News

27.01.2024.

Completion of the installation of a solar power station on a flat roof in Liepaja.

• Total power of the solar power station: 208.565 kWp
• Solar panels: Q-CELLS-Q.PEAK DUO ML-G11S.2+ (413 units)
• Power of solar panels: 505 W
• Warranty for solar panels: 25 years
• Performance warranty for solar panels: 25 years
• Efficiency of solar panels: 21.3%
• Quality certificate of solar panels: IEC TS 63209
• Corab PB-092 flat roof mounting system
• Mounting material: Mangelis
• Angle of mounting installation: 20 degrees
• Inverters: Huawei SUN2000 KTL-M5 100 kW, 2 units
• Additional warranty for inverters +5 years, total of 10 years.

02.11.2023.

Construction of the safety strip of the flat roof of the solar power plant 208,565 KWp.

17.10.2023.

Start of construction of solar power plant 208,565 KWp (flat roof installation), Liepaja, SIA AE Partneri

Solar panels Q-Cells, Q PEAK DUO ML – G11S.2 + 505W (413pc)

27.07.2023

Latvia, Ludza, solar station 64.00 KWp, ground installation with Corab system WS-042 universal fasteners.

18.07.2023.

HESBURGER-Salaspils installed 3kw vertical wind generator, mast height 18 m.

05.06.2023.

Getliņi EKO installed 3 kw vertical wind generator, mast height 18 m (3x6m)

03.03.2023.

Solar power plant 108KWp Latvia, Aplokciema street-3, Riga (200 pieces of solar panels Sharp NU-JD540)

A $2.5 billion investment in 2023 will see Hanwha Q CELLS grow to No. 1 market share in the US residential and commercial solar sector. Qcells has led the US residential solar module market for five consecutive years from 2018 to 2022 and has also been the leading module supplier as the market leader in the US commercial solar sector with a 19.1% market share, nearly double that of its next competitor.
The 25-year product warranty and increased performance warranty on the G11+ panels put Q Cells ahead of many competitors and highlight the confidence the company puts in its manufacturing and quality control. This is also backed by TÜV Rheinland’s Quality Controlled PV certification. With the release of the new G11 series panels. Q Cells have maintained their position as a leading manufacturer although they do come at a price premium. However, the relatively small additional cost for higher quality solar panels provides confidence that the system will perform at a higher level with increased reliability over the life of the system.

22.02.2023

Solar power plant 12,800KWp

16.02.2023

Microsoft and Hanwha Qcells Announce Strategic Alliance to Curb Carbon Emissions and Power Clean Energy Economy

Hanwha Qcells will supply more than 2.5 gigawatts of solar panels and EPC services to solar project developers in partnership with Microsoft.

Hanwha Solutions Qcells Division (Hanwha Qcells), a global solar leader investing in building a U.S. solar supply chain, and Microsoft Corp., a global technology company with a commitment to be carbon negative by 2030, are partnering to enable a strong supply chain for new renewable electricity capacity projected to require at least 2.5 gigawatts of solar panels and related services – equivalent to powering over 400,000 homes.

Hanwha Qcells, owned by Hanwha Solutions headquartered in Seoul, will work with Microsoft to develop solar projects as well as provide panels and engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) services to selected solar projects Microsoft has contracted for through Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs).

Microsoft has committed to purchasing renewable energy with a goal of achieving 100% coverage of electricity consumption with renewable energy by 2025. Microsoft is extending its sustainability activities to support domestic production of green energy equipment in the regions it operates globally. Microsoft is supporting Hanwha Qcells’ solar products, including those manufactured domestically, to bring more renewable energy to the grid. Hanwha Qcells is the only company in the U.S. that will have a complete solar supply chain and provides one-stop clean energy solutions.

This alliance is the first time a company that procures energy is working directly with a solar supplier to adopt clean energy on a big scale. The new collaboration is rooted in the two companies’ collective commitments to diversify the global energy supply chain, proactively lead the development of more reliable energy supply chains in the U.S. and abroad, and reduce carbon emissions.

15.02.2023

FORBES home top 5 Best Solar Panels For Homes 2023

With the expanding market comes an ever-increasing number of companies vying for your business. The competition is heating up, and that’s good news for consumers. Competition drives innovation while keeping prices in check. However, the increasing number of solar panel manufacturers and the long lists of available options can confuse those trying to determine the best energy solution for their homes.

