AIKO Gen 4 Solar Panels Debut in Australia

AIKO Gen 4 Solar Panels Debut in Australia at All-Energy 2026

Solar manufacturer AIKO has introduced its Gen 4 solar panels to Australia at All-Energy Australia in Melbourne, the country’s largest clean energy event, held on 28–29 October 2026. The new range is built on ABC 4.0 INFINITE Ultra cell technology and lifts power and efficiency across AIKO’s entire lineup, from home rooftops to solar farms, without making panels bigger or heavier.

Gen 4 is the fourth generation in five years since AIKO took all-back-contact solar into mass production. Over its first three generations, the company moved back contact from a premium niche into mainstream solar. With Gen 4, the focus shifts to maximising value for installers and customers on every roof.

What is AIKO Gen 4?

Gen 4 is the fourth generation of AIKO’s all-back-contact (ABC) solar technology. In the new ABC 4.0 INFINITE Ultra cell, six process upgrades lift average production cell efficiency from 27.2% to 27.4%.

The bigger gains come at the panel level. Zero-gap cells, hidden rear connections (InvisiRibbon) and tighter string spacing cut non-generating area by about 20%, so 97% of the panel surface now produces power.

The result is that every INFINITE Ultra format gains up to 20 W over the previous generation, at exactly the same size and weight. Against TOPCon panels of the same dimensions on the market today, AIKO says that means up to 30 W more power per panel.

Gen 4 specifications at a glance

In the 54-cell size used on most Australian homes, AIKO released the world’s first 500 W, 25% efficient white-backsheet panel under 2 m² last year. Gen 4 pushes that further to 510 W and 25.5% efficiency.

All-black 500 W panels for Australian homes

For many owners of high-end homes, the look of solar has long been a reason to hold back. Visible gridlines, blue cell edges and uneven colour can clash with a carefully designed roof. An all-black finish has also historically come at the cost of performance, because older types of black panels typically run hotter and produce less power.

Gen 4 removes that trade-off. It brings 500 W and 25.0% efficiency to an all-black panel in the standard 1,762 × 1,134 mm size, with no visible gridlines and the same black colour between cells. Homeowners can choose between two designs.

Z Series: the premium choice

Z Series has a uniform pure-black finish front and back. It pairs that look with a stronger frame, enhanced reliability and dual-glass construction, which together support a 40-year product and power warranty, matching the life of a new roof. Z Series is already open for orders in Europe and is expected to be available in Australia in 2027.

Neostar Champion: the same 500 W in mono-glass

Part of the Gen 4 Neostar range, Neostar Champion delivers the same 500 W all-black performance in a mono-glass design, backed by a 30-year product and power warranty.

Larger formats and bifacial panels for commercial and utility projects

The same performance upgrade extends across AIKO’s larger 60-, 66- and 72-cell formats. The 60-cell panel (1,954 × 1,134 mm) reaches 560 W. The 72-cell panel (2,382 × 1,134 mm) reaches 700 W at 25.9% efficiency, the highest in the range.

Gen 4 also tackles back contact’s traditional weakness in rear-side generation. The 66-cell bifacial panel now reaches up to 85% bifaciality and 670 W. That opens back contact to high-albedo sites, carports, ground-mounted systems and solar farms.

Built for installers

As the industry races toward higher wattage, a common shortcut has been to make panels bigger or thinner. That produces an eye-catching number on the datasheet, but the cost falls on installers: heavier lifts, awkward non-standard sizes, and roof layouts and racking that must be reworked.

AIKO took a different approach. The INFINITE Ultra series gains power from better technology rather than a bigger frame. Each panel keeps the same size and weight as the matching previous-generation panel, and the 54-cell panels stay under 2 m² and 25 kg.

Installers also get more ways to mount Gen 4, where approved in the installation manual: short-side or long-side clamping, with or without rails, and short-side or long-side insertion. On the Z Series, an optimised structural design raises the four-corner front-side mounting load from 1,600 Pa to 2,400 Pa. More watts per panel also means fewer panels, clamps and rails for the same system size, and AIKO’s local Australian team backs installers with training and technical support.

Fire safety, reliability and durability

Alongside higher output, the INFINITE Ultra series is designed to address the operating conditions and asset-life considerations that matter to installers, EPCs and system owners. Features vary by model.

Fire safety. The panels include anti-ignition features, active and passive fire protection and IEC Fire Class A. In TÜV Rheinland testing, hot-spot temperatures were more than 35% lower than TOPCon under shading.

Reliability. Copper interconnection resists micro-cracking, with zero cracks recorded in TÜV NORD’s 230 kg treading test. Improved insulation and moisture resistance protect the panel edges.

Durability. Specified mono-glass models are hail tested with 40 mm hail.

Long-term performance. Low degradation, cell-level partial-shading optimisation and a low temperature coefficient help protect output under challenging Australian conditions, from partial shade to summer heat, over the life of the system.

