Q-Cells vs Thornova - 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
Thornova Solar (formerly Sunova Solar) is a Chinese photovoltaic manufacturer headquartered in Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, specializing in high-efficiency TOPCon and PERC bifacial solar modules. The company operates manufacturing facilities in China and Indonesia with a combined module capacity of 6.5 GW and cell capacity...
- Founded
- 2016
- Headquarters
- Wuxi, China
- Annual capacity
- 5-10 GW/year
- Tier 1 bankable
- Yes
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 is the solar brand of Hanwha Solutions, a division of South Korean conglomerate Hanwha Group. The Q-Cells brand itself traces back to a German cell manufacturer founded in 1999 in Bitterfeld-Wolfen, acquired by Hanwha in 2012, and has since grown into one of the world's largest module suppliers. The company holds Bloomberg NEF Tier 1 status and operates what it calls the largest solar manufacturing facility in the Western Hemisphere in Dalton, Georgia, with a second plant in Cartersville bringing U.S.-based module capacity to a planned 8.4 GW annually. Global module capacity is reported at roughly 11 GW. Thornova Solar is a newer entrant - founded in 2022 and headquartered in Fremont, California - operating as an independent subsidiary of China-based Sunova Solar Technology. Despite its short history, Thornova achieved Bloomberg NEF Tier 1 bankability status in August 2023, and its parent entity reports annual production capacity of approximately 6.5 GW. Q-Cells carries the stronger institutional footprint by a significant margin, backed by a decades-long track record, U.S. domestic manufacturing, and deep integration into large-scale project finance.
Q-Cells centers its residential and commercial portfolio around its Q.ANTUM NEO platform, a TOPCon-based cell technology that pushes panel efficiencies above 22% and delivers notably low temperature coefficients, an advantage in hot-climate installations. Thornova competes with N-type TOPCon modules spanning roughly 400 W to 720 W, including bifacial formats suited to commercial rooftops and utility ground-mounts. Thornova's Tangra M PRO series earned a Kiwa PVEL 2025 Top Performer designation across all seven reliability test categories, a meaningful third-party validation for a young brand.
For most buyers in 2025 Q-Cells is the lower-risk default: its warranty track record, U.S. manufacturing footprint, and established bankability make financing and insurance straightforward. Thornova is a credible option for cost-sensitive commercial or utility projects where PVEL test results and BNEF Tier 1 status satisfy lender requirements and price matters more than brand longevity.
Generated by Claude Sonnet · 2026-06-08
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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.