Hanwha Q-Cells solar panels reviews

Hanwha Q CELLS is a major manufacturer of solar panels. In Australia they are now usually just referred to as QCELLS.  In 2017 they produced 5.44 gigawatts which put them among the largest half dozen manufacturers in the world. It's estimated the company shipped 7.3GW of solar modules in 2019.

Their panels are tier 1 and have a 12 year product warranty.  Hanwha Q CELLS has an Australian office in North Sydney, their panels are salt mist corrosion resistant and so are suitable for installation on homes anywhere in Australia.

Company History

Hanwha Group started in South Korea as Hanwha Explosives Inc. in 1952 and rapidly exploded into a massive international conglomeration. They acquired the German company Q Cells and its solar panel manufacturing capacity in Germany and Malaysia when it became insolvent in 2012. They also acquired Solarfun, which was a Chinese panel manufacturer. Not wanting to be mistaken for a bunch of clowns, they changed the name of Solarfun to Hanwha Solar One.

In February 2015 they squished the two companies together to create Hanwha Q CELLS.

Manufacturing Locations

Hanwha Q CELLS produces panels in Malaysia, China, and Korea. They used to have a production line in Germany, but they shipped the plant equipment to Malaysia in 2012, so Hanwha Q CELLS does not produce any German made panels.

They Do Some Thinking In Germany

Hanwha Q CELLS describes their Q CELLS panels as “Engineered in Germany”. While they no longer manufacture panels in that country, their headquarters for research and development are in Germany and I have been told they have over 200 experts there working to improve the design and production of solar panels.

Hanwha Q CELLS also have 3 other research and development centers around the world. If you are wondering where those centers are located, I will quote the Chairman and CEO of Hanwha Q CELLS, Seong Woo Nam. On the promotion of their new Chief Technology Officer (CTO) in July 2016, he said:

"We're very excited to have Dr. Daniel Jeong as our new CTO, who has demonstrated an outstanding leadership in integrating our global R&D teams located in Germany, Malaysia, Korea and China following the merger between former Hanwha Q CELLS and Hanwha SolarOne in early 2015.”

Today Hanwha QCELLS is putting less empathsis on their “Engineered in Germany” slogan and the Australian QCELLS website now clearly lists all 4 countries they perform research in.  It makes me feel proud of humanity to see people of different nations working together to create the renewable energy technology needed to protect the environment.

Hanwha Q Cells’ Two Brands - Hanwha Solar & Q CELLS

While Hanwha Solar One and Q Cells are now a single company, they used to sell solar panels under both the Hanwha Solar and Q CELLS names in Australia.  But now they appear to only sell under the name QCELLS.

QCELLS Panels

As of May 2020 QCELLS sells four series of panels in Australia.  Currently they all have 12 year product warranties and 25 year performance warranties.

Q.MAXX: Ranging in capacities of 320 watts (19% efficiency) to 335 watts (19.6% efficiency).

Q.PEAK Duo G5: 315 watts (18.7% efficiency) to 335 watts (19.6% efficiency).

Q.PEAK Duo G5+: 315 watts (18.7% efficiency) to 335 watts (19.9% efficiency).

Q.PEAK Duo G6+ : 340 watts (19% efficiency) to 355 watts (19.9% efficiency).

Warranty Claim Procedure For Orphaned Customers

If you need to make a warranty claim on your Qcell panels, but your original installer has gone out of business, the responsibility falls to Qcells to handle your claim. They can be contacted on 02 9016 3033, and have advised that they have an established warranty support network to assist with claims. Their warranty terms cover labor costs for replacement of panels under warranty.

A Cost Effective Reliable Panel

The QCELLS 12 year product warranty is better than 10 years many panels currently sold in Australia have.  While the performance warranty is less important, it is above average.  In my opinion they are high quality reliable panels and I have no problem recommending them.