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.

ORLANDO, FL ― March 2011 ― 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.

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About International PV Equipment Association
Founded in May 2008, the International Photovoltaic Equipment Association (IPVEA) is an independent, non-profit organization of manufacturers and suppliers of photovoltaic (PV) fabrication equipment and related raw materials used in PV ingot, wafer, cell (crystalline and thin-film), and panel manufacturing. The overall mission of the association is to provide members with a forum for information, discussion and exchange of ideas, as well as ways to develop business opportunities and strategic partnerships. The association is the unified voice of the manufacturing segment of the PV industry. As such, the association evaluates and recommends exhibitions, conferences, sales channels and methods of communications that can be effective for its member companies. For more information, visit www.ipvea.org.