Last German solar glass factory in Tschernitz reports bankruptcy

Last German solar glass factory in Tschernitz reports bankruptcy

In the middle of an economic storm, Glasmanufaktur Brandenburg GmbH (GBM), Germany's last solar glass factory, has filed for bankruptcy. The company has been fighting for its survival since the end of 2023, but the challenges in the European solar industry were simply too great. 243 jobs are now at risk because the workforce was sent in short -time work. Managing Director Nico Succolowsky blames the difficult economic situation for the imbalance and realizes that the melting tanks in the factory remains cold. The price difference between domestic and Chinese solar glass is enormous: While local glass is sold for 7 to 7.50 euros per square meter, competitors from China can offer competitive prices of around 4 euros. This makes the situation even more tense for GBM and questions the sun for the German solar industry. According to ND-Aktuell, the AfD received 61.9% of the vote in the last federal election in Tschernitz, which underlines the political mood in the region. While there are no refugee accommodation in Tschernitz, the green party did not even receive 2% of the votes.

When visiting Christian Görke (Die Linke) in March 2023, the lack of support from the state for the domestic solar industry was addressed. "The state failed," said Görke, at a time when Robert Habeck was still working as Minister of Economy, but is no longer in office. The situation could not be more critical, since not only GBM, but also other companies such as Meyer Burger and Solarwatt think about production reductions or even closures if there are no new funding. An urgent topic is the discussion about new funding instruments, the resilience bonuses that are intended to offer higher feed -in tariffs for European products. However, these could also lead to significant additional costs for solar funding. According to Capital the FDP rejects such market interventions and argues that the price competition cannot be obtained with low-wage countries.

global challenges of the solar industry

The GBM bankruptcy is not an isolated case. A similar picture is also shown in the USA with the large solar installer Sunnova. On June 8, 2025, Sunnova reported bankruptcy after the company, which had previously been $ 10 billion, had to deal with high interest, inflation and freezing subsidies. The problems at Sunnova illustrate the dependence of the solar industry on state support and could be the beginning of greater difficulties for numerous solar companies. After all, the global solar energy market has developed heavily in the past ten years, but state subsidies should not be expected too much, since the end of this aid could lead to a shrinking of the sector, such as [Eike Klima Energy] (https://eike-klima-energie.eu/2025/07/02/sunnova insolvenz-signalized-harte-zeit-fuer-die-solarbranche/) reports.

The dispute over funding and subsidies in the German solar industry shows that the future remains uncertain. It becomes clear that without timely political support, the entire industry could slip into a deep crisis. The clashes between established manufacturers and start-ups continue to heat up while the support fluctuates from politics. And while profitable solar glass was produced in Tschernitz, the question remains whether the sun can open again for the German solar industry or whether it will soon become completely dark.