To help, we’ve taken a hard look at the top solar panel makers and their product lineups to compile our list of the top five in the business. We’ve listed them here, along with crucial information to consider when deciding which provider has the best solar panels for your home.

Summary: Best Solar Panels For Homes

13.02.2023

HANWHA SOLUTIONS AND TRINA SOLAR reached agreement on patent license transfer contract

Both companies have reached a patent licensing and transfer agreement with each other over their intellectual properties.

[Berlin, Germany, February 13, 2023] Hanwha Solutions, a parent company of complete clean energy solutions provider Qcells, and Trina Solar, a leading global PV and smart energy total solutions provider, today announced that they have reached a patent licensing and transfer agreement with each other over their intellectual properties.

The agreement allows both parties to use each other’s solar patents and respectively drop all pending cases between the two companies. To meet the needs of customers, each company will continue to offer and support their respective products in various markets.

This agreement will further drive technology development of the PV industry and provide advanced and reliable products to accelerate the progress of a net-zero future

08.02.2023

Hanwha Announces Comprehensive Battery Partnership with LG Energy Solution

Hanwha Solutions’ Qcells Division, Hanwha Aerospace and Hanwha Corporation/Momentum sign an MOU for future collaborations in battery business with LG Energy Solution.
The companies pledge to make a joint investment in building Energy Storage System (ESS) battery production facilities in the United States.
The announcement will ensure a stable supply of affordable batteries and boost efforts to develop advanced battery technology.

Hanwha Group and LG Energy Solution (LGES) announced on January 16 they will invest in building battery production facilities in the United States. The joint investment will pave the way for Hanwha to lead the rapidly growing energy storage market and future Urban Air Mobility business.

The two sides signed a memorandum of understanding in Seoul for comprehensive battery business cooperation for Energy Storage Systems (ESS) and other cleantech energy solutions. The MOU was signed by LGES and three subsidiaries under Hanwha Group — clean energy provider Hanwha Solutions’ Qcells Division (Hanwha Qcells), Hanwha Corporation/Momentum and Hanwha Aerospace.

The joint investment is expected to boost battery supply resiliency for the U.S. market amid the growing need for American-made ESS following the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act. The parties will also pursue technology cooperation for developing advanced ESS solutions tailored to the commercial, industrial and utility markets. They include enclosure, heat management and other balance of system.

Hanwha Qcells is the biggest silicon-based solar energy provider in the United States. Being the only company to establish a complete solar supply chain in the United States, Hanwha Qcells leads the country’s clean energy transition. Hanwha Qcells has retained its No. 1 market share in the U.S. commercial and residential PV module markets, underscoring the company as a leader in the module manufacturing business. Hanwha Qcells intends to become a top-tier solar and energy storage developer and EPC provider in the U.S. through this partnership by securing a stable battery supply as well as procuring competitive product solutions.

With the MOU, LGES has now secured another stable market demand in the mid- to long-term in the U.S. clean energy market where the fastest growth is expected, and thereby established a solid growth platform by reinforcing its well-balanced business portfolio of three sectors: advanced automotive batteries, mobility and IT batteries and ESS batteries.

In an inter partes review proceeding initiated by Hanwha Solutions Corporation, the Patent Trial and Appeal Board has found all challenged claims of REC Solar’s U.S. “Solar Cell Assembly” patent unpatentable.

[Berlin, Germany, January 19, 2023] Hanwha Solutions Corporation—the parent company of Qcells—announces that on December 9, 2022, the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (“PTAB”) of the United States Patent Office issued a favorable decision for Hanwha Solutions in an inter partes review proceeding against REC Solar’s U.S. Patent No. 10,749,060 (’060 patent).

In its decision, the PTAB found all challenged claims of REC Solar’s ’060 patent unpatentable. The PTAB determined that the challenged REC Solar patent claims are directed to a well-known arrangement of solar components within a solar module, and fail to satisfy the requirements for patentability.

