Q-Cells Introduces Q.PEAK at Solar Power International 2011

SOLAR POWER INTERNATIONAL - Q-Cells SE, one of the world’s leading photovoltaics companies, has introduced its latest series of modules for the North American residential market. Q.PEAK is Q-Cells’ premium monocrystalline series of modules that provides high-efficiency, industry-leading electricity yields and an aesthetically pleasing design for a large variety of residential and commercial applications.

Q.PEAK (Photo: Business Wire)

"We continue to execute against our go-to-market strategy for the North American market with the introduction of the Q.PEAK series,” said Marc van Gerven, managing director of Q-Cells North America. "Our modules are more reliable with regard to long-term power generation and our linear warranty guarantees are 7 percent higher yield over a complete lifetime compared to the market standard modular warrantee.”

Q.PEAK also offers a yield of up to 265 Watt-peak, which has previously not been achieved in these applications. The Q.PEAK module thus guarantees the highest yields for the operator, even on a limited area, This improves the customer’s return on their energy investment and has efficiencies of up to 15.9 percent, generating ultra-high yields and exceeding the performance of similar products in its class.

Q.PEAK series performance is guaranteed at 97 percent in the first year, and linear degradation of not more than 0.6 percent per year thereafter, achieving at least 83 percent of rated output power after 25 years. This warranty program reassures customers that their Q.PEAK modules will continue at top performance throughout their operational lifetimes.

Q.PEAK is among the next-generation Q-Cells solar modules based on optimised crystalline solar cells with improved surface metallization. Within the scope of its "Q-Cells Yield Security" quality offensive, Q-Cells is the only photovoltaics company in the world to have set new standards for the unrivalled reliability of photovoltaic systems. Also Q.PEAK comes with this seal of quality, including Q-Cells Hot-Spot Protect (HSP), which provides customers with increased fire and performance safety, Q-Cells anti-PID technology, which makes sure that there is no power loss caused by potential-induced degradation and Q-Cells Traceable Quality (TRA.Q) which ensures that Q-Cells modules and cells come with a standard to guarantee traceability and prevent forgery.

Q-Cells established itself in North America a little over a year ago with utility-scale projects in Ontario, Canada. Q-Cells currently has 200 MW in the pipeline, with over 60 MW installed in Ontario. In June 2011, Q-Cells introduced Q-SMART high efficiency thin film panels in the North American market. Q-Cells North America is now moving forward with several additional partnerships and development deals to enforce the production of clean solar electricity. The Q.PEAK series will be available in North America beginning November 2011.

About Q-Cells North America

Q-Cells North America, part of Q-Cells SE, designs, builds and manages financially sustainable solar photovoltaic (PV) solutions. The company brings a decade of global leadership in solar PV to North America, combining best-of-world technology, processes and partnerships to deliver utility-grade solar PV solutions customized for local energy markets. Q-Cells North America offers the full spectrum of PV solutions--from the core technology of cells and modules to power plant development, design, construction, operations and maintenance. With proven capabilities across the solar value chain, Q-Cells North America minimizes uncertainty and risk, and helps customers achieve a higher return on their investment in solar energy. For more information about Q-Cells North America, please visit www.q-cells.com.

About Q-Cells SE

The Q-Cells Group is one of the world’s leading photovoltaics companies and offers a wide range of photovoltaic solutions, from solar cells and modules to solar power plants. Q-Cells’s products are developed and manufactured at its headquarters in Bitterfeld-Wolfen (Germany) and marketed via its global sales network. It also has a second production plant in Malaysia. More than 200 scientists and engineers at Q-Cells are working to swiftly advance solar technology and achieve Q-Cells’ twin aims: driving down the costs of photovoltaics quickly and permanently, and making solar power competitive. The close links between R&D and production enable Q-Cells to rapidly translate cutting-edge innovation into mass production - and underpin its ambition to be at the forefront of photovoltaic technology. Q-Cells is quoted on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (QCE; ISIN DE0005558662) and also listed on the TecDAX, the German technology index.

Executive Board: Dr Nedim Cen (CEO), Dr Marion Helmes (CFO), Andreas von Zitzewitz (COO)
Chairman of the Supervisory Board: Prof Dr Karlheinz Hornung

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