Conference Speakers

-

Guido Agostinelli leads the work on Sustainable Supply Chains at IFC, the private investment arm of the World Bank Group. Prior to that he was Sector Head for Solar Energy in the Global Energy Infrastructure team, where he dealt with the corporation's investments in Solar PV and Distributed Generation solutions. He created investment opportunities and worked on projects for the World Bank Group totaling more than $2 billion. Prior to joining IFC in 2014, Guido has been managing partner at Syntegra Solar, an international business advisory firm, and senior partner in the venture capital team at Good Energies, a fund focused on renewable energies that backed some of the most successful IPOs in the solar sector in the late 2000s. Earlier in his career, he has held managing positions and served in the advisory boards of leading international R&D institutes such as IMEC and CSEM. Guido holds a PhD in engineering from the University of Gent and an MBA from SDA Bocconi in Milan.

Having joined in 2014, Adele's career at Lightsource by includes servicing as our Head of Global Business Operations, leading the business transformation and digitalisation strategy, and prior to that as Director of Asset Management. Under her guidance, we have successfully implemented several digital transformation strategies, steering Lightsource by through a significant period of change with drive, compassion, and determination. Before joining us, Adele was a Senior Manager at Platina Partners, a private equity fund specialised in renewable energy investments across Europe, where she was responsible for the asset management of a portfolio of wind and solar PV assets. At Platina, Adele was also an Investment Manager with responsibilities over the development and acquisition of solar PV projects in Southern Europe. Prior to this role, Adele served as a corporate and investment bank analyst at Citi. Adele chaired the Lifecycle Quality Workstream at Solar Power Europe from 2020 to 2022. She holds an MSc in Economics for Arts, Culture and Communications Summa Cum Laude from L. Bocconi University in Milan.

Dr Julián Ascencio-Vásquez has more than eight years of experience in the field of PV yield and O&M optimization, currently as Senior Staff Engineer at the Solar Centre of Excellence (CoE) of Envision Digital, and is an active member of the International Energy Agency - Task 13 PVPS Programme. His primary R&D activities include designing and implementing performance and risk modelling and assessment algorithms of PV systems operating worldwide. Before Envision Digital, he worked for several renewable energy companies in Chile, Belgium and France. His academic background includes a PhD in Electrical Engineering from the University of Ljubljana, Slovenia, received in 2021, a B.Sc. in Civil Electrical Engineering from the P. Catholic University of Valparaiso, Chile, M.Sc. in Electrical Engineering and Sustainable Development from the ESIEE-Amiens, France, and M.Sc. in Automated Systems Engineering from the University of Picardie Jules Verne, France. He is the first author and contributor of over 30 scientific articles and reports and a participant and speaker at the most prestigious solar R&D international conferences.

Ignacio Asenjo is policy officer in the renewable energy and system integration unit in the Directorate-General for Energy of the European Commission. He follows, among other files, solar energy, power purchase agreements, electricity grids or flexibility. In previous positions with the European Commission, he dealt with energy infrastructure and international relations, including postings in Beijing and Brasilia. He holds a political sciences degree from Sciences-Po Paris and a College of Europe Masters.

PhD in applied Physics at Physics Department, University of Milan. He studied Physics at University of Milano specializing in nanomaterials for energy applications. From 2012 to 2022 he worked at the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission and specifically at the European Solar Test Installation (ESTI). His main role was to design and execute experiments aimed to assess the performances of thin film PV devices ranging from single cells to large area modules and estimate the long term lifetime and degradation rate through accelerated stress test (indoor vs outdoor). From Oct 2023 he started to work at TUV Rheinland as global manager in PV sector. One of his main tasks is to maintain the highest quality standard in the testing and inspection services of PV modules, focusing particular attention to the update and development of new measurement procedures. Since 2023 he is official member of the IEC Technical Committee 82 and actively participates to the activity of Working Group 2.

While studying Mechatronics at the university of applied sciences in Ulm, Julius Bäurle works in the research and development of innovative battery management systems at id-eee. His expertise and passion revolves around methodological prototyping, solar power electronics and battery storage systems.

Dr. Hamed Beheshti, CEO and Co-founder of Boreal Light GmbH in Berlin, is a visionary leader dedicated to transforming water access in remote regions. He has developed a pioneering solar desalination system, providing affordable and safe solutions for communities worldwide. Through Boreal Light GmbH and initiatives like WaterKiosk Ltd, Dr. Beheshti ensures access to life-changing water technologies in East Africa and Latin America. Additionally, he founded the OffGrid Water Alliance, representing the sector internationally and advocating for sustainable development. With his expertise, Dr. Beheshti inspires audiences globally, driving conversations on the importance of addressing water scarcity in underserved areas for a brighter future.

Josefin Berg, associate director in the Clean Energy Technology group at S&P Global Commodity Insights, analyzes the trends and strategies in the downstream photovoltaic (PV) market. Her focus areas include PV demand and forecasts, company strategies (developers and engineering, procurement and construction providers), mergers and acquisitions, costs and the integration of PV in the power generation mix. She has been following the ever-changing PV market since 2010, starting with Europe and now leading a team of analysts around the world. Berg authors reports on PV markets and trends, and she regularly speaks at industry events. She holds a Master of Science in environmental engineering from Uppsala University, Sweden. She speaks English, French, Spanish and Swedish and is based in Barcelona, Spain.

Jessica Berneiser has been working as a researcher in the team "User Behavior and Field Tests" at the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE since 2018. In her research, she examines barriers and drivers of the energy transition, the acceptance of renewable energies and environmental policy measures as well as their social and socio-economic impact. One of her research foci is the social acceptance of agrivoltaics in sub-Saharan Africa. The role of efficacy beliefs in the context of rural electrification is also part of her PhD at the University of Groningen. Furthermore, she has been working as a scientific advisor for the German Council of Experts on Climate Change (ERK) since 2022.

