News on PV installations

News on suppliers, market trends and technology innovations in polysilicon and wafer production is selected, assessed and written for you by Bernreuter Research.

Polysilicon spot prices from December 2024 through March 26, 2025

Why the polysilicon price has been cemented and can’t rise soon

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The huge inventory mountain piled up by Chinese polysilicon manufacturers in 2024 is hardly carried off. This is why the polysilicon price has not risen despite a price rally downstream.

Monthly PV installations in China in 2024 versus 2023, cumulated from January through December. Unit: 10,000 kW

China drives up annual PV installations to over 340 GW in 2024

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The world’s largest solar market achieved a growth rate of 28% in2024. The usual year-end rally pushed new installations to 85 GW in December alone – as much as the USA and India installed together over the whole year.

Compund annual growth rates of global PV installations 1975 - 2023

Why 4 terawatts of annual PV installations in 2030 are possible

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A new analysis presented by Bernreuter Research at the PV CellTech conference supports a scenario from Dr. Dahlmeier Financial Risk Management AG , which is based on an annual PV growth rate of 36%.

Chart of the top ten PV markets in 2023, forecast contained in the Polysilicon Market Outlook 2027

China saves its solar industry with installation record of 260 GW

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China’s solar market once again served as a backstop for the domestic photovoltaic (PV) industry, which has built up massive overcapacity. The country set up a new installation record of 260 GW (DC) in 2023.

Monthly polysilicon price average from October 2011 through December 2023

Why the pork cycle has returned to the polysilicon market

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A period of weak demand until 2020 laid the ground for a polysilicon shortage that has triggered excessive capacity expansion in China. Now overcapacity provokes the next shakeout.

Curve of the polysilicon spot price in 2021

First rays of light at the end of the polysilicon high-price tunnel

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After a massive price surge during 2021, signs are piling up that the polysilicon price is about to come down from its high level of US$36/kg. But a new price increase could follow in 2022.

Groundbreaking ceremony for a 100,000-ton fluidized bed reactor (FBR) plant of GCL-Poly in Leshan, Sichuan province, China on October 18, 2020

Opinion: Chinese polysilicon makers are posing their muscles

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China-based polysilicon manufacturers outdo each other with ever bigger capacity announcements. What appears like a bodybuilder competition has a serious background: accelerating PV growth.

Polysilicon EBITDA margins of Daqo, OCI, REC Silicon and Wacker from Q3 2018 through Q3 2019

Polysilicon producer Daqo breaks the cash cost barrier of $6/kg

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After weaker results in the second quarter due to maintenance, China-based polysilicon manufacturer Daqo New Energy achieved so far unthinkable cash production costs of US$5.85/kg in the third quarter.

REC Silicon’s fluidized bed reactor polysilicon plant in Moses Lake, Washington with vehicle at night

REC Silicon blames layoffs on trade war – that’s only half the truth

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U.S.-based polysilicon manufacturer REC Silicon has blamed the layoff of 100 employees on the trade dispute, but it is more a response to the slump of global demand in the wake of China’s cap on domestic PV installations.

PV system in China

Beijing promises faster launch of quota system for renewables

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The National Development and Reform Commission of China said on June 7 it would accelerate the planned launch of a quota system that would force provinces to buy more power from renewable energy sources.