Soaring prices for silver are putting an extra squeeze on solar panel makers as they look to end more than two years of losses amid brutal competition in the sector. Spot silver prices surged to a record above $93 an ounce this week, more than tripling over the past year. That means the trace amount of the metal used in solar cells now accounts for 29% of the total cost of a panel, up from just 3.4% in 2023 and 14% last year, according to BloombergNEF. Panel makers are responding by raising prices and accelerating their plans to substitute silver with cheaper materials like copper. The added costs are coming as ... (full story)