Hanwha Q CELLS Ranks No.1 in Both U.S. Residential and Commercial Solar Markets

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoonju Hwang] Hanwha Q CELLS achieved the number one market share in both the U.S. residential solar module market and the commercial module market in 2019. Since 2013, Hanwha Q CELLS is the only solar module manufacturer to have simultaneously ranked first in both the U.S. residential and commercial markets.

According to a survey by global energy consulting firm Wood Mackenzie, Hanwha Q CELLS secured a 25.2% market share in the U.S. residential solar market, growing 11.1 percentage points from the previous year to claim the top spot. Additionally, Hanwha Q CELLS captured a 13.3% share of the U.S. commercial solar market, expanding its share by 5 percentage points year-over-year to also rank first.

The U.S. residential solar market installed 2.8 GW (gigawatts) annually in 2019, growing approximately 15% compared to the previous year. Particularly, the solar market continues to grow steadily in the western region, which enjoys long hours of sunlight. The California state government has mandated solar installation on new homes starting in 2020, with an expected additional demand of over 1 GW for new homes in California alone from 2020 to 2024. The U.S. commercial solar market installed 2 GW annually in 2019, and a similar annual demand of around 2 GW is expected going forward.

Hanwha Q CELLS is strengthening its market dominance with high-efficiency modules that offer excellent performance and quality, considering these characteristics of the U.S. solar market. The Q.PEAK DUO series, launched in 2017 and continuously updated with new models, applies Hanwha Q CELLS’ Quantum technology (reference material) and half-cell technology, which cuts solar cells in half to reduce resistance and increase output. These modules undergo quality testing two to three times more rigorous than international standard quality criteria, ensuring outstanding reliability that meets the strict purchasing standards of U.S. consumers.

In addition to superior product quality, Hanwha Q CELLS is expanding brand awareness through active sports marketing. The Hanwha Q CELLS golf team, established in January 2018, includes four players (In-Kyung Kim, Eun-Hee Ji, Jenny Shin, and Nelly Korda) who compete on the U.S. Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) tour. Furthermore, in March 2019, Hanwha Q CELLS signed a sponsorship contract with the U.S. Major League Baseball team LA Dodgers, becoming the official solar energy partner of the Dodgers. Through this contract, Hanwha Q CELLS secured rights to advertise behind the catcher, on the outfield fence, on LED scoreboards, as well as participate in ceremonial first pitches, pre-game greetings, and use of exclusive VIP seating, actively leveraging these opportunities for local sales efforts in the U.S.

Kim Hee-chul, President of Hanwha Q CELLS, stated, "The U.S. solar market is a major global solar market that prefers high-efficiency and high-quality products. Achieving simultaneous first place in both the U.S. residential and commercial markets demonstrates the brand power of Hanwha Q CELLS." He added, "We will accelerate our pursuit of the premium U.S. solar market based on Hanwha Q CELLS’ unrivaled technology and quality."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.