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

# Q-Cells vs Suntech

Suntech has the broader catalog (255 vs 89 models). Suntech leads on peak efficiency at 24.80%.


## The two companies


| Attribute | Q-Cells | Suntech |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Country | South Korea | China |
| Headquarters | Seoul | Wuxi |
| Founded | 1999 | 2001 |
| Employees | 2000+ |  |
| Annual capacity | 11.2 GW/year |  |
| Tier 1 | yes | yes |
| Listed | NASDAQ: HQCL |  |
| Website | [https://www.qcells.com](https://www.qcells.com) | [https://www.suntech-power.com](https://www.suntech-power.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 | Q-Cells | Suntech | Margin |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Panel Models | 89 | 255 | +166 |
| Max Power | 675 W | 735 W | +60 W |
| Avg Power | 468 W | 505 W | +37 W |


## Efficiency


| Measure | Q-Cells | Suntech | Margin |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Max Efficiency | 23.20% | 24.80% | +1.60 pp |
| Avg Efficiency | 21.21% | 21.76% | +0.54 pp |


## Reliability & Warranty


| Measure | Q-Cells | Suntech | Margin |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Avg Temp Coefficient | -0.325%/°C | -0.316%/°C | +0.009 |
| Bifacial Share | 35 (39%) | 114 (45%) | +5 pp |
| Avg Warranty | 27.0 yrs | 28.4 yrs | +1.4 yr |


## Efficiency distribution

Suntech skews to higher efficiency: 19% of lineup is 23%+


| Efficiency band | Q-Cells | Suntech |
| --- | --- | --- |
| \<20% | 7 (7.9%) | 11 (4.3%) |
| 20-21% | 29 (32.6%) | 61 (23.9%) |
| 21-22% | 30 (33.7%) | 64 (25.1%) |
| 22-23% | 21 (23.6%) | 70 (27.5%) |
| 23%+ | 2 (2.2%) | 49 (19.2%) |


## Power distribution

Suntech offers more 600W+ panels (20% of lineup)


| Power band | Q-Cells | Suntech |
| --- | --- | --- |
| \<400W | 20 (22.5%) | 32 (12.5%) |
| 400-499W | 41 (46.1%) | 104 (40.8%) |
| 500-599W | 11 (12.4%) | 69 (27.1%) |
| 600-699W | 17 (19.1%) | 42 (16.5%) |
| 700W+ | 0 | 8 (3.1%) |


## Cell technology

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

Dominant cell tech: **TOPCon** (71%)


| Technology | Q-Cells | Suntech |
| --- | --- | --- |
| PERC | 38 (42.7%) | 5 (2.0%) |
| N-type | 23 (25.8%) | 5 (2.0%) |
| Unknown | 20 (22.5%) | 65 (25.5%) |
| TOPCon | 8 (9.0%) | 180 (70.6%) |


## 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 |


## Top panels, Suntech


| # | Model | Power | Efficiency | Temp. coefficient | Technology |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | [STP735S-D66-Nsh+](https://comparepv.com/panel/suntech-stp735s-d66-nsh) | 735 | 23.7 | -0.280 | Monocrystalline |
| 2 | [STP730S-D66-Nsh+](https://comparepv.com/panel/suntech-stp730s-d66-nsh) | 730 | 23.5 | -0.280 | Monocrystalline |
| 3 | [STP725S-D66-Nsh+](https://comparepv.com/panel/suntech-stp725s-d66-nsh) | 725 | 23.3 | -0.280 | Monocrystalline |
| 4 | [STP720S-D66-Nsh+](https://comparepv.com/panel/suntech-stp720s-d66-nsh) | 720 | 23.2 | -0.280 | Monocrystalline |
| 5 | [STP715S-D66-Nsh+](https://comparepv.com/panel/suntech-stp715s-d66-nsh) | 715 | 23.0 | -0.280 | Monocrystalline |
| 6 | [STP710S-D66-Nsh+](https://comparepv.com/panel/suntech-stp710s-d66-nsh) | 710 | 22.9 | -0.290 | Monocrystalline |
| 7 | [STP705S-D66-Nsh+](https://comparepv.com/panel/suntech-stp705s-d66-nsh) | 705 | 22.7 | -0.290 | Monocrystalline |
| 8 | [STP700S-D66-Nsh+](https://comparepv.com/panel/suntech-stp700s-d66-nsh) | 700 | 22.5 | -0.290 | Monocrystalline |
| 9 | [STP675S-D66/Wmh](https://comparepv.com/panel/suntech-stp675s-d66-wmh) | 675 | 21.7 | -0.340 | Monocrystalline |
| 10 | [STP670S-D66/Wmh](https://comparepv.com/panel/suntech-stp670s-d66-wmh) | 670 | 21.6 | -0.340 | Monocrystalline |


## Summary

Q-Cells traces its roots to Bitterfeld-Wolfen, Germany, where it was founded in 1999, and after going bankrupt in 2012 it was acquired by South Korea's Hanwha Group, now operating as Hanwha Q Cells with corporate headquarters in Seoul while retaining engineering staff in Germany and manufacturing sites in places like Malaysia and the United States. Suntech was established in Wuxi, China in 2001, briefly became the world's largest solar module maker around 2011, defaulted on its bonds in 2013, and was subsequently taken over by Shunfeng International Clean Energy, continuing operations as part of a Chinese industrial group. Both brands currently hold BloombergNEF Tier 1 bankability status, but Q-Cells has a clearly documented production scale of roughly 11.2 GW per year, and its backing by the diversified Hanwha conglomerate gives it a somewhat sturdier institutional footprint than Suntech's more turbulent corporate history.

Both manufacturers have shifted their flagship lines to N-type TOPCon cells, moving away from older PERC designs. Q-Cells centers its residential push around the Q.TRON series, aimed squarely at rooftop homeowners, with quoted efficiencies up to 22.5-23.7 percent and long 25-year product and performance warranties. Suntech's Ultra V Pro series likewise uses N-type TOPCon cells and is complemented by bifacial and half-cut cell modules suited to residential, commercial and utility-scale ground-mount projects, though its product warranty is shorter at around 12 years, offset by a performance warranty extending up to 30 years on bifacial panels.

For a typical residential buyer prioritizing long warranty coverage and a more stable corporate parent, Q-Cells is generally the safer default choice, particularly for smaller rooftop systems. Suntech remains a reasonable option where lower cost per watt and technology flexibility for larger commercial or utility installations matter more than warranty length. On the specific point of Tier 1 bankability, the two brands are essentially interchangeable.

Written by claude-sonnet-5 from the figures above.


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- [AIKO vs Suntech](https://comparepv.com/aiko-vs-suntech)
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- [ARTsolar vs Suntech](https://comparepv.com/artsolar-vs-suntech)


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

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