This report comes from the VDMA, the German Mechanical Engineering Industry Association . According to the VDMA, in the first half of 2018, 58% of sales were generated in this segment and 55% of sales were already booked compared to the previous year. The overall market for solar equipment shows a 24% increase in sales compared to the first quarter and a 35% increase over the same quarter in the previous year. In the second quarter, a ratio of orders to delivered systems (‘book-to-bill’) of 1 was achieved.

The export ratio of German photovoltaic equipment suppliers reached a record level of 89% between April and June. The core business continued to be in East Asia, with a share of total sales amounting to 82% in the second quarter of 2018; the leading market was China, with 39%. The strongest sales segment in the second quarter of 2018 for German photovoltaic manufacturers was thin-film photovoltaics (62%), followed by production equipment for cells (31%). Machinery for polysilicon, ingot, and wafer production accounted for 6% of sales, and production equipment for the production of modules 1% of sales.