Silver from China's retired PV modules peaks nine years before capacity

Silver released from retired PV modules in China will peak at about 739 metric tons (MT) a year in 2044, nine years before retired capacity peaks at 70.77 GW in 2053, according to a study led by Nankai University in Tianjin. The mismatch arises because early installation cohorts were smaller but carried far more silver per watt than the larger, leaner cohorts that followed. The researchers estimate that average silver intensity in modules installed in China fell 62% between 2018 and 2025, from 23.33 mg/W to 8.86 mg/W. Over the same period, annual silver going into new installations rose 170%, ...

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