SolarWorld’s management resign as official insolvency starts

August 1, 2017
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Email
The Management Board, including Philipp Koecke, Frank Henn, Colette Rückert-Hennen and Jürgen Stein have resigned their positions at the company. However, SolarWorld AG’s founder and chairman, Dr. Ing. Eh Frank Asbeck was not stated to have resigned his positions at the company. Image: SolarWorld AG

Bankrupt German integrated PV module manufacturer SolarWorld AG has announced the resignation of its Management Board, excluding founder and chairman, Dr. Ing. Eh Frank Asbeck. 

SolarWorld AG said in a statement that the official insolvency proceedings related to only the assets of SolarWorld AG had started as expected on August 1, 2017, while the ongoing search for an investor, continued. 

This article requires Premium SubscriptionBasic (FREE) Subscription

Try Premium for just $1

  • Full premium access for the first month at only $1
  • Converts to an annual rate after 30 days unless cancelled
  • Cancel anytime during the trial period

Premium Benefits

  • Expert industry analysis and interviews
  • Digital access to PV Tech Power journal
  • Exclusive event discounts

Or get the full Premium subscription right away

Or continue reading this article for free

The Management Board, including Philipp Koecke, Frank Henn, Colette Rückert-Hennen and Jürgen Stein have resigned their positions at the company. However, SolarWorld AG’s founder and chairman, Dr. Ing. Eh Frank Asbeck was not stated to have resigned his positions at the company. 

Last week, Horst Piepenburg the insolvency administrator noted that a group of investors could takeover of the production sites before the end of July, saving around 450 jobs as a deal had essentially been brokered for the two manufacturing plants.

On entering insolvency proceedings, Piepenburg noted that the “ongoing search for an investor the accompanying investor process, especially concerning the manufacturing sites of SolarWorld Industries Sachsen GmbH and SolarWorld Industries Thüringen GmbH have no substantial impact on the assets, financial and earning situation of SolarWorld AG.”

A deal to save SolarWorld AG’s main manufacturing operations has been claimed in media reports to include the Qatar Foundation, a major investor in SolarWorld AG through Qatar Solar as well as the involvement of Eicke R. Weber, former Fraunhofer ISE Director with other potential investors, believed to be located in Germany.

The group companies entering insolvency proceedings include; SolarWorld Industries GmbH, SolarWorld Industries, Thuringia, SolarWorld Innovations GmbH and SolarWorld Industries Germany GmbH.

Read Next

Premium
December 19, 2025
PV Talk: Luminous Energy's Guy Lavarack says that interface risk, grid risk and talent risk are all key risk factors in Europe.
Premium
December 18, 2025
PV Talk: Paul Gebhardt of Fraunhofer ISE discusses reliability issues facing advanced PV modules, an issue which isn't going anywhere.
December 17, 2025
JA Solar is a lead partner in a joint venture that broke ground this week on a new 2GW solar PV cell, 2GW module and 1GWh energy storage manufacturing facility in Egypt.
December 17, 2025
Germany has revised down the price ceiling for roof-mounted solar PV systems to €0.1/kWh (US$0.117/kWh) for tenders to be held in 2026.
December 15, 2025
Solar manufacturer Maxeon has filed a new patent infringement lawsuit against fellow PV manufacturer Aiko before the Munich Regional Court I in Germany.
December 12, 2025
India’s flagship solar PV manufacturing incentive has driven “robust growth” in the sector since its launch, but hurdles remain to building a complete domestic supply chain.

Upcoming Events

Solar Media Events
February 3, 2026
London, UK
Solar Media Events
March 24, 2026
Dallas, Texas
Solar Media Events
April 15, 2026
Milan, Italy
Solar Media Events
June 16, 2026
Napa, USA
Solar Media Events
November 24, 2026
Warsaw, Poland