REC Solar asserted its ’060 patent against Hanwha Solutions in a patent infringement lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware in 2020. The court stayed this litigation for the duration of the inter partes review proceeding, and on January 5, 2023, extended the stay to cover any appeal of the PTAB’s final written decision.

A Qcells spokesperson said: “We are proud to offer industry-leading solar cells and modules, which are the result of our pioneering research and development over many years.

“Patent offices around the world have recognized our innovations, and we look forward to continuing to provide the best solutions for our customers.”

The PTAB’s decision is one of several favorable rulings that Hanwha Solutions has received from reviews of REC Solar’s patents around the world. In 2022, the Beijing Intellectual Property Court and European Patent Office issued favorable rulings for Hanwha Solutions regarding the unpatentability of a Chinese patent, 201480038577.X, and a European patent, EP3017520, that are related to REC Solar’s ’060 patent.

12.01.2023

Statement from President Joe Biden on Hanwha Q CELLS Announcement

Today’s Hanwha Q CELLS announcement to make the largest solar investment in U.S. history is a big deal for Georgia’s working families and the American economy. And, this investment is a direct result of my economic plan and the Inflation Reduction Act.

Hanwha’s Q CELLS investment will create thousands of good-paying jobs in Georgia, many of which won’t require a four-year degree. It will bring back our supply chains so we aren’t reliant on other countries, lower the cost of clean energy, and help us combat the climate crisis. And, it will ensure that we manufacture cutting-edge, solar technology here at home. It’s a win for workers, consumers, and our climate.

Under my leadership, the United States can and will lead the world in manufacturing once again.

11.01.2023

Seoul and Atlanta, Jan 11, 2023 — Qcells, a global leader in complete clean energy solutions, has announced it will invest more than $2.5 billion to build a complete solar supply chain in the United States.

The company’s commitment to the clean energy economy in America will create nearly 2,500 direct jobs in Georgia. The announcement marks the largest investment in the history of American solar and sets Qcells up as the only company in the U.S. to establish a fully-integrated, silicon-based solar supply chain from raw material to finished panel.

In the first quarter of 2023, Qcells will break ground on a new, state-of-the-art facility in Bartow County, Georgia that will manufacture 3.3 gigawatts (GW) of solar ingots, wafers, cells, and finished panels, respectively. The Company will also assemble an additional 2 GW of solar panels at its Dalton, Georgia facility, which is the largest solar panel manufacturing plant in the Western Hemisphere. The investment is expected to bring Qcells? total solar panel production capacity in Georgia to 8.4-gigawatt by 2024.

The announcement, made by Qcells’ parent company Hanwha Solutions, headquartered in Seoul, represents its largest clean energy investment to date in the U.S. and beyond. With this, the company aims to accelerate the United States? renewable energy transition and domestic manufacturing expansion amidst the country?s push for Made-in-American clean energy solutions.

Qcells opened its first factory in Georgia in 2019 and hired 750 people to manufacture 1.7 GW of solar. As the nation’s demand for solar grew, so did Qcells investment in its Dalton facility. Last year, it announced a plan to add 1.4 GW to its manufacturing output and hire 535 more people. This announcement means Qcells will hire an additional 510 people in Dalton, bringing Qcells’ total employment in Georgia to 4,000 and accumulated investment in the state to $2.8 billion. With this, Qcells will help Georgia strengthen its position as a manufacturing hub and set the state up to be a global leader in solar.”

22.12.2022

3.THE REGIONAL COURT OF DÜSSELDORF GRANTS HANWHA SOLUTIONS’ APPLICATION FOR A PRELIMINARY INJUNCTION FOR PATENT INFRINGEMENT AGAINST TRINA SOLAR

Parent company of Qcells successfully alleges in preliminary injunction proceedings to German court

Perfectly Leveled 4 x 8 Horizontally Mounted Solar Panels Q-Cells – Q.PEAK DUO M-G11 SERIES 400W, 32 Pcs. Sigma piles driven into the ground (1.5m depth), the system is equipped with an inverter mount and additional narrowing for greater stability. Fasteners Made of high quality Magnelis steel.

21.07.2022.

