VDMA Photovoltaic – means of production : solar industry continues to invest strongly
Solar power has become competitive. This leads to continuously growing investments in production equipment – it also benefits the manufacturers of components, machinery and equipment for photovoltaics in Germany. New orders show for four consecutive quarters a growing market, which reached a ratio of orders to installed incinerators ( “Book-to-Bill”) of 1.6 in the second quarter 2016th. In the second quarter, the machinery and plant manufacturers posted in Germany a sales increase of 63 percent compared to the same period last year. Compared to the previous quarter (January to March 2016), sales grew by 55 percent. The proceeds of the first half along with the sales forecast for the third quarter reached already 92 percent of the entire annual turnover in 2015. “The high investment activity of solar cell manufacturers in the development of existing and new production capacity continues, production is at full capacity. Orders mainly come from the Asian region, “explains Dr. Peter Fath, Managing Director of RCT Solutions GmbH and Chairman of the Board of VDMA Photovoltaic Equipment.
Asia brings biggest business
The export ratio of German photovoltaic supplier is on the record level of 95 percent. The bread and butter business is still in East Asia , the thence derived share of total revenues for the second quarter of 2016 68 percent . A high proportion were able to post the United States : 22 percent of sales in the second quarter of 2016 were achieved across the Atlantic. Germany remains with a share of 6 percent Leader within Europe , other European countries together booked 4 percent of revenues . The strongest performance in the second quarter of 2016 was for the German photovoltaic machine once the production equipment for ( 60 percent ) the cell , followed by equipment for poly – silicon, ingots and wafers production by 21 percent , as well as equipment for the crystalline backend – the module production – ( 14 percent ) . Manufacturing solutions for thin film PV accounted for only 5 percent .
Order intake is developing very dynamically
Reason for joy is preparing the development of the total order intake. For four quarters, new orders now already rising continuously. Compared with the previous quarter, an increase of 23 percent was recorded. Compared to the previous quarter, order intake has increased by 47 percent. The regional allocation in the second quarter an extreme gravity Asia with 89 percent, while US and Europe are level at 4 percent and Germany knocked comes only at a meager 2 percent. “The order situation was very positive in the second quarter 2016th We see in the coming months continued positive development of incoming orders and sales. Efficiency-enhancing technologies for crystalline applications establish themselves further (PERC, PERT, etc.). Crystalline solar cell manufacturers are increasingly relying on heterojunction technology that promises the highest efficiencies. Many existing systems are upgraded with more efficient technologies, “says Dr. Jutta Trube, Director of VDMA Photovoltaic Equipment. The order backlog of photovoltaic engineering company in the second quarter of this year 6,5 months of production and thus is slightly above the value of the total-engineering (5.8 months in February 2016).
Approximately 100 VDMA members involved in currently the subject of photovoltaics . The issue was launched in 2007 as a collaboration of the VDMA sectors electronics production ( Productronic ) , Glass Technology , Energy , Organic Electronics , Robotics and Automation , Laser production technology and photonics , surface technology , vacuum technology and displays . With the establishment of the enlarged platform VDMA Photovoltaic Equipment on 30/03/2010 , the activities were extended to members and increases the visibility of the industry .
The German Engineering Federation (VDMA ) represents more than 3,100 companies in the medium-sized mechanical and plant engineering . With around 1,019,000 employees ( September 2015 ) in Germany and a turnover of 212 billion euros ( 2014 ) is the largest industrial employer and one of the total of Germany’s leading industries .
