Powering the Clean-Energy Future: The Global Solar Manufacturing Picture

Manufacturing of solar modules, cells, wafers and polysilicon is concentrated in a small number of countries. One country holds more than 80% of capacity at every stage of the solar supply chain, rising to around 90% for wafers, giving it a decisive cost and scale advantage. Governments elsewhere are investing in domestic capability to improve resilience and capture industrial value. New manufacturers must close cost, scale and technology gaps against established producers. Industrial and trade policy will shape where competitive positions can realistically emerge. The upstream stages - cells, wafers and polysilicon - also have to deepen, rather than building module capacity on imported components. The discussion will focus on closing the cost and technology gap across the solar value chain, the role of industrial and trade policy, and where to compete, partner or continue importing.