---
title: "Canadian Solar vs Q-Cells - Brand Comparison | ComparePV"
description: "Compare Canadian Solar vs Q-Cells solar panels: full portfolio, efficiency, cell technology breakdown, warranty terms and company background."
source: "https://comparepv.com/canadian-solar-vs-q-cells"
---

# Canadian Solar vs Q-Cells

Canadian Solar has the broader catalog (292 vs 89 models). Canadian Solar leads on peak efficiency at 24.40%.


## The two companies


| Attribute | Canadian Solar | Q-Cells |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Country | Canada | South Korea |
| Headquarters | Kitchener | Seoul |
| Founded | 2001 | 1999 |
| Employees | 17,113 | 2000+ |
| Annual capacity | 51 GW/year | 11.2 GW/year |
| Tier 1 | yes | yes |
| Listed | NASDAQ: CSIQ | NASDAQ: HQCL |
| Website | [https://www.canadiansolar.com](https://www.canadiansolar.com) | [https://www.qcells.com](https://www.qcells.com) |

Canadian Solar Inc. is a global renewable energy company founded in 2001. Headquartered in Kitchener, Ontario, it manufactures solar PV modules and provides battery energy storage solutions. The company also develops utility-scale solar power and battery energy storage projects.

Qcells is a renowned global provider of complete energy solutions, specializing in solar cells and modules, energy storage solutions, downstream project business, and energy retail. The company has a strong heritage dating back to its foundation in Germany and has become a leader in technology innovations. As an...


## Catalog & Power


| Measure | Canadian Solar | Q-Cells | Margin |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Panel Models | 292 | 89 | +203 |
| Max Power | 730 W | 675 W | +55 W |
| Avg Power | 472 W | 468 W | +4 W |


## Efficiency


| Measure | Canadian Solar | Q-Cells | Margin |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Max Efficiency | 24.40% | 23.20% | +1.20 pp |
| Avg Efficiency | 20.66% | 21.21% | +0.56 pp |


## Reliability & Warranty


| Measure | Canadian Solar | Q-Cells | Margin |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Avg Temp Coefficient | -0.331%/°C | -0.325%/°C | +0.007 |
| Bifacial Share | 133 (46%) | 35 (39%) | +6 pp |
| Avg Warranty | 28.2 yrs | 27.0 yrs | +1.3 yr |


## Efficiency distribution

Canadian Solar skews to higher efficiency: 13% of lineup is 23%+


| Efficiency band | Canadian Solar | Q-Cells |
| --- | --- | --- |
| \<20% | 128 (43.8%) | 7 (7.9%) |
| 20-21% | 36 (12.3%) | 29 (32.6%) |
| 21-22% | 41 (14.0%) | 30 (33.7%) |
| 22-23% | 50 (17.1%) | 21 (23.6%) |
| 23%+ | 37 (12.7%) | 2 (2.2%) |


## Power distribution

Canadian Solar offers more 600W+ panels (24% of lineup)


| Power band | Canadian Solar | Q-Cells |
| --- | --- | --- |
| \<400W | 104 (35.6%) | 20 (22.5%) |
| 400-499W | 72 (24.7%) | 41 (46.1%) |
| 500-599W | 45 (15.4%) | 11 (12.4%) |
| 600-699W | 64 (21.9%) | 17 (19.1%) |
| 700W+ | 7 (2.4%) | 0 |


## Cell technology

Dominant cell tech: **PERC** (67%)

Dominant cell tech: **PERC** (43%)


| Technology | Canadian Solar | Q-Cells |
| --- | --- | --- |
| PERC | 195 (66.8%) | 38 (42.7%) |
| TOPCon | 85 (29.1%) | 8 (9.0%) |
| HJT | 12 (4.1%) | 0 |
| N-type | 0 | 23 (25.8%) |
| Unknown | 0 | 20 (22.5%) |


## Top panels, Canadian Solar


| # | Model | Power | Efficiency | Temp. coefficient | Technology |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | [CS7N-730TB-AG](https://comparepv.com/panel/csi-solar-co-ltd-canadian-solar-cs7n-730tb-ag) | 730 | 23.5 | -0.290 | Monocrystalline |
| 2 | [CS7N-725TB-AG](https://comparepv.com/panel/csi-solar-co-ltd-canadian-solar-cs7n-725tb-ag) | 725 | 23.3 | -0.290 | Monocrystalline |
| 3 | [CS7N-720TB-AG](https://comparepv.com/panel/csi-solar-co-ltd-canadian-solar-cs7n-720tb-ag) | 720 | 23.2 | -0.290 | Monocrystalline |
| 4 | [CS7N-715TB-AG](https://comparepv.com/panel/csi-solar-co-ltd-canadian-solar-cs7n-715tb-ag) | 715 | 23.0 | -0.290 | Monocrystalline |
| 5 | [CS7N-710TB-AG](https://comparepv.com/panel/csi-solar-co-ltd-canadian-solar-cs7n-710tb-ag) | 710 | 22.9 | -0.290 | Monocrystalline |
| 6 | [CS7N-705TB-AG](https://comparepv.com/panel/csi-solar-co-ltd-canadian-solar-cs7n-705tb-ag) | 705 | 22.7 | -0.290 | Monocrystalline |
| 7 | [CS7N-700TB-AG](https://comparepv.com/panel/csi-solar-co-ltd-canadian-solar-cs7n-700tb-ag) | 700 | 22.5 | -0.290 | Monocrystalline |
| 8 | [CS7N-695TB-AG](https://comparepv.com/panel/csi-solar-co-ltd-canadian-solar-cs7n-695tb-ag) | 695 | 22.4 | -0.290 | Monocrystalline |
| 9 | [CS7N-690TB-AG](https://comparepv.com/panel/csi-solar-co-ltd-canadian-solar-cs7n-690tb-ag) | 690 | 22.2 | -0.290 | Monocrystalline |
| 10 | [CS7N-675MS](https://comparepv.com/panel/csi-solar-co-ltd-canadian-solar-cs7n-675ms) | 675 | 21.7 | -0.340 | Monocrystalline |


