Lower silicon consumption due to wafer innovations to hit polysilicon demand: Bernreuter

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Email
 Bernreuter Research expects the market share of mono c-Si wafers to increase from 27% in 2016 to 47% in 2020. Image: Meyer Burger

According to Bernreuter Research, polysilicon consumption for the production of solar wafers is set to impact the supply-side as the PV industry adopts diamond wire technologies that significantly lower kerf loss. 

Bernreuter Research said that the average silicon consumption for the manufacturing of both multicrystalline and monocrystalline wafers was expected to decline from 4.8 grams per watt (g/W) in 2016 to 3.6 g/W in 2020, a 25% decline.

This article requires Premium SubscriptionBasic (FREE) Subscription

Try Premium for just $1

  • Full premium access for the first month at only $1
  • Converts to an annual rate after 30 days unless cancelled
  • Cancel anytime during the trial period

Premium Benefits

  • Expert industry analysis and interviews
  • Digital access to PV Tech Power journal
  • Exclusive event discounts

Or get the full Premium subscription right away

Or continue reading this article for free

Bernreuter Research said that the average silicon consumption for the manufacturing of both multicrystalline and monocrystalline wafers was expected to decline from 4.8 grams per watt (g/W) in 2016 to 3.6 g/W in 2020, a 25% decline. Image: Bernreuter Research

A key driver is resurgence in using monocrystalline wafers that offer higher sola cell conversion efficiencies but have also undertaken significant cost reductions to make the technology increasingly competitive with multicrystalline wafers that have dominated the sector for the last 10-years. 

The increased demand for monocrystalline wafers was recently highlighted by Finlay Colville, head of solar intelligence at Solar Media in a PV Tech blog, forecasting that mono c-Si cell production is forecast to account for 49% of all c-Si cell production in 2018, and will become the dominant technology used in the PV industry by 2019.

Echoing that forecast, Bernreuter Research expects the market share of mono c-Si wafers to increase from 27% in 2016 to 47% in 2020.

Cost reductions have occurred across mono c-Si ingot and wafer production in recent years, yet the adoption of diamond wire cutting has been critical as it does not require expensive slurry and can be produced with thinner wires, minimising kerf loss and overall production costs. 

However, multi c-Si wafer production is also expected to widely adopt diamond wire cutting and adopt newly developed wafer texturing technologies that will enable the migration, further supporting a drop in silicon consumption. 

Bernreuter Research noted that the multi c-Si wafer production migration to diamond wire cutting and ‘black silicon’ texturing would take four to five years, accounting for around 90% of multi c-Si wafer production in that timeframe.

“The polysilicon industry has to prepare for the fact that demand is slowing down on two fronts: The annual growth rate of global photovoltaic installations is decreasing, and the polysilicon consumption for each new gigawatt installed in 2020 will be only half as much as it was in 2010,” noted Johannes Bernreuter, head of Bernreuter Research and author of the ‘Polysilicon Market Outlook 2020’.

7 October 2025
San Francisco Bay Area, USA
PV Tech has been running an annual PV CellTech Conference since 2016. PV CellTech USA, on 7-8 October 2025 is our third PV CellTech conference dedicated to the U.S. manufacturing sector. The events in 2023 and 2024 were a sell out success and 2025 will once again gather the key stakeholders from PV manufacturing, equipment/materials, policy-making and strategy, capital equipment investment and all interested downstream channels and third-party entities. The goal is simple: to map out PV manufacturing in the U.S. out to 2030 and beyond.

Read Next

Premium
October 6, 2025
Talon PV aims to be the first US company to safely manufacture TOPCon cells at scale, backed by European technology and a crucial First Solar licensing deal.
October 3, 2025
The US solar manufacturing industry is feeling bullish, despite the policy whiplash inflicted over the summer and the increased pressure on US solar supply chains.
October 2, 2025
PV products using perovskite technology could assume a dominant position within the next ten years, according to module producer Qcells' CTO.
Premium
October 2, 2025
PV Talk: Qcells’ CTO Danielle Merfeld discusses the imminent opening of America’s first integrated c-Si ingot-to-module factory and her belief in solar’s long-term strengths.
Premium
September 25, 2025
An anticipated uptick in US cell manufacturing presents opportunities for European PV tool producers, says RENA Technologies’ Michael Vees.
September 18, 2025
Researchers have called for enhanced international standards to detect ultraviolet-induced degradation (UVID) in PV modules after identifying “severe” levels of the problem in operational n-type panels.             

Subscribe to Newsletter

Upcoming Events

Solar Media Events
October 7, 2025
Manila, Philippines
Solar Media Events
October 7, 2025
San Francisco Bay Area, USA
Solar Media Events
October 21, 2025
New York, USA
Solar Media Events
November 25, 2025
Warsaw, Poland