Issue link: http://resourceworld.uberflip.com/i/581931
o c t o b e r / n o v e m b e r 2 0 1 5 www.resourceworld.com 9 the desire to move away from fossil fuels to create a broader energy mix was a central driver for this. However, the fall in oil prices over the past 12 months will act as a drag on uptake, primarily because some who sought to uti- lize solar when oil was at historic highs have put their installation plans on hold. Despite this, GFMS expects solar panel uptake to grow out to 2023, assisted by solar power reaching "grid parity" in more locations and improving its appeal still further. Grid parity is achieved when the cost of solar is less than or equates to the cost of power charged by a national grid. "If solar is already reaching grid parity in some regions, then you can assume it will go on to reach grid parity in more and more areas, particularly in emerging mar- kets with lots of sunlight, such as India," Rannestad said. All of this will be music to the ears of silver producers. Away from electronics and solar pan- els, silver is used as a catalyst for making ethylene oxide (EO) production. EO is then utilized in the making of anti-freeze, plas- tic bottles, detergents, paints, polyester fibres and much more. The silver catalysts must be replaced every few years, depend- ing on type and usage, and total demand from EO producers stood at 5.3 million ounces silver in 2014. Uptake is expected to surge to 8.6 million ounces by end- 2015, with most of the increase driven by Chinese demand. Silver's role in medicine has also con- tinued to develop, DiRienzo noted. "Silver is used on medical instruments and on the operating table, and it's there for one basic reason: its anti-bacterial properties," he said. Silver interrupts bacteria cells from forming the chemical bonds needed to develop and spread, while human cells remain unaffected. The use of silver in water purification, while not a new con- cept, has witnessed growing uptake as well. This is particularly noticeable in regions of the developing world where clean water supplies cannot be guaranteed. Silver is also utilized in niche areas, with smart glass that can block or let light through when certain levels of volt- age, light or heat are applied. Smart glass can help reduce air conditioning, heating or lighting costs and its uptake is grow- ing fast. Rannestad noted that one of her contacts had reported demand for silver utilized in smart glass was "going through the roof." Another developing niche is the "smart apparel" sector, where silver used in clothes acts as a deodorizer and helps preserve textiles. This dovetails with the desire many people now have for luxury sporting clothes that are durable and wear- able all the time. Another trend is the use of silver in technology like the Apple iWatch or smart necklaces that can interact with smartphones. There is a plethora of other uses for silver, including mirror coatings, elec- troplating, soldering or even traditional photographic development, which still has some uptake. All of these aspects and more besides round out silver's industrial uptake and make this metal so much more than simply gold's poor cousin. n