Hanwha Qcells expands US reach with solar sales to homebuilders

Brand logo for Hanwha Solutions' new unit, Qcells New Homes / Courtesy of Hanwha Solutions

Hanwha Solutions said Tuesday that its Qcells division has launched Qcells New Homes, a unit that will supply solar panels and battery storage directly to homebuilders in the United States, expanding its footprint in the American residential energy market.

Aiming to fill a gap in the residential clean energy market, the division will work with builders from the design phase, integrating solar and battery systems into new homes rather than retrofitting them — a model the company says cuts costs and simplifies installation.

Qcells New Homes will initially launch in California, where a state mandate in effect since 2020 requires most newly built homes to include rooftop solar, before expanding nationwide.

Homebuilders on the platform will receive solar panels manufactured at Qcells' Georgia factory along with domestically produced battery systems, permitting support, installation assistance and post-installation monitoring through a single point of contact. The company describes itself as the only direct-from-manufacturer solar and storage partner serving the new home construction market.

Homebuyers can access in-house financing through an operating lease priced below prevailing utility rates, with no annual escalator and no impact on their debt-to-income ratio for mortgage qualification. The division will also be integrated with EnFin, Qcells' residential solar financing platform.

“Qcells New Homes is our new business model addressing America’s structural trends in the housing market and surging demand for green energy,” a Hanwha Qcells official said.

“Starting in California, we will work to establish our new model for solar panels and renewable energy solutions as a standard for U.S. infrastructure.”

This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.