Hanwha Q Cells launches integrated solar, battery, inverter package

Solar cell manufacturer Hanwha Q Cells has launched a “fully wrapped” home solar and storage package on the Australian market that combines solar panels, a hybrid inverter, and lithium-ion battery storage of up to 12kWh.

The new product, called Q.Home, was previewed almost exactly two years ago at All-Energy Australia 2017, and launched this week as a plug-and-play solar and storage solution covered by a single warranty from an increasingly big name in the local industry.

(Just in May, the Korea-based $40 billion Hanwha Group revealed plans to launch a “next generation” 100 per cent renewable electricity retailer in Australia – plans that were meant to come to fruition some time this month, in fact.)

Further selling points for the Q.Home solar and storage unit include scalability – from storage of 4-12kWh; energy independence and “freedom from Australia’s uncertain electricity prices;” and the system’s ability to run independently of the grid, should the need arise.

“Thanks to its backup power supply, Q.Home is… particularly well-suited for households in regional areas with unreliable power or for those needing to run critically important electrical equipment at home,” said Q Cells Australia key account director Myungsin Shim.

“The Q.Home battery is powered by the latest lithium-ion technology providing a safe storage solution and, unlike its competitors, has a natural cooling system allowing silent operation without the use of noisy fans,” Shim added.

“This is the same battery technology that has been used in world’s biggest commercial solar power storage facility, the Hornsdale Power Reserve in South Australia.”

Who, exactly, supplies the battery technology for the Australia Q.Home systems is not made clear in the release, but in Europe Hanwha has a deal with Canada-based Eguana Tech to use its AC-coupled Enduro battery technology in the Q.Home packages.

Eguana, as it happens, is one of several big name battery makers to have agreed to set up a an assembly facility in South Australia as part of a deal for its products to be eligible for that state’s home energy storage subsidy scheme.

“Q.Home is manufactured in Korea to the highest standards and provides the value that is synonymous with the Q Cells brand,” Shim said.

“[Consumers can] have the peace of mind that, were anything to go wrong, one call to our Australian service team will get them the help they need regardless of whether an error may have occurred with the panel, inverter or battery.

“Q.Home is the only complete product offering of this type in the Australian market showcasing this high level of service for both consumers and installers,” she said.

Notes from the Q Cells release:

– Q.Homes is scalable from 4-12kWh storage systems;
– The Q.HOME system, on average, is expected to generate 355kWh more energy than the industry standard – which equates to a surplus of 35.5kWh per year …for 10 years;
– The Q.Home’s Home Energy Management System (HEMS) allows consumers to monitor and predict household usage patterns and solar energy production.
– Q.Home can be paired with either of Q Cells new launched premium panels with 25-year product warranty, the Q.PEAK DUO-G5+ or Q.PEAK DUO-G6+.