar Statistics You Need to Know