Black Week | Clearance sale and losses – what is really happening and why solarcenter is staying

Something quite exciting is happening in the solar market right now—for you, for us and, frankly, long overdue for our shelves: our Black Week clearance sale.

From the outside, it may look like a classic warehouse-clearance campaign—or simply one of the countless “70% off” promotions. From the inside, it is the honest consequence of two turbulent years and an important decision about the future of our solarcenter division.

How this surplus arose

To put it mildly, 2022 was… unusual.

It felt as if every second person wanted to become energy-independent. Demand was enormous and supply was scarce. Manufacturers produced as if there were no tomorrow. Retailers like us pre-ordered whatever they could simply to obtain stock.

Then 2023 arrived—and the market suddenly slammed on the brakes. Despite the VAT exemption for PV systems, far too much stock was suddenly available, while many companies tried to jump on the bandwagon. Quantities already ordered still had to be accepted, even if they did not arrive until a year later.

In short: the boom was over, but the deliveries were not.

The result:

• Many retailers' warehouses are still full, including ours.
• Overcapacity and distress sales are pushing prices down.
• For end customers, that is excellent news: PV components have not been this affordable for a long time.
• For retailers, it often means little more than “losses, but with style”.

Many businesses are closing or have already done so—and often do not communicate it openly.

KACO's excellent hybrid inverters are a perfect example:

• KACO, a Siemens subsidiary, has been building inverters for more than 100 years.
• Its hybrid units are technically excellent, with features including three MPPTs and effective shade management.
• We placed a bold order in early 2023. It was delivered at the end of 2024, and we were obliged to accept it.
• The devices are current and highly recommended—we simply do not need 20 units of every power class sitting on the shelf.

The result: you can now buy these devices for significantly less than our original purchase price.

We call it: turning a planning mistake into a customer benefit.

What is still in the warehouse

• Inverters and battery storage from various manufacturers
• Various BMS units (battery management systems) and controllers
• Hybrid inverters
• Customer returns made within 14 days

In the age of Amazon and similar platforms, returns have created an ecosystem of their own. Some of our stock therefore consists of inspected returns—usually in as-new condition and returned within 14 days.

The packaging may occasionally show signs of wear, but you want the product rather than the shipping box, don't you?

Typical examples include various Victron charge controllers, Victron MultiPlus units, and individual products from Growatt and other manufacturers.

We no longer want to keep many of these products permanently in stock in the same breadth—not because they are technically outdated, but because warehousing creates unnecessary costs. 😉

Solar panels—not kept on the shelf, but still included for you

For Black Week, we want every product category to offer genuine savings—and of course that includes solar panels.

We have therefore decided to reduce the price of the genuinely excellent panels made by Heckert, one of the remaining German manufacturers.

And what about panels from China?

At the turn of the year, the Chinese government is ending export support of around 9% for solar panels supplied to Europe.

In plain English: objective achieved, market captured, subsidy no longer required.

Panel prices are already very low, so this change will not turn everything upside down. But it illustrates the current position very clearly:

During Black Week, European PV equipment is more affordable and readily available than ever before.

This is an unusually good time to obtain high-quality components on terms that would probably not be possible in a “normal” year.

Will solarcenter remain in business for the long term?

Yes—that is absolutely our intention.

Our new auteniQ brand

It allows us to continue employing our entire team in a meaningful way.

Financially sound

We are liquid and debt-free. In addition, the Black Week warehouse sale covers €400,000 worth of stock. That gives us room to manage another year of lower margins—without drama and without panic.

Streamlining our structures

For now, we will hold off on major additional investments in website optimisation. We have built one of the best solar shops, but it did not reverse the market trend. Our focus is therefore on guiding solarcenter and auteniQ through the market-consolidation phase in a stable position.

Instead of trying to offer everything to everyone, we will focus more strongly on selected, genuinely useful products—without compromising our service.

Many customers praise our excellent after-sales service, while others in the market do virtually nothing. For us, service is simply part of the job. Maximising profit must not be the overriding objective—either at solarcenter or at auteniQ.

In short

This is not a case of “we are emptying the warehouse and then quietly closing the door”.

And yes—you are welcome to keep in mind that you are not only getting a bargain, but also helping us a little.

One more thing: a solar system offers an excellent return, and now is a very good time to make it happen.

👉 Curious about our new auteniQ brand? Read the blog.

👉 Interested in entrepreneurship? Find honest insights, ideas and reflections here.

I would be delighted to receive your feedback at: a.kaub@inutec-int.com

Warm regards,
Your Alexander