Bert Thin Films launches copper paste for backside solar cell metallization
The U.S. startup has introduced a screen-printable copper paste for backside solar cell metallization that can be fired in air and co-fired with standard silver frontside pastes using conventional manufacturing processes. Tested on TOPCon cells, the paste contributed to achieve a 25% efficiency and passed 2,000-hour damp heat testing.
Silver-saving efforts ramping up in solar industry, says Heraeus
Rising silver prices are putting pressure on solar manufacturers, prompting greater focus on copper and other alternatives to reduce costs. Heraeus says it expects silver demand from photovoltaics to decline this year despite stable global installations.
Silver price drops sharply, falls back below $80 an ounce
After hitting an all-time high of $121.65/oz on Jan. 29, silver prices have tumbled to $79.44/oz, with analysts warning of a potential drop toward $50/oz.
DKEM seeks $57.5 million in twin patent suits against Chinese PV rivals
Wuxi DK Electronic Materials is pursuing two patent infringement cases against domestic competitors, seeking injunctions, equipment destruction, and combined damages of CNY 400 million ($57.5 million).
Silver price surge shows no signs of slowing, hitting a new all-time high of $117.66 per ounce
Silver hit a new all-time high of $117.66/oz, climbing over 40% in the past month and 275% in the past year, driven by dollar weakness, geopolitical tensions, and gold’s strong momentum. Silver analyst Matthew Piggott tells pv magazine the metal may reach $130/oz within a couple of weeks.
Analysts warn of possible, sudden silver price fall
pv magazine has spoken with silver analysts from Bloomberg and StoneX about the vertiginous growth of silver prices in recent weeks. They both agree that when prices rise too fast, investors’ behavior may change quickly. Meanwhile, the price of the precious metal has reached another all-time high today at $110 per ounce.
Silver price hits all time high of $108.17 an ounce
A more than 15% increase in silver prices over the past week is adding cost pressure to the solar supply chain, as silver paste costs currently represent around 30% of total PV module costs.
DK Electronic Materials client adopts copper paste in GW-scale cell output
China-based metallization paste supplier DK Electronic Materials says a major unnamed customer has adopted its high-copper metallization paste for gigawatt-scale solar cell production, combining copper paste with a seed-layer silver paste compatible with n-type and tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) 3.0 processes.
Silver price hits all time high of $94.73 an ounce
Silver prices hit a record $94.73/oz on January 19. Silver analyst Philip Newman tells pv magazine the metal could soon surpass $100/oz, increasing pressure on PV module manufacturers to reduce silver usage.
Solar module prices lagging behind soaring silver costs
Solar manufacturers are facing rising cost pressure as silver paste now accounts for up to 30% of total cell production costs. OPIS analyst Hanwei Wu tells pv magazine that module producers currently have limited ability to raise panel final prices, which is accelerating efforts to reduce silver use across all mainstream cell technologies.