QCELLS INVESTS IN ENERGY PLATFORM LYNQTECH

Qcells acquires 66 percent of LYNQTECH GmbH, a subsidiary of enercity AG, to further its focus as a full-service provider of clean energy solutions for residential and commercial end users.
[Berlin, Germany, July 21, 2022]. On July 14, 2022, Hanwha Q CELLS GmbH acquired 66 percent of Hanover-based LYNQTECH GmbH. Qcells thus becomes the main shareholder of the digital cloud platform company founded in 2020 as a subsidiary of enercity AG, one of the largest municipal energy service providers in Germany. The parties have agreed not to disclose the purchase price. The transaction is subject to approval by the antitrust authorities. This strategic investment will result in synergies for both partners, particularly in energy solutions relating to solar energy, electromobility and smart technologies.

While LYNQTECH benefits from the financial strength of the Hanwha Group and Qcells’ international footprint, Qcells strengthens its competencies in software and IT-based energy solutions with this investment and thus its role as a full-service provider of clean energy solutions beyond the manufacturing of solar cells and modules.

LYNQTECH has been supporting the energy industry in its digital evolution since 2020. With a modular cloud platform, LYNQTECH offers energy providers digital solutions to optimize their sales. Sales-relevant processes of energy companies are digitized and networked from start to finish: from signing the contract to customer care and billing for all services purchased by the end customer. At the same time, acquisition, service and operating costs are reduced.

As one of the world’s leading solar companies, Qcells offers the full spectrum of solar products and applications, retail energy sales and self-sufficient energy solutions. Residential and commercial customers receive all components needed for an independent sustainable energy supply from a single source. In the future, Qcells will manage its energy trading business via LYNQTECH and drive the linking of digital processes for its existing customer business. The platform’s scalable flexibility, fully digital processes and 360° customer view enable efficient customer service and the realization of new business models.

About LYNQTECH
LYNQTECH is an innovative technology company that supports the energy industry in its digital evolution with a competently staffed team. With its modular cloud platform for energy suppliers, LYNQTECH provides groundbreaking solutions for the energy sales of the future. Sales-relevant processes in energy supply companies are networked from start to finish (“end-to-end”): from the signing of the contract to customer support to the billing of all products purchased by the end customer. The sales business of energy supply companies is optimized with the help of digital solutions, creating positive customer experiences and reducing acquisition, service and operating costs in parallel. LYNQTECH was founded in 2020 and is managed by Mandy Schwerendt. www.lynq.tech

07.04.2022

QCELLS RECEIVES THE N-TV LIFE & LIVING AWARD AS THE MOST POPULAR SOLAR TECHNOLOGY PROVIDER IN GERMANY FOR THE THIRD TIME IN A ROW

In a survey of more than 41,000 German consumers, Qcells took first place in overall satisfaction among all solar module manufacturers.

[Berlin, April 7, 2022] In 2022, n-tv and the German Institute for Service Quality has once more ranked “Germany’s most popular providers” and presented the “Life & Living Award 2022” to the best companies in the industry. In a representative consumer survey, over 41,000 customers rated a total of 601 brands and companies in 51 sectors relating to the home, house and garden.

Qcells, known as a globally successful full-service provider of clean energy solutions in the areas of solar systems, solar power plants, energy storage and electricity contracts, this year secured the top spot in the “Solar Technology” category among 10 competitors for the third time in a row. The “Life & Living Award 2022” is one of the most prestigious awards for consumer quality in Germany, and Qcells can use the associated seal in its communications to draw attention to this accolade.

On the one hand, the focus was on overall satisfaction with the brand/company, which is formed through aspects such as trust, value for money, range of products and services, customer service, image and quality of the product or service. In addition, the intention to vote again and the willingness to recommend the company to others were included in the overall result.

23.03.2022

HANWHA PLEDGES COMMITMENT TO BUILD A FULLY AMERICAN SOLAR SUPPLY CHAIN

Hanwha Solutions to become the largest shareholder of Norway-based U.S. polysilicon manufacturer REC Silicon after acquiring an additional 4.67% stake from Aker Horizons.

Hanwha Q-Cells announces a plan to secure capabilities across the full solar technology supply chain, with the goal of creating well-paying jobs, addressing climate change, and strengthening U.S. energy security. Operating the largest module production plant in the United States, Qcells is the number one module supplier in the U.S. residential and commercial solar markets and a leading player in the utility sector.

