Silver, a critical input in solar panel manufacturing, is becoming harder to secure at the volumes the industry now requires. Unlike some supply hiccups, this one isn’t temporary. Instead, it’s a structural deficit where supply can’t keep up with demand — a deficit that’s been coming for a few years. Since mines produce it as a by-product, production can’t increase, which will affect solar farm installations and infrastructure unless a substitute metal can replace or reduce silver use in photovoltaic (PV) panels.
Solar power is booming, and the nonprofit Prometheus Institute says, “VDMA calculates PV module shipments in 2024 at 703 GW, with average prices having dropped by 33% compared to the end of 2023.” With an increasing demand for green power, silver production has struggled to keep up since 2021.
Researchers indicate that the shortage may result in a mining “supply that may meet only 62%-70% of demand.” Despite producing 1,090.4 million ounces in 2025, the deficit is still widening, as new PV cells require more of the precious metal than previous types.
The industry has seen a deficit for six years running, with the latest shortfall at 215 million ounces — the biggest gap yet. In industrial terms, the imbalance creates ripple effects, such as increasing pricing, sourcing challenges and production delays. Much of the demand comes from industrial use, such as solar panel production and the growing use of silver in e-vehicle battery manufacturing. This makes it a more affordable alternative crucial to the world’s sustained push toward green energy.
Every panel requires conductivity. Materials must efficiently carry electricity out of the cell, and silver still does that job better than anything else at scale. The Silver Institute says that “silver powder is turned into a paste, which is then loaded onto a silicon wafer,” with thin conductive lines printed onto cells. These lines collect and move electricity generated by sunlight.
As PV production scales, so does the need for that paste. The 2024 batch, equivalent to 703 GW, required a substantial amount of the precious metal. Depending on the type, a Tunnel Oxide Passivated Contact (TOPCon) uses 13 milligrams to 17 milligrams of silver per PV watt,  while Heterojunction (HJT) cells can need as much as 23 mg/W for increased output PV panels. An average panel contains about 20 grams of silver.
As mining the metal becomes more challenging, the industry has begun looking at alternatives, such as copper and aluminum. Copper is far more abundant and a primary product during mining, unlike silver, which is a by-product. It’s already widely used in PV systems for cables and connection points, with the average being 2 to 3 tons of copper per MW produced by utility-size PV farms.
Since it’s more abundant, copper is also cheaper and widely used in electrical systems. Longi, a major PV system producer, is already moving toward substituting silver in the second quarter of 2026 in an attempt to lower costs. Other PV giants are considering base metals, such as copper, as viable substitutes.
However, it’s not an easy swap, as copper has different properties. It oxidizes more readily and doesn’t conduct electricity quite as well. Additionally, research into a copper paste for PV applications remains limited. However, initial indications are that a combination of silver and copper applied to silicon matrices mayreduce silver use by up to 93% compared to traditional designs.
Copper may be applied via paste formulas or electroplating, depending on which method works best for front-of-panel and back-of-panel use. Cold days favor conductivity and reduce resistance in metals, which is why solar panels are more efficient in winter. This variable is consistent across conductive metals.
Manufacturers grapple with metal supply challenges for the cells themselves. However, PV farm owners must consider that the supporting infrastructure for mounting systems, tracking equipment and structural components relies heavily on steel processing companies to provide materials for solar farm construction.
According to Steel Technologies, “While metallization paste gets the headlines, utility-scale PV farms also depend on steel processors to supply torque tubes and tracking system components, creating opportunities for steel fabricators to support the installation of the industry’s 703 GW output array.” From an agricultural and land management perspective, material challenges extend beyond the panels themselves. It can shape how installations are built, maintained and scaled over time.
Additionally, PV panels have an average lifespan of about 25 years, which means the U.S. may have as much as 1 million tons of PV waste by 2030 and an estimated 10 million tons by 2050. The EPA also finds that “solar panel waste could be a hazardous waste” because it contains heavy metals that can harm the environment when they leak into the soil, creating further issues. This is why selecting a safe, suitable replacement for panel components is an important consideration.
Essentially, there are two paths. If silver remains unreliable and costs continue to rise, it can slow the deployment of utility-scale development and delay projects. This will change how PV technologies are integrated into broader energy and land-use strategies.
However, if copper substitution proves effective and scalable, it could unlock an entirely new trajectory. With lower material costs and reduced supply risks, faster manufacturing time frames may become a reality.
The challenge is getting from one material to the other without compromising quality or limiting lifespan along the way. This requires more testing, collaboration between manufacturers and a stronger focus on long-term performance over short-term output gains. The solar industry has evolved in leaps and bounds, and it’s now vital that pivotal players consider the full supply chain, not just the materials in each cell.
The solar industry isn’t slowing down. Demand for clean energy keeps rising, and land use is becoming more strategic across various PV farms and utility infrastructures. The only change is the constraints currently fueling dynamic growth as the industry moves from silver to alternatives. Manufacturers must evolve to keep up with the challenges.

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