NexWafe CEO, NexWafe, has called for a shift in solar manufacturing to focus on sustainability, stating that upstream steps in the solar supply chain, polysilicon production, solar ingots and wafers, require higher investment, take longer to be operational and are more energy intensive than a module assembly line. Sutija also noted that more disruptive approaches to wafer manufacturing are moving into pilot production in 2025, eliminating the polysion production and Czochralski ingot growth, reducing the carbon footprint by 60% compared to conventional processing. The importance of upstream sustainability comes at a pivotal moment in the US, with Clean Energy Associates expecting an annual module nameplate capacity of 35GW by year’s end, a fourfold increase in over two years. The Solar Energy Manufacturers for America (SEMA) Coalition has published a report assessing the current US silicon solar manufacturing capacity, highlighting “glaring gaps” in domestic production.
Solar Dominates US Energy Capacity Growth
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has published data showing that solar accounted for over 75% of US electrical generating
