Brand comparisons Canadian Solar Hanwha Q CELLS

Canadian Solar panels vs Q CELLS

20 Mar 2023
5 min
Beginner

Andrey GorichenskiAuthor

Canadian Solar and Q CELLS are both brands from the list of Top-10 world's largest solar manufacturers, with Canadian Solar being the only non-Asian company on this list. Who makes better panels? Let’s find out in our Canadian Solar vs Q CELLS comparison.

What we know about the Canadian Solar panel brand

Canadian Solar is a solar panel manufacturer that was founded in Canada in 2001 by Dr. Shawn Qu. The company quickly expanded and began manufacturing solar panels in China in 2003, which allowed it to take advantage of the lower labor costs and higher production capacity in that country.

In 2006, Canadian Solar became a publicly traded company and began expanding its operations to other countries around the world, including the United States, Germany, and South Korea. Over the years, Canadian Solar has become one of the largest solar panel manufacturers in the world, with a global workforce of over 13,000 employees and a wide range of solar products.

What we know about the Q CELLS solar panel brand

Hanwha Q CELLS is a global manufacturer of solar photovoltaic (PV) modules and a provider of solar energy solutions. The company was founded in Germany in 1999 and has since expanded its operations to over 40 countries worldwide, with production facilities in South Korea, China, and Malaysia. The company has been listed as a Tier 1 solar panel manufacturer by Bloomberg New Energy Finance and is a member of the Silicon Module Super League, a group of leading solar module manufacturers.

Q CELLS produces a wide range of solar products, including monocrystalline and polycrystalline PV modules, solar panels, and solar energy storage solutions. The company's PV modules have high conversion efficiencies and are designed to operate in a wide range of weather conditions.

Canadian Solar panels vs Q CELLS solar panels: Pros and Cons

Here’s a list of advantages and disadvantages of panels from these two brands. Hopefully, this will help you pick a winner in this comparison.

Canadian Solar panels	Q CELLS solar panels
Pros: 1. High efficiency: Canadian Solar panels have a relatively high efficiency, meaning that they can generate more power per unit area than lower-efficiency panels. 2. Good performance in low light: Canadian Solar panels have been shown to perform well in low-light conditions, which is particularly important in areas with less sunlight. 3. Durable: Canadian Solar panels are designed to withstand harsh weather conditions, such as hail, heavy snow, and high winds. 4. Wide range of products: Canadian Solar offers a wide range of solar products, including both monocrystalline and polycrystalline PV modules, as well as solar storage solutions.	Pros: 1. Good efficiency. Q CELLS has a higher conversion rate than many other manufacturers, at 19%–21%. 2. One of the best rates of degradation in the sector. After 25 years, Q CELLS panels still have over 85% of their original power. 3. Enhanced performance at hot temperatures, in low light, and better at withstanding shading.
Cons: 1. Cost: Canadian Solar panels may be more expensive than some other solar panel brands. 2. Limited warranty: Canadian Solar panels come with a 12-year product warranty and a 25-year performance warranty, which is shorter than the warranties offered by some other manufacturers. 3. Potential quality issues: Some customers have reported quality issues with Canadian Solar panels, although these reports are not widespread and the company has generally received positive reviews from customers. 4. Inconsistent performance: While Canadian Solar panels generally perform well, there have been some reports of inconsistent performance in certain environments, particularly in areas with high temperatures.	Cons: 1. The cons of Q CELLS panels are yet to be figured out.

Canadian Solar panels

Q CELLS solar panels

Pros:
1. High efficiency: Canadian Solar panels have a relatively high efficiency, meaning that they can generate more power per unit area than lower-efficiency panels.
2. Good performance in low light: Canadian Solar panels have been shown to perform well in low-light conditions, which is particularly important in areas with less sunlight.
3. Durable: Canadian Solar panels are designed to withstand harsh weather conditions, such as hail, heavy snow, and high winds.
4. Wide range of products: Canadian Solar offers a wide range of solar products, including both monocrystalline and polycrystalline PV modules, as well as solar storage solutions.

Pros:
1. Good efficiency. Q CELLS has a higher conversion rate than many other manufacturers, at 19%–21%.
2. One of the best rates of degradation in the sector. After 25 years, Q CELLS panels still have over 85% of their original power.
3. Enhanced performance at hot temperatures, in low light, and better at withstanding shading.

Cons:
1. Cost: Canadian Solar panels may be more expensive than some other solar panel brands.
2. Limited warranty: Canadian Solar panels come with a 12-year product warranty and a 25-year performance warranty, which is shorter than the warranties offered by some other manufacturers.
3. Potential quality issues: Some customers have reported quality issues with Canadian Solar panels, although these reports are not widespread and the company has generally received positive reviews from customers.
4. Inconsistent performance: While Canadian Solar panels generally perform well, there have been some reports of inconsistent performance in certain environments, particularly in areas with high temperatures.

Cons:
1. The cons of Q CELLS panels are yet to be figured out.

Best solar panel Q CELLS vs Best solar panel Canadian Solar: By A1SolarStore

We’ll close out our Canadian Solar vs Q CELLS comparison by looking at the panels that two brands offer. Both models can be a great choice for your home or for a small commercial system.

Q.PEAK DUO BLK ML-G9+

This 132 cell solar panel is a good panel for home or business systems. It has 395 W output with a 20.8% efficiency. The panel does better on cloudy days than an average PV module due to Q.ANTUM DUO technology. The panel comes with a 25/25-year product and performance warranty. All-black modules look nice on any roof.

Canadian Solar 400W CS1Y-400MS

HiDM5 is an all-black panel for all kinds of applications. It provides 400W power output with 19.9% efficiency. It comes with a 15-year product warranty on material and workmanship and a 25-year performance warranty. Better shading tolerance is ensured by half-cut cell design. All-black design is the trump card of this model: the panel looks great on any roof.