We in the precious metals industry spend a lot of time touting the virtues of gold, but there is another metal that should make every bullion enthusiast stand at attention right now: silver.

Silver is historically undervalued right now at around $17 an ounce even as the US Mint continually runs out of silver eagles.

When the price is this low (in fact, at least 35% UNDER mining cost) it should be the case that demand is low, but it is not! Demand for silver is high and set to go higher – whichever way the economy goes.

That is exactly why silver has our attention and should have yours, too! We think the silver market price is unsustainably repressed and is about to slingshot skyward at any moment.

Why? One reason is the plethora of industrial uses for silver.

People will sometimes say that gold isn't much good as an investment because it has little or no intrinsic usefulness. You can't eat it. It can't keep you warm at night. It has few industrial uses, so what is the point? We disagree, but in any case, those arguments do not apply to silver. This precious metal is more than just a pretty face – it is an industrial workhorse as well.

Here are 4 of the most fascinating uses for silver you may have never thought about.

1. Photovoltaic technology is taking off – and devouring silver.

Solar energy, until recently, has been expensive to harness and too weak and undependable to replace combustible energy sources. That is changing with advances in photovoltaic cells, which convert sunlight into electricity at the atomic level. Solar panels contain photovoltaic cells or photons of light which transform electrons into direct current carriers. Silver is incredibly conductive, so it is printed onto the cells to carry the current. Its reflective properties are also put to use in the solar panels to harness sunlight. With these advances, solar energy is rapidly becoming a serious contender in the energy market. And, as this technology continues to develop, the industry's need for silver will skyrocket.