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

# Q-Cells vs SchmitzSolar

Q-Cells has the broader catalog (89 vs 0 models). Q-Cells leans bifacial (39% of lineup).


## The two companies


| Attribute | Q-Cells | SchmitzSolar |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Country | South Korea | Germany |
| Headquarters | Seoul | Lingen (Ems) |
| Founded | 1999 | 2018 |
| Employees | 2000+ |  |
| Annual capacity | 11.2 GW/year |  |
| Tier 1 | yes |  |
| Listed | NASDAQ: HQCL |  |
| Website | [https://www.qcells.com](https://www.qcells.com) | [https://schmitzsolar.de](https://schmitzsolar.de) |

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...

SchmitzSolar (operated by T. Schmitz – Int. Handel) is a German B2B photovoltaic distributor and trader, not a panel manufacturer. Based in Lingen (Ems), the company supplies installers, project developers, and commercial customers across Europe with solar modules, inverters, and accessories sourced from over 25...


## Catalog & Power


| Measure | Q-Cells | SchmitzSolar | Margin |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Panel Models | 89 | 0 | +89 |
| Max Power | 675 W | 0 W | +675 W |
| Avg Power | 468 W | 0 W | +468 W |


## Efficiency


| Measure | Q-Cells | SchmitzSolar | Margin |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Max Efficiency | 23.20% | - |  |
| Avg Efficiency | 21.21% | - |  |


## Reliability & Warranty


| Measure | Q-Cells | SchmitzSolar | Margin |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Avg Temp Coefficient | -0.325%/°C | - |  |
| Bifacial Share | 35 (39%) | 0 (0%) | +39 pp |
| Avg Warranty | 27.0 yrs | - |  |


## Efficiency distribution

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


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


## Power distribution

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


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


## Cell technology

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


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


## 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

Q-Cells, operating under the Hanwha Q CELLS brand, is a South Korean-German manufacturer originally founded in Germany in 1999 and acquired by South Korea's Hanwha Group in 2012. It holds a BloombergNEF Top Tier bankability rating and has a reported production capacity of around 12.4 GW annually, making it one of the largest solar module producers in the world. The company runs manufacturing plants in South Korea and has expanded into the United States with an assembly facility in Dalton, Georgia. Q-Cells has a firmly established institutional footprint, regularly appearing on the major bankability lists that financiers and large project developers use to qualify suppliers.

SchmitzSolar, based in Lingen, Germany and active since 2018, is not a panel manufacturer - it is a B2B solar distribution and trading company. It sources modules, inverters, and accessories from more than 25 manufacturers and sells them to installers and commercial buyers across Europe. SchmitzSolar holds membership in the German Solar Industry Association (BSW-Solar), which adds a degree of industry credibility, but it does not design or produce its own panels. As a result, comparing it directly to Q-Cells as a manufacturer is not straightforward.

For a typical buyer in 2025, these two brands occupy entirely different positions. Q-Cells is a verified panel manufacturer whose Q.TRON TOPCon N-type line serves residential and commercial rooftops with confirmed efficiency ratings and a 25-year product warranty. SchmitzSolar is a sourcing channel, not a brand of panel - buyers purchasing through SchmitzSolar are effectively buying whichever manufacturer's product sits in the distributor's inventory at a given time. A buyer comparing panel brands should treat Q-Cells as the product choice and SchmitzSolar as a potential procurement channel rather than a competing manufacturer.

\---LINKS---

\- https://www.pv-magazine.com/press-releases/q-cells-achieves-top-tier-class-bankability-score-in-latest-bloombergnef-report/ \| Q CELLS achieves Top Tier bankability score in BloombergNEF report \| article

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

\- https://www.energysage.com/solar/best-solar-panels-complete-ranking/q-cells-solar-panels-complete-review/ \| Q CELLS Solar Panels Complete Review - EnergySage \| review

\- https://schmitzsolar.de/ \| SchmitzSolar - European B2B Solar Distribution (official site) \| article

\- https://www.enfsolar.com/schmitzsolar \| SchmitzSolar seller profile - ENF Solar Directory \| article

Written by claude-sonnet from the figures above.


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---

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

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