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

# MSolar vs Q-Cells

Q-Cells has the broader catalog (89 vs 5 models). Q-Cells leads on peak efficiency at 23.20%. Q-Cells leans bifacial (39% of lineup).


## The two companies


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

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 | MSolar | Q-Cells | Margin |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Panel Models | 5 | 89 | +84 |
| Max Power | 370 W | 675 W | +305 W |
| Avg Power | 360 W | 468 W | +108 W |


## Efficiency


| Measure | MSolar | Q-Cells | Margin |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Max Efficiency | 19.80% | 23.20% | +3.40 pp |
| Avg Efficiency | 19.27% | 21.21% | +1.94 pp |


## Reliability & Warranty


| Measure | MSolar | Q-Cells | Margin |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Avg Temp Coefficient | -0.360%/°C | -0.325%/°C | +0.035 |
| 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 | MSolar | Q-Cells |
| --- | --- | --- |
| \<20% | 5 (100.0%) | 7 (7.9%) |
| 20-21% | 0 | 29 (32.6%) |
| 21-22% | 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 | MSolar | Q-Cells |
| --- | --- | --- |
| \<400W | 5 (100.0%) | 20 (22.5%) |
| 400-499W | 0 | 41 (46.1%) |
| 500-599W | 0 | 11 (12.4%) |
| 600-699W | 0 | 17 (19.1%) |


## Cell technology

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


| Technology | MSolar | Q-Cells |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unknown | 5 (100.0%) | 20 (22.5%) |
| PERC | 0 | 38 (42.7%) |
| N-type | 0 | 23 (25.8%) |
| TOPCon | 0 | 8 (9.0%) |


## Top panels, MSolar


| # | Model | Power | Efficiency | Temp. coefficient | Technology |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | [MS-370M](https://comparepv.com/panel/msolar-ms-370m) | 370 | 19.8 | -0.360 | Monocrystalline |
| 2 | [MS-365M](https://comparepv.com/panel/msolar-ms-365m) | 365 | 19.5 | -0.360 | Monocrystalline |
| 3 | [MS-360M](https://comparepv.com/panel/msolar-ms-360m) | 360 | 19.3 | -0.360 | Monocrystalline |
| 4 | [MS-355M](https://comparepv.com/panel/msolar-ms-355m) | 355 | 19.0 | -0.360 | Monocrystalline |
| 5 | [MS-350M](https://comparepv.com/panel/msolar-ms-350m) | 350 | 18.8 | -0.360 | 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

MSolar is a small American solar panel company headquartered in the United States, with operational ties to both San Antonio, Texas and a Virginia-based production facility, though its corporate history and founding date are not well documented in publicly available sources. The company appears to be pursuing a domestic manufacturing model with a stated path toward Tier 1 bankability, but it does not appear on BloombergNEF's Tier 1 list as of mid-2025. Q-Cells, by contrast, traces its roots to Germany in 1999, when it was founded as Q-Cells AG in Thalheim with a mission to industrialize solar cell production. South Korean conglomerate Hanwha Group acquired the company in 2012, and the resulting entity - Hanwha Q CELLS - is now headquartered in Seoul and Thalheim, with manufacturing in the United States (Dalton, Georgia), South Korea, Malaysia, and China. Hanwha Q CELLS holds Bloomberg Tier 1 status and a module production capacity of approximately 12.4 GW as of late 2024. In terms of institutional scale and bankability, Q-Cells has a substantially stronger footprint.

On the product side, MSolar offers a modest range of modules built around nine-busbar half-cell PERC technology - a proven but increasingly mature p-type architecture - with output in the 365-450 W range and efficiency figures in the 19-21% bracket. The panels are positioned primarily for residential and light commercial rooftop installations in the U.S. market. Q-Cells fields a broader lineup: the Q.PEAK DUO series targets residential all-black aesthetics using Q.ANTUM DUO cell technology, while the Q.TRON series uses n-type TOPCon cells under the proprietary Q.ANTUM NEO platform, reaching efficiencies above 22.5%. This newer n-type line is suited to both premium residential rooftops with limited space and light commercial projects, and a Georgia-manufactured version qualifies for domestic content incentives under the Inflation Reduction Act.

For most buyers in 2025, Q-Cells is the safer default choice: it carries Tier 1 bankability, a well-documented 25-year product and performance warranty with a low 0.33% annual degradation rate, and a proven track record across residential and commercial segments. MSolar may appeal to buyers who specifically prioritize American manufacturing and are comfortable with a less-established brand, but the limited transparency around the company and its absence from major bankability lists make it a higher-risk selection.

\---LINKS---

\- 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://a1solarstore.com/blog/msolar-solar-panels-review-terra-incognita.html \| mSolar Solar Panels Review 2026 - A1 SolarStore \| review

\- https://www.energysage.com/supplier/26376/msolar/ \| mSolar Profile and Reviews - EnergySage \| review

\- https://www.solarpowerworldonline.com/2025/04/while-china-scales-high-efficiency-solar-panel-manufacturing-the-us-is-stuck-with-perc/ \| While China scales high-efficiency solar, the US is stuck with PERC \| article

Sources:

\- \[Expert Review of Qcells Solar Panels for 2025 - SolarReviews\](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)

\- \[mSolar Solar Panels Review 2026 - A1 SolarStore\](https://a1solarstore.com/blog/msolar-solar-panels-review-terra-incognita.html)

\- \[mSolar Profile and Reviews - EnergySage\](https://www.energysage.com/supplier/26376/msolar/)

\- \[While China scales high-efficiency solar, the US is stuck with PERC - Solar Power World\](https://www.solarpowerworldonline.com/2025/04/while-china-scales-high-efficiency-solar-panel-manufacturing-the-us-is-stuck-with-perc/)

Written by claude-sonnet from the figures above.


## Other comparisons

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


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Source: https://comparepv.com/msolar-vs-q-cells

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