PANews reported on January 23 that, according to CCTV.com, silver prices have repeatedly hit new highs over the past year, with an increase of over 30% since 2026 alone. As the metal with the best electrical conductivity, silver has wide applications in the industrial field, with the photovoltaic manufacturing sector experiencing rapid growth in demand in recent years. Silver paste, made from silver, can be considered the "circulatory system" of photovoltaic cells, improving their energy conversion efficiency and output performance. Industry insiders stated that with the increase in global photovoltaic installations in recent years, the photovoltaic industry's annual demand for silver has exceeded 5,000 tons, accounting for one-sixth of global annual silver production. Analysis reveals that several listed companies have begun exploring "silver-free" and "silver-reduced" technologies, with related technologies expected to begin large-scale production capacity construction in 2026.