Jiri Bim is a consultant for several Czech companies that are developing PV and Agri-PV project pipelines in Czechia. He deals with aspects of permitting and zoning as well as grid connection and other technical aspects. He has hands-on experience developing ground-mounted PV projects. He is also PhD. student and researcher at FEE CTU in Prague and his main topic are Economic aspects of renewable energy sources. He has focused on agrivoltaics and is also active in establishing legislation for agrivoltaics in CZ and Central Europe. From January 2022 he is a Head of the agrivoltaics section in the Czech Solar Association. Now he focuses mainly on regulation implementation and development large scale photovoltaics and agrivoltaics installations in the Czech Republic.

Philipp is an international expert in island energy supply and rural electrification. He conducted a PhD in engineering about 'Barriers to implementing renewable energies on Caribbean islands' at the TU Berlin. In 2011, he joined the Reiner Lemoine Institut and he started to develop the Off-Grid Systems Research Unit, which he is currently heading. Within the Unit, he develops and manages projects and strategic processes. In 2019 Philipp was appointed Visiting Scholar in the Renewable and Appropriate Energy Laboratory (RAEL) of the University of California, Berkeley as part of the C-BEAR+ project and he is a selected member of the Arab-German Young Academy of Sciences and Humanities (AGYA) at the Berlin Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities. Since 2020 he is also leading the RLS-Graduate School on Energy System Transition with currently 6 PhD students.

Dr. Sylvain Brimaud works as scientist and team leader at the Zentrum für Sonnenenergie und Wasserstoff Forschung Baden-Württemberg (ZSW, Germany) since 2018. He received his PhD in 2009 from the University of Poitiers (France) and then moved to Ulm University (Germany) as post-doc. His research works focus on the basic understanding electrochemical/electrocatalytic processes and the development of functional electrodes for electrochemical power sources, in cooperation with academic and industrial partners.

Zackes is one of the most established moderators on the topic of sustainable economic transformation and the founder of Gewinne Zukunft - one the top 3 sustainability podcasts in the DACH region. He specializes in building bridges: between the disruptive startup ecosystem and established companies, between traditional industries and the economy of the future, between sustainability pioneers and those who aspire to be. Whether as a keynote speaker, in his interview podcast 'Gewinne Zukunft,' or as a moderator, his mission is always to help decision-makers courageously drive the transformation to a sustainable economy. With over 100 pioneer stories under his belt, he can offer a broad insight into the crucial knowledge, strategies, and tactics of trailblazers. You can listen to Gewinne Zukunft on any available Podcast-platform.

Head of Product Lifecycle Management, KACO new energy GmbH Arvid joined KACO new energy as Head of Product Lifecycle Management for PV string inverters in October 2023. Arvid had previously spend 12 years in different product management roles in the building technology industry. He had his first experience with the PV industry from 2008 to 2012, working for a machine builder for production equipment for PV module manufacturing.

Isabella Caschetto is Product Manager at SMA Solar Technology AG, where she is responsible for CAMOPO.com - a commercial optimization software for Hybrid Power Plants. Her focus is on developing digital products and business models for energy market integration and optimized plant operation. She has deep exercise in energy market and energy management and formerly served as energy consultant for industrial customers supporting them in optimizing energy purchasing and usage.

With over 13 years of dedicated experience in the Renewable Energy sector, JP stands at the forefront of innovation as the CEO of Renewabl. His expertise lies in pioneering digital enterprises within the Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) landscape, driving transformative change in the renewable energy industry. Before spearheading the digital frontier of renewable energy, JP focused on physical trading across diverse commodities. This foundational experience endowed him with a comprehensive understanding of market dynamics and a keen insight into navigating complex ecosystems. Under JP's visionary leadership, Renewabl continues to redefine industry standards, leveraging cutting-edge technologies and strategic insights to catalyse sustainable energy solutions.

Tomaso Charlemont is an executive with four decades of experience in Business Development and Supply Chain. After more than 20 years in the field of data communication, he embraced a second career in renewables in 2008. Over the past 16 years Tomaso developed and consolidated his experience in Solar PV joining inverter OEMs Satcon and Chint Power Systems, French EPC Vergnet and British renewables developer RES. Beginning of 2022 he joined BayWa r.e. where he heads the PV Revamping and Repowering business across the EMEA Region addressing with his strong experience the enormous potential of modernizing underperforming PV assets. BayWa r.e. is Europe's leading revamping and repowering expert. Over the past 5 years BayWa r.e. teams have completed over 100 utility-scale projects in 7 countries for a cumulated installed capacity of over 320MW. BayWa r.e. is trusted in all major European markets, with dedicated multidisciplinary teams in Germany, Italy, Spain, UK & Ireland, and France.

Jenny Chase is an analyst with BloombergNEF's global Solar Insight Service. She joined BNEF mid-2005 and launched the Solar Insight Service in early 2006, and ran the team from Bloomberg's Zurich office until late 2022. She then stepped down from management and continues to write about and analyze the solar industry as part of the team. Jenny is the author of a book, Solar Power Finance Without the Jargon, published by World Scientific Publishing with a second edition new in 2024. She holds a BA in Physical Sciences and an MSci in Physics from the University of Cambridge, England, and breeds West of England geese. She is on Twitter as @solar_chase and Mastodon as @solar_chase@mastodon.green.

Gianni Chianetta is Founder & Chair at Greening the Islands Foundation, Founder and CEO at The Green Consulting Group, member of the Steering Committee of the of the Global Renewable Alliance and of the Global Alliance for Sustainable Energy, Chairman of Worldwide Carbon Price and member of the Advisory Board at REN21. He has been working in the area of energy since 2003. He has been, Head of Comms & External Affairs at BP Italy, Managing Director at BP Solar Italy, Founder and Chairman of the first Italian Solar PV Industry Association for three consecutive terms when he negotiated the five Photovoltaic Energy Incentive Decrees (feed in-tariff) with the Italian Government, that has brought the installed capacity from about 35 MWp to more than 20 GWp. He also chaired the National Committee for Solar Energy of the Italian Ministry of the Environment, was member of the Steering Committee of the Coalition for Action of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), and member of the Strategy Committee of Solar Power Europe. Mr Chianetta founded the Global Network of National PV Associations in 2007, which has been the basis for the Global Solar Council being elected Co-Chairman and Chairman before taking on the role of CEO. He has a degree in Mechanical & Management Engineering and masters/seminars at: Middlesex University (London; Kellogg School of Management (Chicago); SDA Bocconi Milano (Milan); Istituto de Empresa (Madrid).

