Sonnen files insolvency in Germany as US sales double — SkimNews
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- sonnen GmbH filed for insolvency in Germany on October 22, informing approximately 400 employees in Wildpoldsried, Bavaria, as reported by Handelsblatt.
- TIVEN, the investment group that acquired sonnen from Shell two months prior, now owns the entire global business, including sonnen USA.
- sonnen USA says its sales have doubled and production has tripled year over year, with expanded manufacturing in Stone Mountain, Georgia.
- sonnen USA expects to deliver over 180 megawatt-hours of residential battery storage by 2026, driven largely by participation in virtual power plants (VPPs).
- sonnen GmbH intends to continue supporting more than 150,000 existing customers, though numerous subsidiaries will be wound down or enter self-administered insolvency.
- Blake Richetta, US CEO, stated that TIVEN is committed to sonnen USA’s long-term success in the North American VPP market.
Why it matters: Homeowners with sonnen batteries face uncertainty about long-term service and software support despite assurances, as the German parent’s collapse contrasts sharply with U.S. growth claims—highlighting a split operation where customer risk rises even as sales expand. The 400 German jobs lost and the winding down of subsidiaries signal deep structural failure at the core of a company now banking on American market performance.
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