Silver plays a vital role in the production of solar cells that produce electricity.

Silver’s use in photovoltaics Photovoltaic (PV) power is the leading current source of green electricity. Higher than expected photovoltaic capacity additions and faster adoption of new-generation solar cells raised global electrical & electronics demand by a substantial 20 percent in 2023. This gain reflects silver’s essential and growing use in PV, which recorded a new high of 193.5 Moz last year, increasing by a massive 64 percent over 2022’s figure of 118.1 Moz.

How is silver used in solar cells? Silver powder is turned into a paste which is then loaded onto a silicon wafer. When light strikes the silicon, electrons are set free and the silver – the world’s best conductor – carries the electricity for immediate use or stores it in batteries for later consumption.