The International PV Equipment Association (IPVEA), an independent, non-profit organization of manufacturers and suppliers of photovoltaic (PV) fabrication equipment and related raw materials, announces it will provide key information about PV manufacturing equipment worldwide.
Targeted to begin this month, the program, which has been developed by VLSI Research on behalf of IPVEA, will collect monthly sales and billings data on PV manufacturing equipment worldwide. The information will be collected by an independent third party in a confidential manner and prepared on an aggregate basis in such a way that the data cannot be attributed to individual companies.
“The point has been reached where the PV equipment industry needs timely and accurate statistics that cover the global market,” said John West, managing director of VLSI Research Europe Ltd.
IPVEA members will receive a consolidated report while survey respondents who are not IPVEA members will receive a summary of the results covering the period for which they participated. Additionally, general statistics will be made available to the industry through IPVEA press releases. A full report with commentary and further analysis will be available through subscription to VLSI Research’s PV Manufacturing Equipment Database.
“The IPVEA Books to Bill program will be an essential source of information and analysis on the global equipment market,” said Bryan Ekus, managing director of IPVEA. “Having this new program in place will identify the key trends shaping and driving the global PV equipment marketplace.”
Because VLSI Research will represent the entire PV Manufacturing Equipment market, estimates will be added for companies that did not respond.
