Q-Cells vs Suniva - solar panel manufacturer comparison
Q-Cells has the broader catalog (89 vs 0 models). Q-Cells leans bifacial (39% of lineup).
Both catalogues are read from the manufacturers' own datasheets. A brand is not scored against the market here, only against the other brand on this page.
The two companies
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...
- Founded
- 1999
- Headquarters
- Seoul, South Korea
- Annual capacity
- 11.2 GW/year
- Employees
- 2000+
- Listed
- NASDAQ: HQCL
- Tier 1 bankable
- Yes
Suniva is an American manufacturer of monocrystalline silicon photovoltaic solar cells, spun out of Georgia Tech's University Center of Excellence in Photovoltaics in 2007. After filing for bankruptcy in 2017 and emerging under new ownership in 2019, the company restarted manufacturing operations in Norcross, Georgia...
- Founded
- 2007
- Headquarters
- Norcross, Georgia, United States
- Annual capacity
- 1-3 GW/year
- Employees
- 100-200
Catalogue against catalogue
An average over a catalogue describes the range a manufacturer publishes, not the module you would buy. A brand with two flagship panels and eighty older ones averages worse than one that has retired its back catalogue.
What each of them builds
Q-Cells skews to higher efficiency: 2% of lineup is 23%+
Q-Cells offers more 600W+ panels (19% of lineup)
Dominant cell tech: <strong>PERC</strong> (43%)
The flagships
Written summary
Q-Cells, now operating as Hanwha Q CELLS, began as a German photovoltaic pioneer before being acquired by South Korea's Hanwha Group. It holds confirmed BloombergNEF Tier 1 bankability status and operates at a global module production scale of roughly 11 GW per year, with 8.4 GW of that capacity located in Dalton and Cartersville, Georgia - making it the largest solar manufacturer in the Western Hemisphere. Suniva is a fully American company, founded in 2007 as a spinout of Georgia Tech's photovoltaics research center. After filing for bankruptcy in 2017 and emerging under new ownership in 2019, Suniva restarted domestic cell manufacturing in Norcross, Georgia in 2024 at an initial capacity of around 1 GW, with plans for a larger facility in South Carolina. No BloombergNEF Tier 1 designation for Suniva was found in available sources. On institutional scale and financial track record, Q-Cells holds a substantially stronger position.
Q-Cells' current flagship lines - such as the Q.TRON G2, built on its proprietary Q.ANTUM NEO cell platform - target premium residential rooftops and mid-size commercial installations, with confirmed module efficiencies above 22.5%. The brand also serves utility-scale developers through its broader portfolio. Suniva's restarted product line centers on high-efficiency monocrystalline cells, with cell-level efficiencies reported above 23%, and the company is developing PERC production lines in collaboration with ISC Konstanz. Its modules incorporate more than 80 percent US-made content, qualifying them for Buy America procurement programs - a meaningful differentiator for federally funded projects.
For a typical residential or commercial buyer in 2025, Q-Cells is the lower-risk default choice, given its established warranties, broad installer network, Tier 1 bankability, and proven manufacturing scale. Suniva is a compelling option specifically for buyers who require domestic content compliance or want to support a recovering US supply chain, but its institutional track record is still being rebuilt after the bankruptcy period.
- Expert Review Of Qcells Solar Panels For 2025 - SolarReviews
- Suniva to restart US solar cell manufacturing, up to 2.5GW annual capacity
- Suniva, Heliene and Corning collaborate on US-made solar panels - PV Tech
- Hanwha Qcells new Cartersville factory set for 3.3 GW production per year
- Suniva, Inc. Solar Panels - EnergySage profile and reviews
Generated by Claude Sonnet · 2026-06-10
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Comparisons are computed from manufacturer datasheets held in the ComparePV database and may not reflect a brand's complete current lineup. Nothing on this page is paid placement.