Rising Solar-Panel Generation Means Increasing Industrial Demand For Silver

goingbroke

One of the growing industrial uses for silver is photovoltaic cells in solar panels as the world seeks alternative forms of energy, metal consultancies said. There has been a jump in such demand in recent years, and analysts said millions more ounces of silver may be consumed for this over the next decade.

the amount of silver used for solar cells forecast to rise to 84.5 million ounces over the next 10 years.

CaptHenway

Interesting!

pitboss

Silver is up again on the Asian market. 39 cents currently

jmski52

So, instead of buying a few more rolls of 90% silver today at an auction for around 88% of melt, I decided to buy some cull Indian Cents that I didn't know how bad they were until I got them home.

At least I accomplished my main objective, that of keeping my powder dry for a more important "project".

Wolf359

When silver goes to 1000 or so an ounce I think solar panels will be looking for other alternatives, as will every other silver industrial user.

Silver is money. That is it's primary function and becoming more important every day with the global collapse of fiat currency.

jmski52

When silver goes to 1000 or so an ounce I think solar panels will be looking for other alternatives, as will every other silver industrial user.

Silver is money. That is it's primary function and becoming more important every day with the global collapse of fiat currency.

You made me think. If silver is indeed becoming scarcer on a relative basis, such that a search for substitutes becomes prevalent, then the price of silver is already going up to find that price equilibrium - long before a search for alternatives commences.

(And, just a WAG - although some substitutes might be found, it's more likely that more uses for silver will be discovered through research than substitutes for it.)

In addition to becoming scarcer on a relative basis, the stuff is still more useful in more applications all the time, by its very nature.

If you add the devaluation of the dollar and silver's function as a monetary medium into this mix, there isn't much to dispute regarding silver's future price.

BBQnBLUES

Good News for Silver hoarders... but....

If you REALLY want to impress the neighbors... buy solar panels made from Gold (like NASA) uses

66Tbird

There is not a lot of silver in a PV panel. Maybe some use it in the wiring or screening process, but in general the composition of what makes a solar (PV- photovoltaic cell) is Crystalline silicon with a trace of boron and phosphorus (for one type). The good panel I saw had gold plated copper tracings to join all the little inner panels. (a 3'x6' $1400- 220W 18% Ef piece of art) while the common mans panel is a zinc plated copper trace in a 160W of the same size. IMO the solid based panels though common and at the moment cheap, more than likely are going to be phased out by rigid mounted flex panels produce by merely printing the 'good stuff' on a cheap substrate. At the moment that technology is about 12% Ef.

Now good silicon is something that is going up

AUandAG

The government subsidies have ended. Here in Vegas we've seen over half of the solar businesses go
out of business. There is not enough demand for solar without the gov't tax relief.

On a side note, my son and his family are 100% solar and off grid. No power at all in their subdivision
and no phone! However, he just added a 2,000 sq ft addition and wants to refinance his construction
loan with his first and cannot find a lender that will even do a loan. So much for the 'green revolution'.

His first lender gave him his construction loan and since it was issued they have been taken over by
another lender and they will not refinance because he's off grid. They say they cannot sell the loan to
fannie or freddie if it's off grid!

bob

ebaytrader

Meh.

Thin-film photovoltaics will begin to replace the conventional silicon based panels within a decade. Until then I doubt panels will make much headway due to cost/benefit ratio.