外媒：因银价上涨，太阳能行业加速转向

Group 1 - Silver is the largest factor driving up the manufacturing costs of solar panels, with costs having increased by 7% to 15% over the past 12 months [2] - Silver paste, a key material in photovoltaic panels, accounts for 30% of the total cost of solar cells, and the demand for silver in the solar industry is 196 million troy ounces, representing 17% of total demand [2] - The cost of silver paste for 450-watt modules in the U.S. has risen from approximately $5.22 to $17.65 since early 2025, prompting solar manufacturers to accelerate the shift to alternatives like copper [2] Group 2 - The industry is expected to see a broader shift this year, with leading manufacturers moving towards pure copper metallization processes and silver-copper hybrid pastes, as copper is about 0.5% the price of silver [3] - Transitioning from silver to copper metallization could save the solar industry approximately $15 billion annually, based on a global solar output of 500 gigawatts per year [3] - Experts indicate that replacing silver with copper is not straightforward due to silver's higher conductivity compared to copper [3]