Precious Metals In Solar Panels

Researchers are using bacteria to give solar an energy boost.

Precious metals in solar panels.

Copper like neodymium copper isn t scarce but we need a lot of it. In 2011 the average price of rare earth metals shot up by as much as 750 percent. However as cru notes in the report this would result in the need for more less effective panels. It helps the world kick the fossil fuel habit it s clean and plentiful and leaves no carbon footprint.

Silver s use for solar panel manufacturing is around 80 million troy ounces per year or currently about 8 of annual silver supply. Basically anything that has an on off switch includes copper thanks to its incredible ability to conduct electricity and we. But silver s cost contribution to solar panels outweighs its proportional expense over virtually any other application it has other than perhaps jewelry silverware or in 999 fine bullion coin or bar form. Precious silver bullion metal we buy and sell here at sd bullion has more applications than virtually any other limited resource we use other than perhaps crude oil or fresh h2o.

High performance batteries need lithium which is only easily extracted from briny pools in the andes. Two thirds of an ounce of silver in every solar panel may not sound costly given today s silver spot price. But it needs the sun to work which makes it less practical in places where overcast days are common. An average solar panel uses some 20 grams or 0 643 troy ounces of silver.

Experts have found that the rare metals required to build solar panels such as indium and tellurium are not in sufficient supply to keep up with demand.