Liam Coman is a solar research analyst within the Clean Energy Technology research team at S&P Global. He researches the global PV inverter market within the solar supply chain. He works with suppliers to analyse trends, produce market forecasts and assess the competitive landscape of the solar inverter industry. Prior to joining S&P Global, Mr. Coman worked for an engineering consultancy specialising in environmental regulation and policy compliance. He holds an M.Eng in Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering from Trinity College Dublin.

Mrs. Lisa R. Cummins, in July 2020 was invited to join the Cabinet of Barbados as Minister of Tourism and International Transport after being appointed in May 2018 to October, 2022 as a Senator in the Upper House of Parliament. Presently, Lisa serves as the Minister of Energy and Business Development. A former career diplomat from 1997 to 2008, she served at the Headquarters of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade where she covered the United Nations before being posted to the Barbados Embassy in Washington, DC. An International Trade Specialist by training, she was recruited by the Commonwealth Secretariat in 2008 as a Trade Policy Advisor and posted to Kampala, Uganda as lead technical advisor and a member of the negotiating team for services in the East African Community trade talks with Europe and the EAC Common Market. Minister Cummins holds an undergraduate degree in International Relations and Diplomacy (UWI-Mona), a Master of Science in International Trade Policy (UWI - Cave Hill) and a post-graduate certificate in Professional Education from the Harvard Kennedy School of Public Policy on Public Private Partnerships.

Xavier Daval holds a Master's Degree in Electronics, Electrotechnics, and Automatism from the University of Lyon. As the Founder of KiloWattsol, he established France's first Solar Technical Advisory firm in 2007, specializing in all technical aspects of the solar value chain from manufacturing to development and finance of PV projects. Prior to this, Xavier served as Director for a NY Stock Listed Company, overseeing EMEA for the supply of tools for the electronic industry. Xavier Daval is not only a seasoned professional but also actively contributes to academia. He serves as an Associate Teacher at Lyon-1 University and ENTPE Engineering School, sharing his wealth of knowledge in electronic engineering. Furthermore, he is a Guest Lecturer for Entrepreneurship at EM-Lyon, one of Europe's top 10 business schools. His commitment to advancing the global solar industry is underscored by a proven track record of leadership and innovation. Beyond his entrepreneurial ventures, Xavier holds influential positions in the renewable energy sector. He is recognized as one of the leading voices of Solar in France, regularly delivering keynote speeches that shape industry perspectives. Frequently quoted by the press, Xavier provides insightful commentary on solar technology, industry trends, and policy developments.

David Daßler received his M.Sc. degree in Applied Mathematics from the Leipzig University of Applied Sciences (HTWK Leipzig). Since 2012, he has been working at Fraunhofer CSP in the field of reliability and energy yield assessment of solar modules and systems. 2015 - 2021: Scientist with a focus on energy yield evaluation and modelling with a special interest in Big Data, machine learning and statistics. 2021 - today: Head of team "PV System Assessment & Diagnostics" His main area of research is the application of mathematics in the field of photovoltaics, the requirements for data quality of monitoring data, the detectability of defects as well as risk minimisation within portfolio analysis.

Wannes Demarcke is Policy Expert Solar of ODE Vlaanderen, the sector federation for renewable energy in Flanders (Belgium). He is responsible for the advocacy for the solar and storage industry and follows up market evolutions. As such, he is in regular contact with members, press, policy makers and stakeholders to inform and advise them.

Martin Dennenmoser is leading the R&D Team of BayWa r.e. Solar Projects. He is responsible for the technical product development and improvement of utility PV parks and Battery systems. He has deep technical knowledge within Solar PV and Batteries as he is working since 18 years in the field of renewables. He worked in a module manufacture company, in Fraunhofer ISE for battery and off-grid applications, as consultant for business models for batteries, as project engineer for utility scale solar plants, as product manager and RnD engineer.

José Donoso has been working in the Renewable Sector for more than 30 years. He started at the Institute for Energy Diversification and Saving (IDAE). After that, he joined Gamesa, a Spanish wind energy company, as Development Director. During this period he combines this work with that of President of the Spanish Wind Energy Association (AEE). After that, and until now, he has been the General Director of UNEF (Spanish Photovoltaic Energy Association). He is also president of the Spanish Photovoltaic Technology Platform (Fotoplat) and member of the Advisory Board of the Electricity Market Organization (OMEL). At international level, he is member of the Task 1 of the International Energy Agency and Elected President of the Global Solar Council. Besides, he is professor in the post grade course in Wind Energy of the University Polytechnic of Madrid and in the Master Course of the Industrial Organization School.

- Mission: Electrify everything (that can be electrified) with clean and renewable energy. - Bruce Douglas has 25 years' international experience in the promotion of renewable energy and electrification. - He is currently CEO of the Global Renewables Alliance, the single voice for the international renewable energy industry, representing wind, solar, geothermal, hydropower, storage and green hydrogen. - Previously he has held the following positions: Director of Communications and Business at Eurelectric, Deputy CEO of SolarPower Europe, Coordinator of the RE-Source Platform - the European alliance for corporate sourcing of renewable energy, founding Chairman of the Global Solar Council (GSC), Chief Operating Officer at WindEurope for 10 years, founding Secretary General of the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) and Managing Director of FLiDAR, an offshore wind company. - He has a Master degree in renewable energy systems technology and is fluent in English and French.

