Q.Cells Solar inverter review - Updated Feb 2022
Q.Cells are famous for their solar panels, but now they have an inverter and battery as well.
The Q.Cells DUO G10 is a 415W panel with a 25 year warranty, made in South Korea.
The Q.Volt is a 5kW single phase hybrid inverter with a 10 year warranty, made in South Korea.
The Q.Save CORE is a 6.8kWh battery made in South Korea with a 15 year warranty.
Nothing Chinese. Which is what many people are asking for.
Q.Cells panels have always been 'premium'.
6.6kW of Q.Cells Duo's cost $1,200 more than 6.6kW of a 'regular' Chinese made panel.
Whilst Q.Cells do have cheaper models (MaXX, chinese made, Boost Malaysian made, the price difference has been so small, that people always seem to go for the top of the line DUO.
Q.Cells major competitors in the 'premium' space were always LG, SunPower and REC Alpha.
LG have quit panel manufacturing completely (Feb 2022).
SunPower have quit manufacturing and a new company called Maxeon, part Chinese owned now makes the panels.
REC have moved from Chinese owners to Indian.
Q.cells have already been doing very well these past few years, but now new opportunities have clealry opened up for Q.Cells to fill some big voids in the premium space.
Q.Volt inverter.
It's a single phase hybrid 5kW inverter with WIFI, designed to work with the new Q.Core battery.
Bundled with the battery, the price is quite reasonable but if you buy the inverter first and then add batteries later you will pay a lot more.
e.g. 5kW inverter on it's own, with smart meter included is $4,620.
Add a single 6.8kWh Q.Core battery (max 3) and that's $6,800
Total $11,420.
Buy it as a bundle, invverter and battery at once and it's $1,700 less, and even cheaper if bundled with Q.Cells panels.
Q.Cells say that as long as the voltage from the panels does not exceed 600V on each of the MPPTs (strings) then you can connect as many panels as you like when you connect a battery.
In my experience that's likely to be about 10kW of panels on a 5kW inverter.
Back-up is fully built-in. If you have a battery and the grid goes down then you don't need to buy an extra 'back-up box'.
The Consumption (smart) meter is also included in the inverter price. That's not made by Q.Cells. It's Italian.
Q.Save CORE battery
Each battery is 6.85kWh and you can have a maximum of 3 (20.5kWh)
With one battery only, the inverter can charge or discharge the battery at up to 3.6kW.
With 2 or 3 batteries the charge rate goes to 5kW.
It's a 'high voltage' battery so regular solar DC cable between the battery and inverter. I prefer that.
The warranty on the battery is that at 15 years it should be producing 60% of what it did as new.
This is pretty much the most postivie warranty I have seen for an LFP (Lithium Iron Phosphate) battery.
Usually it's an ultra conservative 60% after 10 years not 15.
In my opinion
Speaking entirely from self-interest first, I love the idea of driving to Q.Cells warehouse in Maddington and picking up everything, panels, inverter and battery, all from the one place.
I also love that when I, or you, need support, on anything, it's all from the one place too.
Solar4Ever is an approved Q.Cells retailer so we get to buy direct from Q.Cells. That helps a bit on price.
The bundle pricing isn't at all bad.
Panels, inverter, and battery, all South Korean made, all top quality, fantasticly good warranty, for about $3,500 more than a standard Chinese 'bundle'.
That's worth it for many people.
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This review was written by Andrew MacKeith, Solar4Ever service manager since 2011.
