Silver pastes for solar contacts?

50 companies make conductive silver pastes to form electrical contacts in solar modules. This data-file tabulates the compositions of silver pastes based on patents, averaging 85% silver, 4% glass frit…

Silver demand: upside and substitution?

Solar contacts silver and copper

Silver demand in energy transition will most likely tighten the global silver market by 10-30% over the course of the 2020s. This reflects upside in solar, electric vehicles, thrifting, and…

Silver and gold: the economics?

Cost of silver and gold production

This data-file captures the marginal cost of silver and gold production, at an integrated mining-refining operation. In our base case, a 10% IRR requires a silver price of $17/Oz and…

Silver producers: leading companies?

Silver producers leading companies

Half of the world’s 28kTpa global silver market is controlled by 17 public companies, with silver output ranging from 0.1 – 2.0 kTpa. This data-file is a screen of silver

Solar contacts: silver bullet?

Solar contacts silver and copper

The front contacts in today’s solar cells are made of screen-printed silver. Thus solar cells absorbed 11% of 2021’s silver market, and growing. Silver can be substituted with copper. But…

Silver and gold: medal winners?

Overview of gold and silver production

Gold and silver are stores of value, especially in a world of persistently high inflation and low rates. Silver is also likely to be the main bottleneck for solar in…

Solar surface: silver thrifting?

silver use in solar

…is a case study of silver intensity in the solar industry, which halved in the past decade, and could halve again. Conclusions matter for solar companies, silver markets, other bottlenecks….

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