Sonia Dunlop is CEO of the Global Solar Council, the world solar PV trade association, which represents the whole value chain and every region and market segment in the world. She previously worked for Solar Power Europe, Solar Energy UK and the RE-Source Platform. For five years she was part of the Senior Management Team of global climate politics think tank Third Generation Environmentalism (E3G) and worked for the COP26 Glasgow organising team in the UK government. She also spent five years in the European Parliament in Brussels working on renewables. She has expertise in solar PV, development finance, renewables policy, digitalisation of energy, Multilateral Development Banks climate finance and corporate Power Purchase Agreements. Sonia speaks fluent English, French and Italian as well as basic Dutch, Spanish and Portuguese, has two children and is based in London.

Lea Dunst holds two Master's degrees from the University of Freiburg and Sciences Po University of Aix-en-Provence, with a strong background in international relations and climate policy. Since 2015, she has worked in various capacities for NGOs, international organizations and consultancies. Before joining BSW-Solar, she managed international cooperation projects on climate adaptation at the consulting firm adelphi. In early 2022, Ms. Dunst started her current position at the German Solar Industry Association (BSW-Solar). Since then, she has been actively involved in the management of events such as the Berlin Energy Transition Dialogue and the "Women Energize Women" conference, as well as in studies and cooperation projects focusing on solar energy, especially in Africa.

Katharina Eickelberg is the Senior Vice President Global Communication & Sustainability at SMA Solar Technology AG, a leading global specialist in photovoltaic system technology. She is responsible for Communication, Brand, Public Affairs and Sustainability. Additionally, Katharina is a director on the board of Solar Power Europe. Before joining SMA, Katharina held different positions in the energy sector, most recently as Head of Business Communication at Swedish utility Vattenfall and member of the supervisory board of GASAG AG. Besides driving communication and sustainability at SMA, she concentrates on topics such as Leadership and Diversity & Inclusion. Katharina lives in Hannover with her two sons.

Markus Elsässer studied mechanical engineering at the University of Stuttgart. He worked for a German manufacturer of solar thermal systems before he founded several companies all in the field of renewable energies. Markus Elsässer is the founder and CEO of the company Solar Promotion GmbH, an internationally operating exhibition company with a focus on renewable energy, energy storage technologies, electric transportation and energy efficiency. In 1991 he founded Intersolar, the world´s leading exhibition series for the solar industry with events spanning four continents. In 2014 the ees (electrical energy storage) exhibition was started, which has become Europe's largest exhibition for batteries and energy storage systems. In 2018 he founded The smarter E, an innovation hub for events and topics driving the new energy world: renewable energies, decentralization, digitalization and electric transportation. Solar Promotion has currently 50+ employees in Germany and has representation offices in 14 countries.

Özer Ergül is Group Head of Procurement with Aquila Capital and Chair of Supply Chain Sustainably workstream with Solar Power Europe. He worked for automotive companies including Toyota first quarter of his professional experience and he has been in the renewable energies sector since 2000. Prior to joining Aquila Capital in 2022 he worked as Group CPO for Lightsource BP in Amsterdam, Netherlands, where he was responsible for group-wide procurement activities as well. Before that, he worked as Group VP Procurement and Supply Chain for ABB Hitachi in Baden, Switzerland. He holds a MSc degree in Aerospace Engineering, and he is a qualified CPSM and CSCP charter holder.

Stacy Ettinger is the Senior Vice President of Supply Chain and Trade at the Solar Energy Industries Association. Stacy leads SEIA's legal and policy work on supply chain, trade, and sustainability issues. She has over 25 years of experience advising U.S. and foreign companies on international trade and investment matters. Prior to joining SEIA, Stacy was a partner in the global law firm K&L Gates, leading the firm's international trade policy practice. She also served as a senior legal and policy advisor to United States Senator Chuck Schumer, and as a trade negotiator and WTO litigator with the United States Department of Commerce.

Dr Peter Fath is a worldwide known renewable energy visionary. Starting from the early days of renewable and solar industry, he took the lead on the green energy transition with groundbreaking establishments, semi-conductor developments and integrated solar manufacturing facilities from polysilicon production to the end product - solar modules. Currently, he is the CEO of RCT Solutions GmbH - which works closely with investors, governments, and factories globally to establish solar manufacturing facilities by providing extensive owner's engineering services. He is also the Chairman of the Solar Equipment Machine Maker Group at the German Engineering Federation - VDMA (Verbandes Deutsche Maschinenbau Anlagen). Dr. Fath has held senior positions with multiple leading equipment managers, including Rena GmbH and centrotherm, and actively holds lectures on the topic of manufacturing technology in the photovoltaic industry at leading institutes including the University of Stuttgart and University of Applied Science, Ravensburg. He is also founder and director of solar research center ISC Konstanz, executive board member of European Solar Manufacturing Council - ESMC, one of the founding signatories of the The European Solar PV Industry Alliance. As a pioneer in the sector, he and his team shaped the solar industry, executing vertical and horizontal solar manufacturing facilities around the globe and helping the world to reach zero emissions targets. Dr Peter Fath has more than 200 publications, 15 patents, is board member of the world's most well-known associations such as the German Machine Maker Association, ISC International Solar Research Institute, and the European Solar Manufacturing Council. He is one oft he founding members of the European Solar PV Industry Alliance commissioned by European Union. Dr Peter Fath holds a PhD in Semiconductor Physics from the University of Konstanz. He studied Chemistry and Physics at the University of Heidelberg, Konstanz, IMEC in Leuven, and the IMT in Neuchatel. He speaks 3 languages, German, English and French. Since 2012, he is a lecturer at the University of Applied Sciences Ravensburg-Weingarten.

Franz-Josef Feilmeier studied business administration at the Deggendorf Institute of Technology and subsequently worked for various companies in the commercial vehicle and renewable energy sectors, including in China. In 2011, he founded FENECON GmbH, a manufacturer of home, commercial and industrial storage systems and energy management solutions, of which he is still the main shareholder and CEO. Awards such as the 'EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2023' with the sustainability and audience award, as Top100 'Innovator of the Year 2023' or several The smarter E Awards underline the innovation orientation of the company with over 300 employees and production sites in Germany and soon in the USA. In terms of industry and energy policy, Franz-Josef Feilmeier is active in various IHK and DIHK committees, as well as the German Solar Association and other associations, in order to stand up for the vision of a '100% energy-positive world'.

