Solar Panel Manufacturers Reduce Silver Consumption
太陽能板製造商減少銀的使用量
更新於: 2026年9月19日 上午04:45
The solar photovoltaic (PV) industry is currently navigating a major shift: reducing its heavy reliance on silver.
太陽能光電（Photovoltaic，簡稱PV）產業目前正面臨一項重大轉變：減少對銀的過度依賴。
As a critical component for electrical conductivity, silver can account for up to 30% of a solar cell’s production cost.
作為導電的關鍵零組件，銀的成本可佔太陽能電池生產成本的30%。
With prices rising, manufacturers are under pressure to optimize their processes.
隨著價格上漲，製造商面臨優化製程的壓力。
This transition is defined by two key strategies: thrifting and substitution.
此轉型由兩大關鍵策略定義：節用（thrifting）與替代（substitution）。
Most current progress comes from 'thrifting'—optimizing existing designs to use less silver without removing it entirely.
目前的進展多來自於「節用」——優化現有設計以減少銀的使用量，而非將其完全移除。
Meanwhile, the industry is researching 'substitution' to potentially replace silver with cheaper alternatives like copper.
同時，產業也在研究「替代」方案，試圖以銅等較便宜的替代品來取代銀。
While copper is abundant, it presents technical hurdles, including oxidation and efficiency issues.
儘管銅儲量豐富，但它存在氧化與效率等技術障礙。
To bridge this gap, manufacturers are using silver-coated copper as a transitional solution.
為了彌補這一差距，製造商正將鍍銀銅作為過渡性解決方案。
This movement is driven by the need to maintain profitability in a competitive market.
這項行動的驅動力在於需在競爭激烈的市場中保持獲利能力。
Although the solar sector is growing rapidly, these innovations have successfully led to a year-over-year decline in total silver usage.
儘管太陽能產業發展迅速，但這些創新已成功使銀的總使用量逐年下降。
While silver remains the gold standard for performance, the industry’s ability to innovate is ensuring that solar energy remains both scalable and cost-effective.
雖然銀仍是性能方面的黃金標準，但該產業的創新能力正確保太陽能依然具有可擴展性且符合成本效益。
