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

# Q-Cells vs Trina Solar

Trina Solar has the broader catalog (340 vs 89 models). Trina Solar leads on peak efficiency at 24.80%.


## The two companies


| Attribute | Q-Cells | Trina Solar |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Country | South Korea | China |
| Headquarters | Seoul | Changzhou |
| Founded | 1999 | 1997 |
| 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.trinasolar.com](https://www.trinasolar.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 | Trina Solar | Margin |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Panel Models | 89 | 340 | +251 |
| Max Power | 675 W | 760 W | +85 W |
| Avg Power | 468 W | 520 W | +52 W |


## Efficiency


| Measure | Q-Cells | Trina Solar | Margin |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Max Efficiency | 23.20% | 24.80% | +1.60 pp |
| Avg Efficiency | 21.21% | 21.71% | +0.50 pp |


## Reliability & Warranty


| Measure | Q-Cells | Trina Solar | Margin |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Avg Temp Coefficient | -0.325%/°C | -0.302%/°C | +0.023 |
| Bifacial Share | 35 (39%) | 145 (43%) | +3 pp |
| Avg Warranty | 27.0 yrs | 28.2 yrs | +1.2 yr |


## Efficiency distribution

Trina Solar skews to higher efficiency: 22% of lineup is 23%+


| Efficiency band | Q-Cells | Trina Solar |
| --- | --- | --- |
| \<20% | 7 (7.9%) | 22 (6.5%) |
| 20-21% | 29 (32.6%) | 57 (16.8%) |
| 21-22% | 30 (33.7%) | 83 (24.4%) |
| 22-23% | 21 (23.6%) | 102 (30.0%) |
| 23%+ | 2 (2.2%) | 76 (22.4%) |


## Power distribution

Trina Solar offers more 600W+ panels (34% of lineup)


| Power band | Q-Cells | Trina Solar |
| --- | --- | --- |
| \<400W | 20 (22.5%) | 28 (8.2%) |
| 400-499W | 41 (46.1%) | 142 (41.8%) |
| 500-599W | 11 (12.4%) | 54 (15.9%) |
| 600-699W | 17 (19.1%) | 72 (21.2%) |
| 700W+ | 0 | 44 (12.9%) |


## Cell technology

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

Dominant cell tech: **TOPCon** (73%)


| Technology | Q-Cells | Trina Solar |
| --- | --- | --- |
| PERC | 38 (42.7%) | 75 (22.1%) |
| N-type | 23 (25.8%) | 6 (1.8%) |
| Unknown | 20 (22.5%) | 11 (3.2%) |
| TOPCon | 8 (9.0%) | 248 (72.9%) |


## 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, Trina Solar


| # | Model | Power | Efficiency | Temp. coefficient | Technology |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | [TSM-NEG21C.20Q-760](https://comparepv.com/panel/trina-solar-tsm-neg21c-20q-760) | 760 | 24.5 | -0.260 | Monocrystalline |
| 2 | [TSM-NEG21C.20Q-755](https://comparepv.com/panel/trina-solar-tsm-neg21c-20q-755) | 755 | 24.3 | -0.260 | Monocrystalline |
| 3 | [TSM-NEG21C.20Q-750](https://comparepv.com/panel/trina-solar-tsm-neg21c-20q-750) | 750 | 24.1 | -0.260 | Monocrystalline |
| 4 | [TSM-NEG21C.20Q-745](https://comparepv.com/panel/trina-solar-tsm-neg21c-20q-745) | 745 | 24.0 | -0.260 | Monocrystalline |
| 5 | [TSM-NEG21C.20-740](https://comparepv.com/panel/trina-solar-co-ltd-tsm-neg21c-20-740) | 740 | 23.8 | -0.290 | Monocrystalline |
| 6 | [TSM-NEG21C.20 740](https://comparepv.com/panel/trina-solar-tsm-neg21c-20-740) | 740 | 23.8 | -0.290 | Monocrystalline |
| 7 | [TSM-NEG21C.20Q-740](https://comparepv.com/panel/trina-solar-tsm-neg21c-20q-740) | 740 | 23.8 | -0.260 | Monocrystalline |
| 8 | [TSM-NEG21C.20-735](https://comparepv.com/panel/trina-solar-co-ltd-tsm-neg21c-20-735) | 735 | 23.7 | -0.290 | Monocrystalline |
| 9 | [TSM-NEG21C.20 735](https://comparepv.com/panel/trina-solar-tsm-neg21c-20-735) | 735 | 23.7 | -0.290 | Monocrystalline |
| 10 | [TSM-NEG21C.20Q-735](https://comparepv.com/panel/trina-solar-tsm-neg21c-20q-735) | 735 | 23.7 | -0.260 | Monocrystalline |


## Summary

Q-Cells is the solar division of South Korean conglomerate Hanwha, built on the engineering heritage of the original German Q-Cells company, which Hanwha acquired in 2012. The division runs a combined annual production capacity of approximately 11.3 GW across its global manufacturing sites, including the largest solar module factory in the Western Hemisphere, located in Dalton, Georgia. Q-Cells holds BloombergNEF Tier 1 bankability status and ranked third in SolarReviews' top solar panel manufacturers list for 2025. Trina Solar is a Chinese manufacturer founded in 1997 and headquartered in Changzhou, Jiangsu province. It has accumulated total global shipments exceeding 292 GW and in 2025 received a 100% bankability rating from BloombergNEF - the eighth time it has topped that survey - making it one of the most widely recognized names in institutional solar procurement. By the metric of project finance exposure and global shipping volume, Trina Solar carries the stronger institutional footprint of the two.

Q-Cells serves the full spectrum from residential rooftop to utility-scale ground-mount through product families that include Q.TRON, Q.PEAK DUO, and Q.PLUS. Its Q.ANTUM NEO platform is based on N-type TOPCon cells treated with a nano-coating that improves low-light performance; the Q.TRON G2 series achieves efficiency ratings above 22.5%, while the QTron M-G2+ BLK launched in early 2025 approaches 23.7%. The brand carries additional weight in supply-chain-sensitive markets given its substantial domestic US production. Trina Solar addresses the same segments through its Vertex N series, which is built around the i-TOPCon Ultra cell technology introduced in late 2024 and described by the company as a TOPCon 2.0 platform. Vertex N modules use large-format 210 mm wafers and reach efficiencies comparable to Q-Cells' premium lines. Trina has been named a TOP Performer by Kiwa PVEL for eleven consecutive years, underlining long-term product reliability.

For most buyers the choice between Q-Cells and Trina Solar is genuinely close. Both are BloombergNEF Tier 1 manufacturers offering N-type TOPCon modules with strong reliability track records. Q-Cells is the more natural default for buyers who prioritize supply chain transparency, domestic US manufacturing, or markets where European engineering heritage and detailed warranty terms carry weight. Trina Solar is typically the stronger fit for large utility-scale procurement in international markets, where its BNEF bankability scores and cumulative shipment history simplify project financing. In residential and commercial segments the two brands are largely interchangeable, and the final selection most often comes down to installer relationships, regional pricing, and module availability.

Written by claude-sonnet from the figures above.


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

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