## Top panels, Q-Cells


| # | Model | Power | Efficiency | Temp. coefficient | Technology |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | [Q.PEAK DUO ML-G12S.3 / BFG 675](https://comparepv.com/panel/q-cells-q-peak-duo-ml-g12s-3-bfg-675) | 675 | 21.7 | -0.340 | Monocrystalline |
| 2 | [Q.PEAK DUO ML-G12S.3 / BFG 670](https://comparepv.com/panel/q-cells-q-peak-duo-ml-g12s-3-bfg-670) | 670 | 21.6 | -0.340 | Monocrystalline |
| 3 | [Q.PEAK DUO ML-G12S.3 / BFG 665](https://comparepv.com/panel/q-cells-q-peak-duo-ml-g12s-3-bfg-665) | 665 | 21.4 | -0.340 | Monocrystalline |
| 4 | [Q.PEAK DUO ML-G12S.3 / BFG 660](https://comparepv.com/panel/q-cells-q-peak-duo-ml-g12s-3-bfg-660) | 660 | 21.2 | -0.340 | Monocrystalline |
| 5 | [Q.PEAK DUO ML-G12S.3 / BFG 655](https://comparepv.com/panel/q-cells-q-peak-duo-ml-g12s-3-bfg-655) | 655 | 21.1 | -0.340 | Monocrystalline |
| 6 | [Q.PEAK DUO ML-G12S.3 / BFG 650](https://comparepv.com/panel/q-cells-q-peak-duo-ml-g12s-3-bfg-650) | 650 | 20.9 | -0.340 | Monocrystalline |
| 7 | [Q.TRON XL-G2.3 / BFG 645](https://comparepv.com/panel/q-cells-q-tron-xl-g2-3-bfg-645) | 645 | 23.1 | -0.290 | Monocrystalline |
| 8 | [Q.TRON XL-G2.3 / BFG 640](https://comparepv.com/panel/q-cells-q-tron-xl-g2-3-bfg-640) | 640 | 22.9 | -0.290 | Monocrystalline |
| 9 | [Q.TRON XL-G2.3 / BFG 635](https://comparepv.com/panel/hanwha-q-cells-america-inc-q-tron-xl-g2-3-bfg-635) | 635 | 22.7 | -0.300 | Monocrystalline |
| 10 | [Q.TRON XL-G2.3 / BFG 630](https://comparepv.com/panel/hanwha-q-cells-america-inc-q-tron-xl-g2-3-bfg-630) | 630 | 22.6 | -0.300 | Monocrystalline |


## Summary

Canadian Solar was founded in 2001 by Dr. Shawn Qu, has been listed on NASDAQ since 2006, and is headquartered in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada, with manufacturing concentrated largely in Asia. The company appears on S&P Global Commodity Insights' Tier 1 cleantech list and reports module manufacturing capacity of roughly 51-56 GW per year, placing it among the largest suppliers globally by scale. Q-Cells traces back to a 1999 founding in Germany and has been part of South Korea's Hanwha Group since 2012, with a global headquarters in Seoul and a technology and innovation hub in Germany; it scored a top-tier bankability rating of 91 percent in BloombergNEF's latest ranking. Its production footprint is considerably smaller, around 10-11 GW annually across facilities in the US, Malaysia, China and South Korea, meaning Canadian Solar holds a clear edge in institutional scale and global manufacturing reach.

Canadian Solar's portfolio spans residential, commercial and utility-scale modules, and the company also develops its own solar and battery storage projects, with TOPCon and HJT cell technology featured in its newer product lines. Q-Cells is known for its Dalton, Georgia manufacturing hub, one of the largest solar factories in the Western Hemisphere, and has traditionally focused on rooftop residential and commercial applications, also shifting toward TOPCon cells in its recent panel generations; the brand carries a strong reputation for German-rooted engineering quality.

For most international buyers, both brands qualify as safe, bankable choices, but Canadian Solar tends to be the stronger default for large utility-scale or commercial projects given its broader capacity and project-development track record, while Q-Cells often remains the preferred pick for residential rooftop installations where its quality reputation and US manufacturing presence carry particular weight. Neither brand is a clearly wrong choice - the decision comes down more to project type and regional supply availability than to any fundamental gap in reliability.

Written by claude-sonnet-5 from the figures above.


## Other comparisons

- [Canadian Solar vs A.B. Energy](https://comparepv.com/canadian-solar-vs-a-b-energy)
- [AE Solar vs Q-Cells](https://comparepv.com/ae-solar-vs-q-cells)
- [Canadian Solar vs AEET](https://comparepv.com/canadian-solar-vs-aeet)
- [AIKO vs Q-Cells](https://comparepv.com/aiko-vs-q-cells)
- [Canadian Solar vs AKCOME](https://comparepv.com/canadian-solar-vs-akcome)
- [ARTsolar vs Q-Cells](https://comparepv.com/artsolar-vs-q-cells)


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Source: https://comparepv.com/canadian-solar-vs-q-cells

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