Hanwha launches this effort by becoming the largest shareholder of REC Silicon, a major U.S. manufacturer of polysilicon, the key raw material used to produce solar panels. This investment will help American businesses secure the raw material critical to the solar supply chain as global competition over clean energy sources intensifies in the coming years.

Moving forward, in tandem with the Biden administration’s efforts to incentivize solar manufacturing in America, Hanwha intends to implement a multi-phase, multi-billion-dollar investment plan across the full solar value chain from, polysilicon to solar modules.

Hanwha becomes the largest shareholder of REC silicon to produce “clean polysilicon”

Following its initial $160 million acquisition to acquire a 16.67 percent stake in REC Silicon in January 2022, Hanwha will now become the largest shareholder of REC Silicon by acquiring an additional 4.67 percent stake from Aker Horizons, a sustainability investment firm that had been co-owner of REC Silicon with Hanwha Solutions. The deal is valued at around $44 million.

REC Silicon operates two polysilicon manufacturing facilities in the US: Moses Lake, Washington; and Butte, Montana. Their combined annual production capacity totals 18,000 metric tons (MT), including 16,000 MT of granular, solar grade polysilicon at Moses Lake, and 2,000 MT of electronic grade polysilicon at Butte.

Using hydropower-based clean energy, REC Silicon produces low-carbon polysilicon without emitting greenhouse gases. Compared to carbon-heavy polysilicon manufactured overseas that often relies on coal power, REC Silicon’s “clean polysilicon” is expected to draw more demand in the coming years as international scrutiny over industrial emissions and carbon footprints grows.

Besides solar grade polysilicon, REC Silicon also manufactures other high-value materials such as electronic grade silicon and silane gas, which are essential for producing hi-tech devices including semiconductors, smartphones, flat screen televisions, laptops, and hybrid electric vehicles.

07.03.2022

QCELLS AND HELMHOLTZ-ZENTRUM BERLIN ACHIEVE RECORD EFFICIENCY OF 28.7% FOR 2-TERMINAL PEROVSKITE-SILICON TANDEM SOLAR CELL

The joint achievement from Qcells and Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin sets a new world record for 2-terminal tandem solar cell efficiency.

[Berlin, Germany, March 7, 2022] Qcells, a renowned total energy solutions provider in solar, energy storage, downstream project business and energy retail, has set a new world-record tandem cell efficiency of 28.7% in collaboration with researchers at Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin using a Q.ANTUM-based silicon bottom cell in combination with a perovskite-based top cell.

Qcells’ R&D team in Thalheim, Germany, has worked jointly with Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin over the past three years to create a tandem solar cell comprising a silicon-based Q.ANTUM bottom cell and a perovskite-based top cell. This latest record efficiency result of 28.7% is an improvement of almost one percentage point compared with the 2020 record value of 27.8% (which was independently verified by the Fraunhofer ISE Callab). This boost in tandem efficiency has been enabled by improvement of both the perovskite and the silicon sub cells. The research and development was partly funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK) and the state of Saxony-Anhalt.

While the solar research community has witnessed even higher perovskite-tandem cell efficiencies, these records have been achieved using lab technology that is not directly transferrable into mass production. The achievement of Qcells and Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin is noteworthy principally because the 28.7% efficiency was reached using an industry feasible and cost-efficient bottom cell structure based on the Q.ANTUM technology.

In the past year, Qcells announced that it is to boost its R&D investment in Germany to €125 million over the next three years. A sizeable portion of that figure is earmarked for the continuous support of Qcells’ R&D department on the commercialization of perovskite-silicon tandem technology.

“Our experts have achieved several world records for tandem cells combining perovskite top cells with other bottom cells on a laboratory scale. We promote knowledge and technology transfer and welcome the fruitful collaboration with Qcells. It is remarkable how close the jointly achieved efficiency with a mass production ready bottom cell already comes to what we can reach at a lab scale”,Prof. Dr. Bernd Rech, scientific director of HZB .

About HZB
Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin is one of the largest non-university research centres in Berlin, and a member of the Helmholtz Association. The research is focused on energy materials, such as photovoltaic materials, catalytical active materials for solar water splitting or battery materials. HZB runs BESSY II, a large scale research infrastructure, which provides brilliant x-ray pulses for research and attracts thousands of international guest users yearly. www.helmholtz-berlin.de

18.03.2022.

