This info is from a "Silver Coin Investor, E-Course" email sent to me. Thought it of relevance to share as it explains in detail one of Silvers many industrial demand fundamentals. Hope dont mind for your benefit, I have edited out the promo extras... hope is still coherant. 'Solar energy has a big role to play in our clean-energy future. Silver - which has the highest electrical and thermal conductivity of any metal - is an essential component of the most common type of photovoltaic (PV) cell, the "thick film" cell. The silver used in PV cells is in the form of a conductive paste. This paste is created from a silver powder or silver flakes, refined from bars. A thick film PV cell requires about 3,700 ounces of silver to generate one megawatt of electricity. Right now, thick film PV cells represent about 80 percent of total PV cell production. The reason is simple. Even though they're more expensive to make, thick film cells are technically superior. As for the industry itself, while solar would still be considered an emerging technology, its rise in recent years has been nothing short of meteoric. The solar energy sector consumed approximately two million ounces (Moz) in 2001, but by 2010 was consuming 50 Moz annually. In 2011, that number is expected to increase to 70 Moz. And demand for solar (and the silver to support it) is expected to go up as fossil fuel prices soar and the government continues to push for increased PV cell production. So... what if there's a shortage? While there are other, less silver-intensive PV cells, they're technically inferior to thick film cells. There are no alternatives to silver in thick film cells, and for the industry to shift away from silver entirely would require time and significant technological advances. Silver's importance to the solar industry, combined with dwindling supply in the face of rapidly growing demand, is yet another indication of what we know to be inevitable - increase in silver prices."