Marcus Fendt studied Industrial Engineering in Munich. Before joining The Mobility House in 2010, he held several management positions in the automotive and energy industry. As CSO and Managing Director at The Mobility House he is responsible for sales, international business development and marketing. Together with leading car manufacturers, utilities, fleet operators and e-mobility providers he realized partnerships and projects in the areas of smart charging solutions for electric vehicles and the underlying business models that arise out of the merge of the automotive and energy sector like V2G.

Julian Fleischmann is a doctoral student and researcher at University of Freiburg, TH Cologne, and Reiner Lemoine Institute Berlin. He focuses on open software for facilitating the planning of integrated water-energy-food-environment infrastructure solutions. So far, the research and software approaches have been applied for case studies in Lebanon, Germany, Costa Rica, Colombia, Morocco, South Africa, and Namibia.

Ignacio Garcia Vera is an Energy Markets Senior Consultant at AFRY Management Consulting. In his professional career at AFRY he has been advising clients in the energy transition in electricity markets. His focus has primarily been on modelling renewable and flexible sources of generation in different countries in Europe. Additionally, he has deep knowledge on electricity market modelling, future energy scenarios development and asset valuations.

Sishir Garemella is head of international business development at Kiwa PVEL, the leading independent lab of the downstream solar market. Sishir leads Kiwa PVEL's international expansion in strategic markets outside the United States. Sishir has over 10 years of experience as a downstream solar player, both as a financier and as an operator. Prior to solar, he has worked in investment banking in the UK and the automotive industry in Canada. He holds a Masters in Accounting and Finance from the London School of Economics in the UK and a Bachelors in Electrical Engineering from the University of Windsor in Canada.

Dan Garlin is COO of Uniper Renewables, where he is responsible for EPC & Operations. Dan joined the energy industry in 2006 and held various positions in E.ON (now RWE) Renewables realizing projects in various European countries and the US. He also gathered experiences in various strategy and engineering services assignments. In 2020 he created Uniper Renewables, which is one pillar of Unipers decarbonization strategy for the future.

Mauricio Garrido has more than 13 years of experience in the energy sector, most of his experienced being focused on Energy Management related activities. In January 2011 he joined EDP Renewables where he is currently Director of PPA Origination for Centralized Generation in Europe. He is responsible for the origination, negotiation and execution of Power Purchase Agreements in the twelve European geographies in which EDP Renewables has presence. Regarding his academic background, Mauricio studied Civil Engineering at Polytechnic University of Madrid and he has an MBA from IESE Business School received in 2007.

Veit Goehringer is the advisor and thematic focal lead for electrification at Energising Development (EnDev), a global multi-donor program. Previously, he served as an advisor for rural electrification with mini-grids for GIZ in Uganda. Before his tenure in Uganda, he was a senior lecturer in automotive engineering in Botswana. Veit Goehringer holds a PhD in mechanical engineering, specializing in energy systems and automotive engineering.

M. Eng. David Gögelein is an electrical engineer and PhD student in the field of photovoltaic energy management systems. He is specialized in the design, development, implementation and optimization of algorithms and components for photovoltaic energy systems. He has expertise in system engineering, hardware, software and app development. The current research focuses on the use of artificial intelligence in photovoltaic energy management systems under scarce data conditions.

Dr. Stefanie Groll drives forward Enpal´s energy community vision and mission on European level. She represents Enpal in Brussels and with European stakeholders. Enpal was founded in 2017 as a solar start-up and is now one the fastest growing, tech and finance driven renewable energy companies in Europe. Stefanie has over ten years professional experience in the energy and sustainability politics. Before she joined Enpal, she had worked in the German Parliament (Bundestag) and lead the department for energy and sustainability politics of Heinrich Boell Foundation, a green think tank in Berlin.

Laurene Gusse has extensive experience in engineering and industrial projects. She started her career in ENGIE Networks & Infrastructures, overseeing the construction and the commissioning of gas compressor stations and storage facilities, leading the Industrial Design Department, and contributing to Green Mobility projects. She joined ENGIE solutions in 2016, taking over transformation projects supporting entities in their transition towards a sustainable energy system. After two years spent contributing to the execution of the Group's strategic plan, she recently joined the Management committee of the Renewables Industrial Platform, as Deputy Head of the Quality & Procurement Department and as Head of Quality Department to develop ENGIE's capacity to improve the sustainability of its supply chain.

Dr. Dirk Haft has been the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the IBC SOLAR Group since 2024. The PhD physicist had already been a member of the supervisory board of the company since 2018 and took over the role of co-CEO on the board in October 2022. Throughout his career, Dr. Dirk Haft has already gained extensive experience in the chip industry and mechanical engineering. He has founded his own companies and held various executive positions. In this context, he also provides strategic direction with regard to innovative technologies, new business models and digital transformation.

Anna Heimsath heads the department "Analysis Modules and PV Power Plants" at Fraunhofer ISE. In the department, more than 70 scientists, technicians and students conduct research on pv power plants and integrated pv, with a focus on agrivoltaics, floating pv and quality assurance. Anna Heimsath has been researching development of solar technologies for more than 18 years. She studied production engineering at the University of Bremen and later earned her doctorate in physics.

Walburga Hemetsberger is the CEO of SolarPower Europe since 2019. She has over 20 years of professional experience in Brussels, working for a utility, trade association, the European Parliament and the European Commission. Walburga spent most of her career in the energy sector, covering in particular renewable energies and hydrogen.

Josef Hermann (M.Sc.) is an industrial engineer of Renewable Energies and a professional consultant on a variety of energy-related topics. He worked on numerous rural electrification projects in Ethiopia, Germany, Nepal, Autonomous Palestinian Territories, and Peru. He has diverse expertise in the field of governmental and non-governmental development cooperation. For the last 2 years he was working on a Baseline Study and the Development of a Sustainability Framework as well as Capacity Development Interventions on Solar PV Electrification of public institutions in Ethiopia.

