German solar equipment makers post 18% rise in sales in Q1 2014

Jun 5, 2014 - German solar equipment makers reported a 18% year-on-year increase in sales in the first quarter of 2014 due to rising demand and recovering solar markets outside Germany, German Engineering Association VDMA said today.

German manufacturers of components, machines and equipment for the photovoltaic (PV) industry reached a global market share of more than 50% in the first three months of the year, VDMA's photovoltaic producer's working group said.

Exports reached almost 92% of the companies' sales, marking an all-time high. The largest share of the shipments, some 70%, went to Asia, with China and Taiwan being the leading markets. The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region accounted for around 15% of the sales, VDMA added.

Order intake in the first quarter also grew by 31% year-on-year, the largest share of which, or 81%, came from Asia. Orders on the domestic market accounted for only 10% of the bookings and 4% of the intake came from the rest of Europe.

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