Major Policy! Energy Consumption for PV Polysilicon, Rod Pulling, and Slicing Tightened, Signaling Another Move Towards Anti-Involution

On September 16, the Standardization Administration of China (SAC) solicited public opinions on three mandatory national standards, including "Energy Consumption Limits per Unit Product for Polysilicon and Germanium" and others. These three mandatory national standards are: "Energy Efficiency Limits and Grades for Crystalline Silicon PV Modules and Inverters", "Energy Consumption Limits per Unit Product of Polysilicon and Germanium", "Energy Consumption Limits per Unit Product of Monocrystalline Silicon." The deadline for soliciting opinions is November 15, 2025.

For polysilicon, the main changes in the new draft standard for soliciting opinions are:

• Polysilicon: The level 1, 2 and 3 energy consumption standards are 5, 5.5, and 6.4 kgce/kg, respectively, significantly tighter than the previous expectations of 5, 6, and 7.5 kgce/kg. The industry's average electricity consumption in 2024 is 6.69 kgce/kg.
• Rod Pulling: The level 1, 2 and 3 energy consumption standards are 2.27, 2.37, and 2.76 kgce/kg, respectively, with the industry's average rod pulling electricity consumption in 2024 being 2.74 kgce/kg.
• Slicing: The level 1, 2 and 3 energy consumption standards are 6,760, 7,370, and 9,590 kgce/million pieces, respectively, with the industry's average slicing electricity consumption in 2024 being 9,704 kgce/million pieces.

The level 3 energy consumption standard restricts existing capacity. The level 3 standards for all three stages—polysilicon, rod pulling, and slicing—are higher than the 2024 industry average. Existing capacities that fail to meet the energy consumption standards may be forced to shut down. With the release of the formal draft for soliciting opinions, the regulation of energy consumption exceeds expectations. As a front line against involution, the PV industry has tightened its energy consumption standards, signaling that anti-involution efforts are entering a deeper phase, driving capacity contraction.