--- title: "Kyocera vs Q-Cells - Brand Comparison | ComparePV" description: "Compare Kyocera vs Q-Cells solar panels: full portfolio, efficiency, cell technology breakdown, warranty terms and company background." source: "https://comparepv.com/kyocera-vs-q-cells" --- # Kyocera vs Q-Cells Q-Cells has the broader catalog (89 vs 8 models). Q-Cells leads on peak efficiency at 23.20%. Q-Cells leans bifacial (39% of lineup). ## The two companies | Attribute | Kyocera | Q-Cells | | --- | --- | --- | | Country | Japan | South Korea | | Headquarters | Kyoto | Seoul | | Founded | 1959 | 1999 | | Employees | 77,136 | 2000+ | | Annual capacity | | 11.2 GW/year | | Tier 1 | | yes | | Listed | TYO: 6971 | NASDAQ: HQCL | | Website | [https://global.kyocera.com](https://global.kyocera.com) | [https://www.qcells.com](https://www.qcells.com) | Kyocera Corporation is a Japanese multinational electronics and ceramics manufacturer. Founded in 1959, the company produces a diverse range of products, including industrial ceramics, solar power generating systems, telecommunications equipment, and office document imaging equipment. Kyocera is committed to... 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 | Kyocera | Q-Cells | Margin | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Panel Models | 8 | 89 | +81 | | Max Power | 410 W | 675 W | +265 W | | Avg Power | 302 W | 468 W | +166 W | ## Efficiency | Measure | Kyocera | Q-Cells | Margin | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Max Efficiency | 21.00% | 23.20% | +2.20 pp | | Avg Efficiency | 18.21% | 21.21% | +3.00 pp | ## Reliability & Warranty | Measure | Kyocera | Q-Cells | Margin | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Avg Temp Coefficient | -0.460%/°C | -0.325%/°C | +0.135 | | Bifacial Share | 0 (0%) | 35 (39%) | +39 pp | | Avg Warranty | 25.0 yrs | 27.0 yrs | +2.0 yr | ## Efficiency distribution Q-Cells skews to higher efficiency: 2% of lineup is 23%+ | Efficiency band | Kyocera | Q-Cells | | --- | --- | --- | | \<20% | 5 (62.5%) | 7 (7.9%) | | 20-21% | 1 (12.5%) | 29 (32.6%) | | 21-22% | 2 (25.0%) | 30 (33.7%) | | 22-23% | 0 | 21 (23.6%) | | 23%+ | 0 | 2 (2.2%) | ## Power distribution Q-Cells offers more 600W+ panels (19% of lineup) | Power band | Kyocera | Q-Cells | | --- | --- | --- | | \<400W | 6 (75.0%) | 20 (22.5%) | | 400-499W | 2 (25.0%) | 41 (46.1%) | | 500-599W | 0 | 11 (12.4%) | | 600-699W | 0 | 17 (19.1%) | ## Cell technology Dominant cell tech: **PERC** (43%) | Technology | Kyocera | Q-Cells | | --- | --- | --- | | Unknown | 8 (100.0%) | 20 (22.5%) | | PERC | 0 | 38 (42.7%) | | N-type | 0 | 23 (25.8%) | | TOPCon | 0 | 8 (9.0%) | ## Top panels, Kyocera | # | Model | Power | Efficiency | Temp. coefficient | Technology | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 1 | [KT410W-108HL4](https://comparepv.com/panel/kyocera-kt410w-108hl4) | 410 | 21.0 | - | Monocrystalline | | 2 | [KT410W-108HL4B](https://comparepv.com/panel/kyocera-kt410w-108hl4b) | 410 | 21.0 | - | Monocrystalline | | 3 | [KK280P-3CD3CG](https://comparepv.com/panel/kyocera-kk280p-3cd3cg) | 280 | 17.0 | - | Polycrystalline | | 4 | [KK275P-3CD3CG](https://comparepv.com/panel/kyocera-kk275p-3cd3cg) | 275 | 16.7 | - | Polycrystalline | | 5 | [KU270-6MCA](https://comparepv.com/panel/kyocera-ku270-6mca) | 270 | 16.4 | -0.460 | Polycrystalline | | 6 | [KU270-6MPA](https://comparepv.com/panel/kyocera-ku270-6mpa) | 270 | 16.4 | -0.460 | Polycrystalline | | 7 | [KK270P-3CD3CG](https://comparepv.com/panel/kyocera-kk270p-3cd3cg) | 270 | 16.4 | - | Polycrystalline | | 8 | [KT230W-60HL4B](https://comparepv.com/panel/kyocera-kt230w-60hl4b) | 230 | 20.8 | - | 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 Kyocera is a Japanese manufacturer headquartered in Kyoto, founded in 1959 as a ceramics company before entering solar in the 1970s, making it one of the earliest monocrystalline and polycrystalline panel producers in the world. However, the company has substantially retreated from the global solar market since closing its North American sales operations in 2016, and it now manufactures from a single