The silver-solar connection

Climate finance and advances in solar technology will shape the future of the energy industry

Silver, or rather silver paste, is a critical part of the solar industry, currently accounting for 7 per cent of the cost of panels. Solar cell makers have managed to almost halve the consumption of silver paste per piece over the last six years, but next generation technology will require a lot more of the metal.

“The solar industry is now more exposed to silver price trends than it ever was in the past,” said Yali Jiang, BloombergNEF’s lead analyst tracking solar technologies.

Breakthroughs in solar technology come thick and fast. PERC, or passivated emitter and rear contact, panels, which