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301 Moved Permanently

301 Moved Permanently


nginx

According to analysis from NPD Solarbuzz, global solar photovoltaic installations added during the last quarter of the year are forecast to exceed 19.5 GW, producing a quarterly record. In fact, the deployments are expected to equal the total PV installations for 2010.

Such forecasts are likely to brighten the balance sheets of PV manufacturing equipment suppliers.

“Global PV end-market demand continues to set new records, restoring investor confidence in the PV industry after several years of overcapacity and declining profits,” says Michael Barker, senior analyst at NPD Solarbuzz. “Having been put on hold over the past six months, due mainly to trade-related uncertainties, record quarterly and annual shipment levels will prove crucial to investors that have been hesitant to commit to new capacity funds.”

Bedford, Mass.-based Spire Corp. says its revenues for the nine months of the year were $11.7 million, a 6% increase from $11.0 million for the same nine-month period in 2013. Nevertheless, revenues for the third quarter were $3.7 million, a 10% decrease from $4.2 million for the same quarter of 2013. The company attributes this loss primarily to its exiting of the biomedical business in 2013. At the same time, Spire says it has experienced an increase in its solar module equipment sales.

“Based upon our recent activities, revenues recognized to date and expected shipments, for the remainder of 2014 we anticipate a doubling of our 2013 solar business volume,” says Rodger W. LaFavre, president and CEO of Spire. “Coupled with the increased level of client inquiries, we certainly feel that the forecasted demand for turnkey lines has now materialized and will extend into 2015.”

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Canary in a coal mine

With German companies representing over 50% of the world’s market share for PV manufacturing equipment, Germany remains a bellwether for the health of the global industry. According to the German Engineering Federation’s (VDMA) analysis of photovoltaic equipment manufacturers, 52% of companies report an improvement in their overall financial situation compared with last year. At the same time, only 17% of responding companies reported an actual increase in orders over last year.

According to the VDMA, cell production equipment was the strongest market segment for German PV equipment in the first half of the year, with 39% of the total. Manufacturing systems and components for thin-film followed with 33%. Equipment for crystalline back-end module production accounted for 15%, the association reports, with equipment for polysilicon, ingot and wafer manufacturing trailing at 13%.

“We had a great start into 2014,” says Peter Fath, managing director of RCT Solutions GmbH and chairman of VDMA’s PV equipment group, which represents about 100 companies. “Turnover and incoming orders rose by 30% compared to last year. The tightening of anti-dumping levies on Chinese and Taiwanese solar products, however, has considerably slowed down the economic recovery of the industry.”

Thus, the economic engine driving PV machinery demand significantly slowed down compared to the situation in the middle of the year. The VDMA had been projecting an increase in orders for German PV equipment makers of up to 27% for the year, taking into account an expected cooling period in the second half of the year. However, the association is now projecting a total increase of only 17% for the year.

Although this represents a significant improvement after the dark period of the last few years, it is nevertheless disappointing. Yet, hope springs eternal. The VDMA cites market research pointing to a global increase of up to 50 GW for the year, which should translate into orders for new PV production lines.

“The VDMA assumes that the gap between supply and demand will be closed by the end of 2014,” says Florian Wessendorf, managing director of VDMA’s PV equipment group. “This means increasing investment in modern equipment and technology at the beginning of 2015. From our point of view, the German PV machinery industry is optimally prepared for the emerging investment cycle.”

Accordingly, the association is expecting its membership to report increases in demand of at least 16% in 2015.

“Although we feel a cooling of the market environment at the moment, we remain optimistic with regard to the future,” Fath says. “All indicators suggest that the German PV machinery industry will keep its position.”

Some notable 2014 PV manufacturing deals include the following:

Marketplace: PV Manufacturing Equipment

Solar Manufacturing Makes A Comeback

By Michael Puttré

Key indicators are showing an upswing in demand for PV manufacturing - but a home run might take awhile.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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