Magnus Herz graduated in renewable energies and works as project manager, researcher and developer in the solar team of TÜV Rheinland since 2010. In addition to his consulting work for international PV projects, he is also involved in several R&D projects developing data-driven strategies to improve quality assurance and risk mitigation. As project member of the international expert group IEA PVPS Task 13 and participating in the research project TRUST-PV his focus is on the standardization of failure categories and the evaluation of data analysis techniques.

o Gadi Hirsch is the lead market and policy analyst at SolarEdge Technologies. A part of the strategy group, Gadi is leading the coverage of key market segments, technological trends and policies. He particularly focuses on European distributed energy systems markets - aimed at deriving key insights for business strategy formulation. He holds a BA in economics and has previously led economic analysis and management consulting teams.

Bärbel Höhn is a German politician for Alliance '90/The Greens. Ms. Höhn became State Minister for Environment and Agriculture in North Rhine-Westphalia from 1995 to 2005. In 2005 she was elected to the Bundestag in the 2005 national elections. She first served as chairwoman of the Committee on Food, Agriculture and Consumer Protection from 2005 to 2006. Between 2006 and 2013 she was vice chairwoman of the Green parliamentary group in the Bundestag, and as such responsible for the issues of energy, climate, environment, transport, agriculture, nature conservation and construction. From 2014 to 2017 Bärbel Höhn served as chairwoman of the Committee on the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety. Having participated in various UN Climate Change conferences, she was a regular speaker at international climate and energy conventions. From November 2017 to October 2023, Bärbel Höhn was acting as unpaid Special Representative for Energy in Africa for the Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and since November 2023 she is BMZ Special Representative for Decentralised Energy Supply with focus on the entire global South. In this regard she promotes the importance of Decentralised Energy with her many years of political experience and expertise in renewable energy.

Ulrike Jahn is a graduate physicist and works as a scientific group leader in the Photovoltaic Systems and Integration department at the Fraunhofer Center for Silicon Photovoltaics CSP in Halle, Germany. Her work focusses on the diagnosis and reliability of PV systems. She is project manager of an international expert group, Task 13 of the PVPS programme of the International Energy Agency (IEA), which deals with technical and economic aspects of the reliability and performance of PV systems. She has been coordinating this network of currently 185 international experts in 25 countries since 2010.

Dr Carlos Javier has over 18 years experience in engineering, negotiation and strategic sales across Spain, United Kingdom, Ireland and Italy. Between 2010-2014, Carlos was Head of Engineering at UK construction and development company where he led the design of >500MW of UK solar projects. Carlos holds an executive MBA and has experience in portfolio management and project finance. He was the Technical Director at one of the largest renewable energy funds in the world with over 1GW of assets under management (AuM). In the last 2 years, Carlos has been managing the Asset Management arm of Elgin Energy, a unique and successful development platform recently acquired by Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP). Oversight of a large UK based asset base means Carlos is uniquely placed to have a comprehensive understanding of asset performance in the UK and Ireland.

Noara Kebir is Co-Founder and CEO of the MicroEnergy International Group (MEI). Her professional background is in mechanics, energy and process engineering. Noara started her professional career at Siemens Corporation, after which she co-founded the MEI Group in 2001. MEI Group's core mission is conceptualizing, developing and implementing technical and socioeconomic strategies for a Bottom-Up Energy Transformation, through different vehicles: the academic think-tank Microenergy Research Systems is leading the scientific discourse with academic institutions across the world; MicroEnergy Consult consists of a multi- and trans-disciplinary team of experts specialized in assessing market potential, leading feasibility studies and supporting different stakeholders in linking financial inclusion with energy inclusion for the ultimate achievement of SDG 7. In the innovation lab ME SOLdesign, engineers design open source soft- and hardware for a Global Energy Transformation, which are then incubated into business models in the ME Venture Builder. Visit ME SOLshare's website to learn more about how this looks in practice! ME SOLshare was recently awarded UN DESA's Powering the Future We Want Award, Elsevier's Renewable Transformation Challenge, the Start Up Energy Transition Award and the Momentum of Change Award at COP22 in Marakesh. MicroEnergy International and its microfinance partners in Ethiopia recently won the Energy Globe Award Ethiopia and the Best Climate Practice Award. In February 2018, MicroEnergy International received the IKU Innovation Award. Noara is involved in several projects in Africa, Latin America and Asia focusing on the sustainable management of used lead-acid and li-Ion batteries.

Dr Konstanze Kinne is Head of Treasury, Aquila Clean Energy EMEA. Since 3 years she is responsible for all Corporate and Structured Finance related activities including liquidity and guarantee management. She has a 20 years background in the banking industry particularly in financing renewable energy projects. Dr Kinne has held several head positions at Commerzbank, such as Head of Risk Management and Head of Structuring. She started her career in Corporate Finance at NORD/LB. She holds a PhD in Economics of University of Hamburg. In her role at Aquila Clean Energy EMEA Dr Kinne ensures an optimal capital structure to support the company's growth and financial stability. She also maintains relationships with banks, financial institutions, and investors.

Dr. Christoph Kost leads the department 'Energy System Analysis' and the group Energy Systems and Energy Economics' at the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE. His current scientific work includes the topics of policy analysis and financing in the field of energy technologies, the derivation of technology costs and market introduction strategies for renewable energy technologies. He analyses energy technologies and their future use as well as system interactions and sector coupling by applying economic analyses, system modeling and risk analyses. He studied 'Business Engineering' (Diplom-Wirtschaftsingenieurwesen) at the University of Karlsruhe (Germany) and Groningen (Netherlands) between 2003 and 2009. In 2015, he obtained his phd at the Technische Universität Dresden (Chair of Energy Economics, Prof. Dr. Möst).

Daniela Krahl holds a position as Senior Policy Officer in unit Energy, Urban Development, Mobility at the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). She is focussing on access to energy and the expansion of renewable (decentralized) energy in developing countries. Especially the enabling environment for private sector mobilization is a recent working field. She has worked in different division in BMZ since 2007 such as for water & sanitation and for good governance.