“Australian households have had AIKO back-contact panels on their roofs for several years, and Australian installers have helped prove the technology in some of the toughest conditions in the world. The INFINITE Ultra series gives them more power from every roof, more ways to mount it, and the confidence that comes from technology built to last for decades. We never stop advancing, and we want Australia to be among the first to benefit.” — Alex Hang, Head of APAC, AIKO

What Gen 4 means for Australian homes

Australia’s rooftops are being asked to do more than ever. Around 42% of homes already have solar, and more than 500,000 home batteries have been installed under the Cheaper Home Batteries Program since July 2025. As households add batteries, EVs and heat pumps, the question is no longer whether to go solar, but how much a roof can deliver.

With up to 30 W more per panel than TOPCon panels of the same size, homeowners can fit around 6% more solar capacity on the same roof. More generation means bigger savings, more solar to charge the home battery and fewer grid purchases in the evening. It also gives households the capacity to keep adding, from an EV to a heat pump or pool, on the path to a fully electrified home.

What Gen 4 means for Australian businesses

The expansion of the Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme to systems up to 1 MW is a rare opportunity to bring more Australian businesses into commercial solar. By lowering upfront costs and improving project feasibility, it opens the benefits of renewable energy to a much broader segment of the economy.

To make the most of it, businesses need to get the most from every square metre of roof. High-efficiency panels like the ABC INFINITE Ultra series unlock higher system capacity and, with it, greater STC value. For small or complex sites, that extra capacity can be the difference between a token installation and a system large enough to meaningfully support the business’s energy demand. With multiple formats to suit different buildings, including a high power-to-weight ratio for weight-constrained roofs, more businesses can find the right fit.

“The expanded scheme is a rare opportunity to bring more Australian businesses into solar, but it shouldn’t be wasted on poorly matched systems or short-term thinking. For business owners, installing solar is never abstract. Behind every commercial project is a business trying to manage costs, protect jobs and build a more resilient future, and it needs a system that delivers real returns, not just an incentive claim.” — Thomas Bywater, Head of AIKO ANZ

1 GW of Gen 4 agreements and AIKO’s Australian growth

AIKO signed 1 GW of Gen 4 agreements with its Australian distribution partners during All-Energy week, as it passed 1 GW of panels delivered in Australia since entering the market in 2024. The agreements reflect strong demand for back-contact solar from Australian installers and customers.

At AIKO’s gala dinner during All-Energy week, Alex Hang said the company returned to profit in the third quarter of 2026, becoming the only leading PV module manufacturer to do so. He said this is in line with the rapid growth of AIKO’s ABC business, with shipments projected to grow at a compound annual rate of 191% between 2023 and 2027.

“When we arrived in Australia, back contact was new to most installers. Today, it is the panel so many of them choose for their own roofs. That journey belongs to the partners, installers and customers across Australia and New Zealand who put their trust in AIKO early. With Gen 4 and a growing local team, we are ready to deliver, and ready to scale.” — Alex Hang, Head of APAC, AIKO

Installer and market recognition

AIKO has overtaken long-established brands to become the No. 1 panel brand in OpenSolar quoting, with close to 20% of active monthly solar proposals nationwide. Installers voted it No. 1 in the SolarQuotes Installers’ Choice Awards in both 2025 and 2026, and ranked it the best panel in SolarCalculator’s 2026 Solar Installer Survey with an average score of 9.4 out of 10.

A long-term commitment to Australia and New Zealand

AIKO is expanding its local team, with a focus on commercial and industrial (C&I) and utility-scale solar and a growing presence in New Zealand. It is also working closely with its distribution partners to bring back-contact solar to more homes and businesses.

At All-Energy, the company displayed a solar carport solution with local partner Canyon Solar, a Mittagong, New South Wales, business that designs prefabricated, modular solar canopies. Built with AIKO panels, the carport gives facilities whose roof space is exhausted, or too limited for the system they need, a way to generate more clean energy from the space they already have.

“We’re incredibly proud to have delivered our first gigawatt of ABC solar to Australian homes, and to have become the panel of choice for so many households in under three years. As Australia moves to unlock its ‘missing middle’ through the expanded rebate for systems up to 1 MW, AIKO is working closely with its distribution partners to bring high-efficiency solar solutions to commercial rooftops.” — Thomas Bywater, Head of AIKO ANZ

When will Gen 4 be available in Australia?

Gen 4 panels will be available in Australia following Clean Energy Council listing. The Z Series is expected to be available in Australia in 2027, and is already open for orders in Europe. More details on the launch are at aikosolar.com/au/all-energy-australia-2026.

About AIKO

AIKO is a global leader in all-back-contact (ABC) solar technology. Guided by its mission of empowering the transformation to a carbon-free society, AIKO was the first to take back-contact solar into gigawatt-scale mass production and continues to set the industry’s efficiency benchmarks, with its ABC modules ranked No. 1 on TaiyangNews’ TOP SOLAR MODULES list for more than three years running. AIKO has shipped more than 200 GW of solar cells and modules worldwide, is rated Tier 1 by BloombergNEF and was named a Top Performer in the 2025 Kiwa PVEL PV Module Reliability Scorecard.

In Australia, AIKO has been voted installers’ No. 1 choice for solar panels in the SolarQuotes Installers’ Choice Awards in 2025 and 2026, with a strong distribution network through Australia’s leading distributors and a local team working closely with installers and customers. Learn more at aikosolar.com/au.