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

# Kingdom vs Q-Cells

Q-Cells has the broader catalog (89 vs 3 models). Q-Cells leads on peak efficiency at 23.20%. Q-Cells leans bifacial (39% of lineup).


## The two companies


| Attribute | Kingdom | Q-Cells |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Country | China | South Korea |
| Headquarters | Hefei | Seoul |
| Founded | 2010 | 1999 |
| Employees | 100 | 2000+ |
| Annual capacity | 1 GW/year | 11.2 GW/year |
| Tier 1 | no | yes |
| Listed |  | NASDAQ: HQCL |
| Website | [https://www.kdmsolar.com](https://www.kdmsolar.com) | [https://www.qcells.com](https://www.qcells.com) |

Kingdom Solar (also known as KDM Kingdom Solar) is a Chinese solar module manufacturer based in Hefei, Anhui Province. The company produces monocrystalline solar panels for residential and commercial applications.

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 | Kingdom | Q-Cells | Margin |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Panel Models | 3 | 89 | +86 |
| Max Power | 590 W | 675 W | +85 W |
| Avg Power | 533 W | 468 W | +65 W |


## Efficiency


| Measure | Kingdom | Q-Cells | Margin |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Max Efficiency | 22.80% | 23.20% | +0.40 pp |
| Avg Efficiency | 22.46% | 21.21% | +1.24 pp |


## Reliability & Warranty


| Measure | Kingdom | Q-Cells | Margin |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Avg Temp Coefficient | -0.290%/°C | -0.325%/°C | +0.035 |
| Bifacial Share | 0 (0%) | 35 (39%) | +39 pp |
| Avg Warranty | 30.0 yrs | 27.0 yrs | +3.0 yr |


## Efficiency distribution

Q-Cells skews to higher efficiency: 2% of lineup is 23%+


| Efficiency band | Kingdom | Q-Cells |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 22-23% | 3 (100.0%) | 21 (23.6%) |
| \<20% | 0 | 7 (7.9%) |
| 20-21% | 0 | 29 (32.6%) |
| 21-22% | 0 | 30 (33.7%) |
| 23%+ | 0 | 2 (2.2%) |


## Power distribution

Q-Cells offers more 600W+ panels (19% of lineup)


| Power band | Kingdom | Q-Cells |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 400-499W | 1 (33.3%) | 41 (46.1%) |
| 500-599W | 2 (66.7%) | 11 (12.4%) |
| \<400W | 0 | 20 (22.5%) |
| 600-699W | 0 | 17 (19.1%) |


## Cell technology

Dominant cell tech: **N-type** (100%)

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


| Technology | Kingdom | Q-Cells |
| --- | --- | --- |
| N-type | 3 (100.0%) | 23 (25.8%) |
| PERC | 0 | 38 (42.7%) |
| Unknown | 0 | 20 (22.5%) |
| TOPCon | 0 | 8 (9.0%) |


## Top panels, Kingdom


| # | Model | Power | Efficiency | Temp. coefficient | Technology |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | [KD-M590-144-N](https://comparepv.com/panel/kingdom-kd-m590-144-n) | 590 | 22.8 | -0.290 | Monocrystalline |
| 2 | [KD-M570-144-N](https://comparepv.com/panel/kingdom-kd-m570-144-n) | 570 | 22.1 | -0.290 | Monocrystalline |
| 3 | [KD-M440-108-N](https://comparepv.com/panel/kingdom-kd-m440-108-n-1) | 440 | 22.5 | -0.290 | 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

Kingdom Solar - formally Zhejiang Kingdom Solar Energy Technic Co., Ltd. - is a Chinese photovoltaic manufacturer headquartered in Zhejiang Province. The company produces silicon ingots, wafers, cells, and finished modules under the KDM brand, distributing to more than 100 countries. Its self-reported annual module capacity stands at around 1 GW, though no Tier 1 or BloombergNEF bankability designation has surfaced in independent industry sources. Q-Cells - now trading as Hanwha Q CELLS - was founded in Germany in 1999 and acquired by South Korean conglomerate Hanwha Group in 2012, giving it a rare dual identity as a European-heritage brand within a major Asian corporate structure. It holds confirmed BloombergNEF Tier 1 status and was named an S&P Global 2025 Tier 1 Cleantech company. Its global manufacturing footprint exceeds 11 GW of annual module capacity, anchored by a substantial US presence in Georgia that makes it the only company producing full solar supply-chain components in North America. On institutional footprint and bankability, Q-Cells holds a clear advantage.

On the product side, Kingdom Solar offers a conventional range of mono- and polycrystalline modules aimed at cost-competitive commercial and export markets. Its lineup is relatively undifferentiated in publicly available coverage, with limited independent reporting on advanced cell architectures. Q-Cells, by contrast, has built its reputation around its Q.ANTUM NEO cell technology - a TOPCon-derived approach - delivering module efficiencies confirmed by third-party reviewers in the 22 to 23.7 percent range, a notably low temperature coefficient of around -0.29 percent per degree Celsius, and a 0.33 percent annual degradation rate on its premium Q.TRON residential series. The company addresses both residential rooftops and utility-scale ground-mount segments with distinct product families.

For most buyers in 2025, Q-Cells is the more defensible choice. It combines verifiable bankability credentials, an established 25-year warranty framework, strong third-party review coverage, and domestic US manufacturing that provides supply-chain resilience. Kingdom Solar may compete on price in volume commercial contexts, but the absence of publicly verified Tier 1 status and limited independent performance data make it a harder sell where project financing or long-term degradation guarantees are priorities.

\---LINKS---

\- https://www.solarreviews.com/manufacturers/zhejiang-kingdom-solar-energy-technic \| Zhejiang Kingdom Solar Energy Technic - SolarReviews manufacturer profile \| review

\- https://www.solarreviews.com/blog/hanwha-q-cells-solar-panels-complete-review \| Expert Review of Qcells Solar Panels for 2025 - SolarReviews \| review

\- https://www.ecowatch.com/solar/reviews/qcells-solar-panels \| QCells Solar Panels Review 2025 - EcoWatch \| review

\- https://www.hanwha.com/newsroom/news/press-releases/hanwha-qcells-named-an-s-p-global-2025-tier-1-cleantech-company.do \| Hanwha Qcells named 2025 S&P Global Tier 1 Cleantech company - press release \| article

\- https://www.energysage.com/supplier/24270/kingdom-solar/ \| Kingdom Solar - Profile and Reviews - EnergySage \| review

Sources:

\- \[Zhejiang Kingdom Solar Energy Technic - SolarReviews\](https://www.solarreviews.com/manufacturers/zhejiang-kingdom-solar-energy-technic)

\- \[Expert Review of Qcells Solar Panels for 2025 - SolarReviews\](https://www.solarreviews.com/blog/hanwha-q-cells-solar-panels-complete-review)

\- \[QCells Solar Panels Review 2025 - EcoWatch\](https://www.ecowatch.com/solar/reviews/qcells-solar-panels)

\- \[Hanwha Qcells named 2025 S&P Global Tier 1 Cleantech company\](https://www.hanwha.com/newsroom/news/press-releases/hanwha-qcells-named-an-s-p-global-2025-tier-1-cleantech-company.do)

\- \[Kingdom Solar - Profile and Reviews - EnergySage\](https://www.energysage.com/supplier/24270/kingdom-solar/)

Written by claude-sonnet from the figures above.


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

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