ET Solar vs Q-Cells - solar panel manufacturer comparison
Q-Cells has the broader catalog (89 vs 10 models). Q-Cells leads on peak efficiency at 23.20%. ET Solar leans bifacial (50% of lineup).
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
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...
- Founded
- 1999
- Headquarters
- Seoul, South Korea
- Annual capacity
- 11.2 GW/year
- Employees
- 2000+
- Listed
- NASDAQ: HQCL
- 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
Q-Cells skews to higher efficiency: 2% of lineup is 23%+
Q-Cells offers more 600W+ panels (19% of lineup)
Dominant cell tech: <strong>PERC</strong> (100%)
Dominant cell tech: <strong>PERC</strong> (43%)
The flagships
Written summary
ET Solar is a Chinese module manufacturer founded in 2005 and headquartered in Nanjing, Jiangsu province. The company grew its module and EPC business substantially through the 2010s, but its institutional footing has been uneven - the controlling shareholder filed for bankruptcy in early 2020, and ownership passed to Anhui Gourgen following a majority-stake acquisition in 2023. Search results do not confirm ET Solar on recent BloombergNEF Tier 1 lists, leaving its current bankability standing with commercial lenders uncertain. Q-Cells, now operating as Hanwha Q CELLS, was originally founded in 1999 in Bitterfeld-Wolfen, Germany; South Korean conglomerate Hanwha acquired the brand out of insolvency in 2012 and has since established it as a globally bankable supplier with confirmed BloombergNEF Tier 1 status. Hanwha Q CELLS operates what independent reviewers describe as the largest solar manufacturing facility in the Western Hemisphere, in Dalton, Georgia, producing more panels in North America than any other manufacturer. On institutional footprint and bankability, Q-Cells holds a clear advantage.
Q-Cells addresses residential rooftops, commercial installations, and utility-scale ground mounts through a portfolio spanning roughly 335 W to 635 W. Its proprietary Q.ANTUM technology - a refined PERC architecture commercialized in 2012 - underpins the bulk of its lineup, and the company has since added Q.ANTUM NEO, its TOPCon platform, with reviewers confirming efficiency ratings of 22.5% or above in leading models. Temperature coefficients as low as -0.29 percent per degree Celsius give it a documented edge in hot-climate deployments. ET Solar historically addressed commercial and utility segments with competitive mono-PERC products, but independent reviews covering 2024-2025 are sparse, and the recent ownership restructuring makes it harder to assess the current technology roadmap with confidence.
For a typical buyer in 2025, Q-Cells is the more defensible choice. Its Tier 1 bankability, domestic U.S. manufacturing, 25-year product warranties, and well-documented efficiency record make it straightforward to finance and specify for residential or commercial projects alike. Buyers considering ET Solar should independently verify its current bankability status before committing to financed or long-horizon installations.
Generated by Claude Sonnet · 2026-06-21
Other brand comparisons
Shop prices: See 25 Q-Cells 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.