Enphase Energy and Q CELLS Announce AC Module Partnership


FREMONT, Calif. and IRVINE, Calif., June 25, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Enphase Energy, Inc. (NASDAQ:ENPH), a global energy technology company and the world’s leading supplier of solar microinverters, and Q CELLS, a renowned total energy solutions provider in solar cell and module, energy storage, downstream project business and energy retail, today announced a strategic partnership to develop Enphase Energized™ Q CELLS AC Modules (ACMs) based on seventh-generation Enphase IQ™ microinverters. The first Enphase and Q CELLS-developed ACMs will be available from major distributors in the U.S. starting July 15th.

The Q.PEAK DUO BLK-G6+/AC 340-345 ACM features the Enphase IQ 7+™ microinverter and is the first Enphase Energized ACM from Q CELLS to come to market. The Q.PEAK DUO BLK-G6+/AC produces outstanding yields thanks to power classes of up to 345 Wp and efficiencies of up to 19.5%. These performance values are possible through Q CELLS’ unrivalled Q.ANTUM DUO monocrystalline half-cell technology, combined with state-of-the-art circuitry and 6-busbar cell design. The Q.PEAK DUO BLK-G6+/AC also offers long-term reliability with a 25-year product warranty and one of the lowest degradation rates in the industry, which guarantees 85% initial performance in the 25th year. The Q.PEAK DUO BLK-G6+/AC Enphase Energized ACM allows installers to be more competitive through improved capital management, reduced labor costs, improved SKU management with accelerated design, and faster installation times. The Q.PEAK DUO BLK-G6+/AC modules are assembled in the USA at Q CELLS’ manufacturing facility in Dalton, GA.

“Enphase was the right partner for Q CELLS to develop an AC module for the high-volume residential solar market because both companies are aligned in providing customers with the highest quality and most reliable solar technology,” said Hee Cheul (Charles) Kim, chief executive officer of Q CELLS. “Our shared customers will benefit from faster installations and reduced operating costs enabled by the AC modules, and we look forward to a long and successful collaboration with Enphase.”

The seventh-generation Enphase IQ microinverter system dramatically simplifies solar installations and provides a complete AC solution that produces no high-voltage DC, providing a safe solar solution for homeowners. Enphase Energized AC modules from Q CELLS work seamlessly with the full suite of Enphase IQ accessory products: the lighter two-wire Enphase Q Cable™, the Enphase IQ™ Combiner 3 with pre-installed Enphase IQ Envoy™ gateway, as well as the Enphase Encharge™ energy storage system. Solar installers who select the Q.PEAK DUO BLK-G6+/AC can monitor their solar fleets remotely using the powerful cloud-based Enphase Enlighten™ monitoring system, provide their customers the peace-of-mind of a 25-year module warranty, and rely on the Enphase support team to deliver an outstanding customer experience.

“I have great confidence in the quality and reliability of the products from both Q CELLS and Enphase, so this new ACM is certain to be a rock-solid combination,” said Dewaine Dennis Sr., founder and co-owner at Quantum Solar Designs. “This new Q CELLS AC Module fills an important gap in the mid-market and represents a great way to deliver value to both installers and homeowners. We are excited about offering Q CELLS AC modules to our customers.”

“Q CELLS is a global PV technology leader known for its high-quality photovoltaic solar cells and modules, and this AC module partnership is yet another validation of the ACM concept and Enphase’s microinverter technology,” said Badri Kothandaraman, chief executive officer at Enphase Energy. “This ACM partnership harnesses the strengths of both companies to offer a high quality, easy-to-use solution for the high-volume residential market.”

Q CELLS AC Modules based on Enphase IQ™ microinverters meet all necessary regulatory requirements set by individual states and the National Electrical Code (NEC) and are certified compliant with NEC 2014 and 2017 rapid shutdown requirements. Unlike string inverters, Enphase IQ microinverters have rapid shutdown built in, with no additional equipment necessary. Enphase IQ microinverters also comply with requirements for distributed solar on utility networks included in Rule 21 in California and Hawaiian Electric Company Rule 14H, such as power factor, voltage and frequency ride-through requirements.

About Enphase Energy, Inc.

Enphase Energy, a global energy technology company, delivers smart, easy-to-use solutions that manage solar generation, storage and communication on one intelligent platform. The Company revolutionized the solar industry with its microinverter technology and produces a fully integrated solar-plus-storage solution. Enphase has shipped more than 27 million microinverters, and over 1.1 million Enphase systems have been deployed in more than 130 countries. For more information, visit www.enphase.com and follow the company on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.

Enphase Energy®, the Enphase logo, Enphase Energized, IQ, 7+, Q Cable, Combiner 3, Envoy, Encharge, Enlighten, and other trademarks or service names are the trademarks of Enphase Energy, Inc. Other names are for informational purposes and may be trademarks of their respective owners.

About Q CELLS

Q CELLS is a renowned total energy solutions provider in solar cell and module, energy storage, downstream project business and energy retail. It is headquartered in Seoul, South Korea (Global Executive HQ) and Thalheim, Germany (Technology & Innovation HQ) with its diverse international manufacturing facilities in the U.S., Malaysia, China, and South Korea. Through its growing global business network spanning Europe, North America, Asia, South America, Africa and the Middle East, Q CELLS provides excellent services and long-term partnerships to its customers in the utility, commercial, governmental and residential markets. For more information, visit: www.q-cells.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release may contain forward-looking statements, including statements related to Enphase Energy's  availability dates for its products, the expected performance and advantages of its technology and products, including quality, safety, reliability and the simplicity of installation; the capabilities of its customer service teams; anticipated product adoption; and the capabilities and performance of its partners’ products and services. These forward-looking statements are based on Enphase’s current expectations and inherently involve significant risks and uncertainties. Actual results and the timing of events could differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements as a result of certain risks and uncertainties including those risks described in more detail in Enphase’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and other documents on file with the SEC and available on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. Enphase Energy undertakes no duty or obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this release as a result of new information, future events or changes in its expectations, except as required by law.

Media Contacts

for Enphase: Christian Zdebel, pr@enphase.com, 484-788-2384

for Q CELLS: Q CELLS America, media@us.q-cells.com


A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/cee8c52c-1039-4792-8951-2c104e1b1c15


Q CELLS Q.PEAK DUO BLK-G6+/AC Enphase Energized(tm) AC Module press photo