Tsvetelina Kuzmanova is a Senior Policy Advisor specialising in Sustainable Finance at E3G (Third Generation Environmentalism), a leading climate change think tank dedicated to advancing the global transition to a climate-resilient world. At E3G's Brussels office, Tsvetelina focuses on shaping legislative reforms at both the EU level and across member states. With a focus on fostering policy changes and driving increased investments for a climate-neutral economy, she collaborates closely with EU institutions and engages with stakeholders in the private sector. Her work supports redirecting capital flows towards assets that promote sustainable development and resilience. Before joining E3G, Tsvetelina worked on EU legislation for sustainable finance and financial innovation at the Bulgarian non-banking financial regulator. Additionally, she has demonstrated a commitment to international development through her involvement in projects across Southeast Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa, with a particular emphasis on renewable energy and infrastructure finance. Tsvetelina holds an MPhil in Development Studies from the prestigious University of Cambridge, complemented by a BA in Political Science and Diplomacy from Yonsei University in South Korea.

Benjamin Lehner is the CEO of the Dutch Marine Energy Centre (DMEC). DMEC is a leading accelerator and knowledge institute for offshore renewable energy innovations. Before joining DMEC, Benjamin founded a start-up on delocalised carbon capture and storage (CCS). He holds a PhD from Delft University of Technology in collaboration with NASA and a Masters in radiation biology from the Paris Lodron University of Salzburg.

Jonathan Leloux began his solar energy adventures in 2005 and has since worked in the field of solar photovoltaic energy as an engineer, researcher, consultant, and entrepreneur. His expertise is focused on photovoltaic (PV) system engineering, encompassing residential distributed PV and large-scale PV plants, bifacial PV, agrivoltaics, BIPV, floating PV, CPV, and solar resource assessment. He holds an Engineering Degree in Mining and Geology and a PhD in Solar Photovoltaic Energy Systems. He is a co-founder and the managing director of LuciSun, which provides technical guidance through consulting services and products to actors in the solar energy sector across all project phases, including early design, PV engineering, financing, construction, commissioning, and operation. As part of his role at LuciSun, he is actively involved in several research projects at national, European and international levels, along with other team members, ensuring that the company's initiatives are closely integrated with the latest advancements in solar technology. He participates in the IEA PVPS Programme Tasks 13 on PV System Performance and Task 15 on BIPV.

Jasper Lemmens is a senior consultant and DNV's global practice lead floating solar. He has master's degrees in Applied Physics and Business Administration. In 2017 Jasper started working with floating solar when the floating solar market was about to emerge and initiated the development of services and standardisation which lead to DNV's Recommended Practice on floating solar in 2021. During these years Jasper has developed to an expert and on a continuous basis he pushes the boundaries of the floating solar industry.

Helena Li, Executive President of Trina Solar, is a highly experienced senior executive, who has spent more than thirteen years devoting to solar energy development since April 2011. She joined Trina Solar in September 2013 as Managing Director and Vice President for Asia Pacific and the Middle East, and served as Trina Solar's Head of Global Module business and Vice President of Trina Solar from 2019 through early 2022. Trina Solar is involved in the residential, industrial and commercial (C&I), and utility segments of the solar and energy storage markets. Helena oversees Trina Solar's all business units and markets in the three segments globally. Helena has also been tasked with helping Trina Solar position itself as a 'total solutions' provider for solar energy. Before joining Trina Solar, she worked for US semiconductor company Intel, possessing strong technical and global marketing background. She began her career in 1998 with Microsoft.

Johannes Linder is Director of System Design & Innovation at BELECTRIC, one of the leading EPC service providers in the development, construction and operation of solar power plants in Europe. His department calculates the basis for a large number of design and technology decisions - including for new photovoltaic applications such as agrivoltaic or hybrid systems. Before joining BELECTRIC in 2013 as an International Project Manager delivering utility scale projects in Europe, Australia and India, Johannes Linder worked for several start-up-companies and developers in the industry and was a certified PV expert by TÜV Rheinland.

Co-founder and chief executive officer (CEO) at the Brazilian Solar Photovoltaic Energy Association (ABSOLAR - Associação Brasileira de Energia Solar Fotovoltaica), the national association representing companies and professionals from all segments of the solar PV value chain with operations in Brazil. Co-founder and member of the board of directors at the Global Solar Council (GSC), the global entity unifying and representing the solar power sector at the international level. Has a Ph.D. with honours in Engineering and Materials Technology from the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (Brazil), with international collaboration at the Fraunhofer Institut für Solare Energiesysteme (Fraunhofer ISE, Germany), M.Sc. with honours in Renewable Energy from the EUREC Master Program, with international collaboration at the ETH Zürich (Switzerland), and B.Sc. with honours in Chemistry from the University of São Paulo (Brazil).

Atse Louwen is a Senior Researcher at Eurac Research, Institute for Renewable Energy. His main research interests include the performance and reliability of Photovoltaics (PV), modelling and machine learning of PV performance and solar irradiance, and the sustainability of PV. He is team leader in Performance, Reliability and Sustainability of PV. Currently, he is involved in the numerous European projects. In Horizon Europe projects NEXUS and PILATUS, he is leading the evaluation of performance and reliability in outdoor testing and contributing to the assessment of sustainability and economics of novel and existing PV technologies. In MC2.0 Atse is coordinating the sustainability assessment of integrated PV products. In the Horizon 2020 project TRUST-PV he analysed the long-term performance of a large fleet of PV systems and is contributing to the ongoing digitalization of the PV sector along the value chain. Before joining Eurac, Atse worked at Utrecht University's Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development, where he attained his PhD performing multi-disciplinary assessment of PV technology, including Lifecycle Assessment and performance analysis1. As a Post-Doc at the Copernicus Institute, Atse was a work package leader in the EU H2020 project REFLEX, examining technological learning and experience curves for a variety of renewable energy technologies.

