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

# Q-Cells vs Solar Frontier

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


## The two companies


| Attribute | Q-Cells | Solar Frontier |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Country | South Korea | Japan |
| Headquarters | Seoul | Tokyo |
| Founded | 1999 | 2006 |
| Employees | 2000+ | 1,500 |
| Annual capacity | 11.2 GW/year | 1 GW/year |
| Tier 1 | yes |  |
| Listed | NASDAQ: HQCL |  |
| Website | [https://www.qcells.com](https://www.qcells.com) | [https://www.solar-frontier.com/eng/](https://www.solar-frontier.com/eng/) |

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...

Solar Frontier is a leading CIS thin-film solar energy company specializing in the development and manufacturing of CIS (Copper-Indium-Selenium) thin-film solar modules. The company is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, and is a fully owned subsidiary of Showa Shell Sekiyu, now part of Idemitsu Kosan Group. Solar...


## Catalog & Power


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


## Reliability & Warranty


| Measure | Q-Cells | Solar Frontier | 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 | Solar Frontier |
| --- | --- | --- |
| \<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 | Solar Frontier |
| --- | --- | --- |
| \<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 | Solar Frontier |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 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, now operating as Hanwha Q CELLS, traces its roots to Germany where it was founded in 1999 before being acquired by South Korean conglomerate Hanwha in 2012. Headquartered in Seoul with a major research and production presence in Bitterfeld-Wolfen, Germany, the company holds BloombergNEF Tier 1 status and operates one of the largest solar manufacturing footprints in the world, with combined global module capacity reported at over 11 GW per year. It also runs the largest solar manufacturing facility in the Western Hemisphere, located in Dalton, Georgia. Solar Frontier, by contrast, is a Japanese company founded as a subsidiary of Showa Shell Sekiyu (now absorbed into Idemitsu) and headquartered in Tokyo. At its peak it operated a CIS thin-film production campus with capacity exceeding 1 GW per year, but the company ceased all panel manufacturing at its Kunitomi plant in June 2022 and has since pivoted to operating as a PV systems integrator in the Japanese market. On institutional footprint, Q-Cells is incomparably stronger.

Q-Cells addresses residential rooftops, commercial installations, and utility-scale ground mounts through its Q.ANTUM product line, which is built on proprietary PERC cell architecture. Its newer Q.ANTUM NEO series incorporates advances that push module efficiency to around 22.5%, and the company has announced plans to bring TOPCon and ultimately tandem-cell products to market. Solar Frontier built its reputation on CIS (copper indium selenide) thin-film panels, which offered genuine advantages in low-irradiance and high-temperature conditions. In late 2021 the company also briefly launched a 250 W OEM monocrystalline module, but neither that line nor the CIS line is currently in production.

For any buyer evaluating panels in 2025, the comparison is effectively one-sided. Solar Frontier no longer manufactures panels and cannot be recommended as a procurement option. Q-Cells remains an active, bankable, Tier 1 manufacturer with a broad product portfolio, a 25-year product warranty, and verifiable domestic manufacturing in the United States - making it a credible default choice for residential, commercial, and utility buyers alike.

\---LINKS---

\- https://www.solarreviews.com/blog/hanwha-q-cells-solar-panels-complete-review \| Hanwha Q CELLS solar panels - expert review 2025 \| review

\- https://www.pv-magazine.com/2021/11/01/solar-frontier-abandons-thin-film-launches-250-w-monocrystalline-panel/ \| Solar Frontier abandons thin-film, launches 250 W monocrystalline panel \| article

\- https://reneweconomy.com.au/another-blow-to-thin-film-as-solar-frontier-quits-manufacturing-and-switches-sides/ \| Solar Frontier quits manufacturing and switches sides - RenewEconomy \| article

\- https://www.hanwha.com/newsroom/news/press-releases/hanwha-qcells-new-cartersville-factory-set-for-33-gw-of-solar-module-production-per-year.do \| Hanwha Qcells Cartersville factory - 3.3 GW annual module capacity \| article

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

Sources:

\- \[Hanwha Q CELLS Solar Panels Review 2025 - SolarReviews\](https://www.solarreviews.com/blog/hanwha-q-cells-solar-panels-complete-review)

\- \[Solar Frontier abandons thin-film, launches 250 W monocrystalline panel - pv magazine\](https://www.pv-magazine.com/2021/11/01/solar-frontier-abandons-thin-film-launches-250-w-monocrystalline-panel/)

\- \[Solar Frontier quits manufacturing and switches sides - RenewEconomy\](https://reneweconomy.com.au/another-blow-to-thin-film-as-solar-frontier-quits-manufacturing-and-switches-sides/)

\- \[Hanwha Qcells Cartersville factory - 3.3 GW module capacity\](https://www.hanwha.com/newsroom/news/press-releases/hanwha-qcells-new-cartersville-factory-set-for-33-gw-of-solar-module-production-per-year.do)

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

Written by claude-sonnet from the figures above.


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- [Q-Cells vs A.B. Energy](https://comparepv.com/q-cells-vs-a-b-energy)
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- [AIKO vs Solar Frontier](https://comparepv.com/aiko-vs-solar-frontier)
- [Q-Cells vs AKCOME](https://comparepv.com/q-cells-vs-akcome)
- [ARTsolar vs Solar Frontier](https://comparepv.com/artsolar-vs-solar-frontier)


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

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