Insolvency shock: Last solar glass manufacturer in Europe's bankruptcy!

Insolvency shock: Last solar glass manufacturer in Europe's bankruptcy!

The solar industry in Germany is faced with a deep cut: the Glasmanufaktur Brandenburg GmbH in Tschernitz Delivered bankruptcy on July 7, 2025. This company is the last of its kind throughout Europe and employed around 250 people who now have to worry about their existence.

The closure is not surprising, as an economic imbalance with the location has been running for a long time. Managing Director Nico Succolowsky was forced to take this step. Another sign of difficulties is that 247 employees have been in short work since March 2025. Brandenburg's Minister of Economic Affairs Daniel Keller was disappointed with the bankruptcy and found that there was no market for solar glass from Chernitz under the current conditions.

competitive pressure through foreign competition

A main reason for bankruptcy is the high energy prices and the immense competition from subsidized products from China. In 2024, solar systems worth 1.8 billion euros were imported to Germany, with an impressive 86 percent of them from Chinese production. Keller had already called for measures at the beginning of the year to secure the competitiveness of the domestic solar glass industry and point out the dumping prices of imports.

The comprehensive pressure on local industry is also also underlined by a study by the Federal Association of Solar Economics shows that around 107.5 gigawatts of solar power are now installed in Germany. You strive for a target of 215 gigawatts by 2030. It is therefore important to find solutions quickly to promote domestic production and to regain market share.

a worrying trend

The bankruptcy of GMB falls at a time when the Solar expansion in Germany gets stalling . After a boom in recent years, signs of an impending insolvency wave are already evident in the craft. The number of installers has doubled since 2020, but the demand for home complexes is falling. Experts warn of an oversupply of solar power, while more and more companies have difficulties in asserting themselves on the market.

Peter Knuth, Managing Director of a solar trade, reports on recruitment difficulties and problems in the procurement of materials. The questions arise: How should industry thrive in such a difficult environment? And how can politics ensure that domestic businesses do not go under? The Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems recently found that Germany has lost market shares through targeted Chinese industrial policy. It is time to stop.

The district has already assured support for the employees concerned and the municipality of Tschernitz. But will that be enough to pull the cart out of the dirt? One thing is clear: the social policy effects of this bankruptcy are considerable and could draw large circles.