Silicon Wafer Cutting

Process of parallel wire cut with abrasive slurry of diamond or SiC grit [1]

Costs

1. $15/kg for polysilicon [2]
2. 3.6 cent per watt silicon costs
3. 2018 had 37 cent minimum sustainable selling price, and long term prediction is 24 cents (another 30 percent reduction.

This puts PV at under $100 for a 380W panel, or about $2/lb.

Silicon Production

It is only 10 percent of panel cost,

It is currently made with electrolysis of carbon + sand. [3]. No clear path is known for reduction of sand with hydrogen?

99% pure silicon is refined further by reacting with hydrochloric acid to make nasty ass trichloroethane. Innovation would be required to make this happen without toxic silanes.