Q-SUN Solar vs Trina Solar - solar panel manufacturer comparison
Trina Solar has the broader catalog (340 vs 111 models). Trina Solar leads on peak efficiency at 24.80%. Q-SUN Solar leans bifacial (68% 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
Qn-SOLAR officially launched its global PV business in 2022. The company is headquartered in Shanghai, China, and has four manufacturing bases in China. As a professional and integrated company, Qn-SOLAR operates in various fields of PV upstream and downstream, achieving an annual production capacity of 20GW PV cells...
- Founded
- 2014
- Headquarters
- China
- Founded
- 1997
- Headquarters
- Changzhou, China
- 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
Trina Solar skews to higher efficiency: 22% of lineup is 23%+
Trina Solar offers more 600W+ panels (34% of lineup)
Dominant cell tech: <strong>N-type</strong> (42%)
Dominant cell tech: <strong>TOPCon</strong> (73%)
The flagships
Written summary
Q-SUN Solar is a Chinese manufacturer headquartered in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, founded in 2014. Despite its relatively short history, the company has scaled quickly, reporting annual shipments of over 4 GW to customers in more than 50 countries, supported by production sites in Tianchang and Yancheng. Those facilities hold ISO 9001, ISO 14001, and ISO 45001 certifications, with modules tested to IEC benchmarks by TUV Germany. Q-SUN does not appear on the BloombergNEF Tier 1 bankability list, which limits its suitability for project-finance-backed procurement. Trina Solar, by contrast, was founded in 1997 in Changzhou, also in Jiangsu Province, and is one of the photovoltaic industry's longest-established names. The company holds BloombergNEF Tier 1 status confirmed in Q1 2025 and has accumulated over 205 GW in total global shipments, placing it alongside LONGi, Jinko Solar, and JA Solar at the very top of global module supply. For institutional buyers and project developers, Trina's bankability record is in a different league.
Trina Solar's flagship Vertex series is built on n-type i-TOPCon Ultra cell technology and includes large-format modules rated up to 760 W, making them the natural fit for utility-scale ground-mount projects and large C&I rooftops. The Vertex S+ line targets residential buyers and raised the warranty bar with a 30-year performance guarantee alongside the standard 25-year product warranty. Trina has also achieved world-record efficiency results in HJT cell research, though its mainstream commercial offering centers on TOPCon. Q-SUN offers two principal product families: the MERCURY series, built on N-type TOPCon with mass-production efficiency confirmed above 22.5%, and the Onyx series - a full-black, frameless aesthetic line aimed at design-conscious residential rooftops. The company's 2026 roadmap introduces tri-cut cell and 0BB technology, signaling continued investment in higher-efficiency formats.
For buyers where bankability and long-term warranty certainty are critical - project developers, large commercial installers, or utility procurers - Trina Solar is the clear default. Its 28-year track record, persistent Tier 1 classification, and PVEL Top Performer recognition for 11 consecutive years deliver institutional assurance that Q-SUN, as a newer entrant, cannot yet replicate at scale. Q-SUN remains a credible option for residential and smaller commercial buyers working with installers already familiar with the brand, particularly where competitive module pricing or rooftop aesthetics are priorities. The two manufacturers are not interchangeable for institutional procurement, but for a standard residential rooftop the practical gap in module performance is likely small.
Generated by Claude Sonnet · 2026-05-14
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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.