TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - CERAMICS AND GLASS - Preferred Components: The glass particles comprise diphosphorus pentoxide (P2O5) and divanadium pentoxide (V2O5).    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Composition: The paste composition further comprises silver particles. In the paste composition, the total content of silver alloy particles and silver particles is 70-94 mass%, and the total content of the solvent and the resin is 3-30 mass%. The composition comprises 0.1-10 mass% of glass particles. In the paste composition, the content of the copper particles with respect to the silver or silver alloy particles is 9-88 mass%. EXAMPLE - A paste composition (test) comprising (parts): silver alloy particles with particle diameter of 1.5 mu m (55); silver particles with particle diameter of 1.1 mu m (45); P19 type glass particles (2) (where the glass composition included (parts by weight): divanadium pentoxide (32), diphosphorous pentoxide (26), barium oxide) (10), manganese oxide (8), sodium oxide (1), potassium oxide (3), zinc oxide (10), and tungsten oxide (10); and the glass had a softening point of 447 degrees C and a crystallization temperature of greater than or equal to 600 degrees C); and 4% ethyl cellulose containing diethylene glycol monobutyl ether acetate (15) was prepared. Similarly a comparative composition comprising silver particles with particle diameter of 1.1 mu m (100); P19 type glass particles (2); and 4% ethyl cellulose containing diethylene glycol monobutyl ether acetate (15) was also prepared. By using both the test and comparative compositions, electrodes for photovoltaic cells (test and comparative photovoltaic cells) were prepared. The power generation performance of the test photovoltaic cell in terms of a relative value when the value measured in comparative cell was taken as 100.0 was measured. The result showed that the test photovoltaic cell comprising the electrode prepared using the test composition showed conversion efficiency of 100.2; fill factor of 100.5; open voltage of 99.7; and short circuit current of 99.7.