Q-CELL was founded in Germany in 1999 and has been producing solar silicon cells since 2001 and eventually manufacturing solar panels in 2010. The company originally listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange in 2005. In 2011, after a number of acquisitions and joint ventures, Q-CELLs posted significant losses and ultimately filed for insolvency in 2012. Hanwha Group acquired the assets from the insolvent Q-CELLS and launched the brand Hanwha Q Cells late in 2012. Hanwha Group merged Hanwha Q Cells with another subsidiary, Hanwha Solar One, in 2014 and the merged company was listed on the NASDAQ between 2014 and 2019 and is now a private subsidiary of the Hanwha Group.
Hanwha Q Cells only uses solar cells of its own production to control the quality and meet their high standards, which is different from other manufacturers. Although panels were originally produced in Germany, manufacturing facilities have shifted to Malaysia, China, and South Korea. In 2019, Q Cells shipped 8.3GW of solar modules with its 9GW of the total volume of production.
Q Cells has served the Australian market since 2009 with its head office based in North Sydney and warehouses around the country, providing products and warranty support. In 2019, Q Cells modules reached about 12% market share in the residential and commercial rooftop segment of Australia.