facility in Japan focused almost exclusively on the domestic residential segment. Kyocera does not appear on current BloombergNEF Tier 1 bankability lists, and its annual production scale is a fraction of what major active manufacturers ship today. Q CELLS - now operating as Hanwha Q CELLS after being acquired by South Korean conglomerate Hanwha in 2012 - combines the original German engineering heritage of Q-Cells (founded 1999 in Bitterfeld-Wolfen, Germany) with the industrial scale of one of Asia's largest energy companies. It holds BloombergNEF Tier 1 status, reports a global production capacity of roughly 11.3 GW per year, and has maintained the number-one market share in the U.S. residential and commercial sectors for multiple consecutive quarters. By institutional footprint, Q CELLS is in an entirely different weight class. On product terms, Kyocera's current lineup consists of polycrystalline and entry-level monocrystalline modules aimed at the Japanese rooftop market, with panel efficiencies reported in the 15-17% range - well below the current mainstream. Q CELLS centers its portfolio on Q.ANTUM, a proprietary PERC-based cell technology, with its newer Q.TRON G2 series reaching above 22.5% efficiency according to the company. The brand covers premium residential rooftops, commercial rooftops, and utility-scale ground mounts across Europe, North America, and Asia-Pacific, and is actively expanding into TOPCon and tandem perovskite cell architectures. For most buyers in 2025, Q CELLS is the clear default: it offers modern cell technology, bankable warranties backed by a financially robust parent, verified supply chains including U.S.-based manufacturing, and broad installer support. Kyocera retains niche relevance for buyers specifically within Japan who value its long brand history, but it is not a practical choice for international projects. \---LINKS--- \- https://www.solarreviews.com/blog/hanwha-q-cells-solar-panels-complete-review \| Q CELLS solar panels complete expert review - SolarReviews 2025 \| review \- https://www.ecowatch.com/solar/best-companies/kyocera-solar-panels \| Kyocera Solar Panels 2026 Review - EcoWatch \| review \- https://taiyangnews.info/business/hanwha-solutions-planning-8-4-gw-us-production-capacity \| Hanwha Solutions planning 8.4 GW US production capacity - TaiyangNews \| article \- https://solartechonline.com/blog/kyocera-solar-panels-review-guide/ \| Kyocera Solar Panels Review 2025 - Performance and Alternatives \| review \- https://www.hanwha.com/newsroom/news/press-releases/hanwha-q-cells-maintains-number-one-market-share-in-us-residential-and-commercial-solar-sectors.do \| Hanwha Q CELLS maintains No.1 US residential and commercial market share \| article Sources: \- \[Q CELLS solar panels complete expert review - SolarReviews 2025\](https://www.solarreviews.com/blog/hanwha-q-cells-solar-panels-complete-review) \- \[Kyocera Solar Panels 2026 Review - EcoWatch\](https://www.ecowatch.com/solar/best-companies/kyocera-solar-panels) \- \[Hanwha Solutions planning 8.4 GW US production capacity - TaiyangNews\](https://taiyangnews.info/business/hanwha-solutions-planning-8-4-gw-us-production-capacity) \- \[Kyocera Solar Panels Review 2025 - SolarTechOnline\](https://solartechonline.com/blog/kyocera-solar-panels-review-guide/) \- \[Hanwha Q CELLS maintains No.1 US market share - Hanwha Newsroom\](https://www.hanwha.com/newsroom/news/press-releases/hanwha-q-cells-maintains-number-one-market-share-in-us-residential-and-commercial-solar-sectors.do) Written by claude-sonnet from the figures above. ## Other comparisons - [Kyocera vs A.B. Energy](https://comparepv.com/kyocera-vs-a-b-energy) - [AE Solar vs Q-Cells](https://comparepv.com/ae-solar-vs-q-cells) - [Kyocera vs AEET](https://comparepv.com/kyocera-vs-aeet) - [AIKO vs Q-Cells](https://comparepv.com/aiko-vs-q-cells) - [Kyocera vs AKCOME](https://comparepv.com/kyocera-vs-akcome) - [ARTsolar vs Q-Cells](https://comparepv.com/artsolar-vs-q-cells) --- Source: https://comparepv.com/kyocera-vs-q-cells Not in this file, on the page: the distributions above drawn as charts.