QCELLS WINS LONGI’S APPEAL IN DUTCH COURT, SCOPE OF THE CROSS-BORDER INJUNCTION EXTENDED

Dutch subsidiary of the LONGi Solar Group also ordered to fulfil additional requirements in protection of Qcells’ rightful intellectual properties.

[Berlin, Germany, March 18, 2022] Qcells today confirms that on March 1, 2022, the Court of Appeal of The Hague, the Netherlands, decided in preliminary relief proceedings to confirm the PI Judge of the Rotterdam District Court’s ruling, issued on October 1, 2021, that prohibited LONGi (NETHERLANDS) TRADING B.V. (LONGi NL) – the Dutch subsidiary of LONGi Solar – from inciting its customers to infringe the EP ‘689 patent in countries where the Qcells affiliate, Hanwha Solutions Corporation, is the registered owner.

Furthermore, the Court of Appeal’s new order has expanded the list of countries from 9 to 11 that fall under this cross-border injunction and required LONGi’s Dutch subsidiary to send a recall letter to its customers in a request to return the patent-infringing products sold by the company. Moreover, the Court of Appeal decided that LONGi NL not only acted unlawfully by inciting its customers to infringe the EP ‘689 patent but also directly infringed the patent itself by selling infringing products to its customers in countries where the patent has been validated.

The EP ‘689 patent was subject to a patent infringement lawsuit filed by Qcells in March and April 2019 at the Regional Court of Düsseldorf, Germany, resulting in the Regional Court of Düsseldorf finding infringement by LONGi Solar’s German subsidiary LONGi GmbH. While the final verdict is still pending due to an appeal to the Court of Appeal of Düsseldorf filed by LONGi GmbH, and with the European Patent Office’s decision regarding the validity of the patent yet to be decided, the Preliminary Relief Judge of the District Court of Rotterdam ruled that the threat of infringement of Hanwha Solutions Corporation’s patent facilitated by LONGi’s Dutch subsidiary would cause financial damage to Qcells and adversely affect Qcells’ position on the world market.

Subsequently, the most recent judgment announced by the Court of Appeal of The Hague also prohibits LONGi’s Dutch subsidiary from directly infringing the EP ‘689 patent. According to the judgment, LONGi NL may not offer for sale, sell or distribute the infringing products in Belgium, Bulgaria, Germany, France, Hungary, Liechtenstein, Austria, Portugal, Spain, the UK and Switzerland.

Additionally, LONGi’s Dutch subsidiary has been instructed to provide the Qcells affiliate Hanwha Solutions Corporation with a written list of all customers located in those 11 countries to which LONGi NL has offered or sold products protected by the patent. LONGi’s Dutch subsidiary is also ordered to send to each of its aforementioned customers a registered recall letter that states LONGi solar modules of the Hi-M03, Hi-M03m, Hi-M04, Hi M04m, Hi-M05 and Hi-M05m types (except for products referred to by HIH, HIB and HIBD) infringe the EP ‘689 patent owned by Hanwha Solutions Corporation and, therefore, are requested to return these infringing products to LONGi NL for an immediate refund.

The cross-border injunction came into effect one working day after the service of the judgment. A daily financial penalty will apply if LONGi’s Dutch subsidiary fails to comply with the cross-border injunction. Moreover, the Court of Appeal’s order for LONGi’s Dutch subsidiary to provide a written list of customers and send out recall letters must be fulfilled no later than March 21, 2022.Qcells, committed to protecting innovations from being unfairly used, will closely observe LONGi NL and the actions of its customers and take further legal measures if necessary.

Dr. Daniel Jeong, CTO of Qcells, said: “Qcells stands by the Dutch Court’s decision in the appeal proceedings, which proves and further strengthens the validity of the ongoing legal efforts to protect our rightful intellectual property.

“As an industry leader, Qcells takes seriously its responsibility to establish a healthy industry landscape in which time- and capital-intensive R&D efforts are properly protected. We will continue to take all necessary actions to prevent unlawful actions that amount to or induce infringement of Qcells’s patent by continuously monitoring the European market.”