Q-Cells enters Japanese residential solar market

May 21, 2011 - Chris Whitmore - pv-tech.org

Q-Cells is set to become the first German firm to enter into the Japanese solar residential sector and is establishing a sales network of selected local installers, Q-Cells Meister Club (QMC), to help smooth its market entry.

With a forecast volume of 1GW, the residential sector will account for 90% of the entire Japanese PV market in 2011, and QMC will provide its customers with a single supply source for modules, inverters, mounting systems, monitoring systems and other equipment for their rooftop installations.

Since January 2010, Q-Cells has had a presence in Japan through its Tokyo office and last month it installed its first residential system in Osaka. "Our German engineering solar modules match the quality of the components of our selected local partners and meet the high quality requirements of Japanese customers," Q-Cells Japan's managing director Steffen Studeny said.