any electrical engineers in the hc crowd?

From various things I've read, I see that both copper and silver are stand out conductors of electricity.

I think Silver conducts electricity about 5% better than copper.

How advantageous is that 5% conductivity when silver is about 100 times as expensive?

Is the increased conductivity of silver hugely significant when it is used in:

(1) Electrical solder between copper wires
(2) Coatings on electrical plugs


I like silver as shiny stuff, think it is way undervalued compared to the other precious metals.... but as an "industrial" going forward, it seems to me like COPPER is the metal that is MOST UNDERVALUED..

How essential is silver in our electrical world? How much is that 5% increased conductivity of silver over copper an essential?


I suppose that copper is more readily retieved, recycled than silver....

What other alternatives are there (in alloys, etc, new technologies) that are likely to change the reliance on copper, silver going forward?