Aquin Magnus is a research engineer at ENGIE Laborelec, the research and innovation expertise centre for electric energy of the ENGIE Group. At Laborelec, he is active as project manager and project engineer contributing to research projects aimed at improving the design and performance of PV or PV-BESS hybrid assets. He holds degrees in renewable energy engineering from Uppsala University and IST Lisbon.

Dr Rethabile Melamu is a sustainability professional who is trained in Chemical and Environmental Engineering. She has almost two-decade experience in the areas of clean energy, green economy, water and sanitation, environmental sustainability, enterprise development, and life cycle assessments. She also has a depth of understanding in the adoption of innovative climate smart technologies in in developing country context. This is backed by experience of running a technology innovation-based incubation programme for almost 6 years. Moreover, she is experienced in developing public sector policies and have led the development of sub-national energy and green economy strategies and facilitated their implementation. She sits on several boards and advisory committees of private, academia and the public sectors organisations including as the Chairperson of the Water Research Commission and a Trustee of the Mandela-Rhodes Foundation. She is a thought leader in her areas of expertise, having published reports, thought leadership pieces and academic articles on several platforms. In 2019, she was recognised by the national Mail & Guardian newspaper as one of Women Who Are Changing South Africa in the Public Sector.

Stanislas is a Business Developer and Senior Solar PV Consultant in Multiconsult, Norway, with over 15 years of experience. Stanislas has been one of the founding members of Multiconsult's solar energy advisory team, specializing in solar PV projects in emerging markets. Focusing on floating solar PV since 2016, he has extensive international experience from solar projects ranging from Eastern/Southern Africa to Central/Southeast Asia.

Deepak Mohapatra works as the Senior Officer - Business & Market Development at the Alliance for Rural Electrification (ARE), a leading global business association representing the decentralised renewable energy (DRE) sector for provision of energy access in developing and emerging countries. He works closely together with more than 200 ARE Members, as well as international and local partners to improve market conditions, facilitate capacity building, and establish favourable environment enabling business for private sector companies in DRE space across the globe. Previously Deepak worked at a German NGO called 'Lernen - Helfen - Leben e.V. as a Project Coordinator. He holds MSc. in Renewable Energy Management from Technical University of Cologne (TH Köln), Germany and B.Tech. in Electrical & Electronics Engineering from Biju Patnaik University of Technology (BPUT), India.

Juan is a principal analyst on Wood Mackenzie's Power and Renewables team covering distributed solar market developments across Europe. He also coordinates Wood Mackenzie's global solar market outlook update report every quarter. Prior to his current role, Juan was a senior conference content manager, leading content development for Wood Mackenzie/Greentech Media's energy transition conference portfolio in collaboration with our global research practice heads. He has also published research on renewables and green hydrogen development in the Middle East and Africa. Juan holds a master's in media and communications from Goldsmiths, University of London, and a bachelor's degree in journalism from the Complutense University of Madrid.

Molly is a Senior Research Analyst in the solar PV team at Exawatt (part of the CRU Group). Molly oversees Exawatt's tracking and forecasting of PV module efficiency and architecture. In addition, she undertakes analysis of capacity, production and financial data for PV manufacturers. Molly joined Exawatt as an analyst in 2020 whilst finishing her studies. Molly has an undergraduate degree in Physics and postgraduate masters degree in Solar Cell Technology from the University of Sheffield.

Dr.-Ing. Björn Müller has been Managing Director of Enmova GmbH since 2021. Mr. Müller studied economics at Otto von Guericke University in Magdeburg from 1991 to 1998 and graduated with a degree in business administration. From 2004 to 2006, he studied energy management at the University of Koblenz-Landau and graduated with a Master of Science. In 2018, the University of Kassel awarded him the title of Doctor of Engineering (Dr.-Ing.). Mr. Müller worked for a large international auditing company in Freiburg from 2000 to 2005. After working as an independent consultant for 2 years, he held various positions at the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems in Freiburg from 2007 to 2021. His last position there was as group leader of the "Photovoltaic Power Plants" group. In 2021, he founded Enmova GmbH from Fraunhofer ISE. Mr. Müller has many years of experience in business and technical issues relating to the planning, construction and operation of PV power plants. He also has in-depth knowledge in the field of energy meteorology and climatology.

Stefan Müller is co-founder, shareholder of Enerparc AG and since end of 2008 as a board member responsible for international and operational business for the group. He worked over 25 years for larger players in the photovoltaic industry in Europe and Asia. Enerparc is an international specialist in the whole value chain of large-scale photovoltaic power plants, from greenfield development to EPC, O&M and energy trading. The company was founded in 2008 and has 500 internationally experienced employees with offices in Hamburg, India, Australia, France, Spain and a number of registered partners in various regions. In the last years Enerparc Group successfully connected globally more than 4.500 MW to the grid and it meanwhile operates 3.500 MW of own PV power plants.

Growing up on a family-owned farm Fabian Neu was able to gain a deep understanding of farming practices and suitable crop rotations. With several years of expertise in both the agriculture and renewable energy sectors, he has cultivated a deep understanding of sustainable farming practices and clean energy. Following his university degree in Agricultural Science and Economics from the Universities of Bonn and Göttingen, he pursued an internship at a large agricultural enterprise in Australia, notable for its pioneering work in large-scale drip irrigation for crops. Afterward he held a position as a speaker at the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture for over two years, focusing on innovation and digitalization. In addition to gaining political expertise in European funding programs and contributing to guidelines, he was involved in evaluating research proposals in the field of innovative and sustainable agricultural concepts, including Agri-PV. Passionate about integrating agricultural practices with innovative technologies to advance sustainable and efficient agriculture, paired with clean energy, he has been active in the Agri-PV sector for over 3 years now. In 2023 Fabian Neu joined RWE Renewables as a Senior Expert for Agri-PV. He supports the global Agri-PV market development and effectively capitalizes on the synergies between the agricultural and energy industries. He is a Member of the consortium defining livestock-specific guidelines for Agri-PV in Germany under DIN SPEC 91492.

Started professional career as a Chemical Engineer at Galp in 2010, starting in Sines' refinery Technology department. Moved to the Lubricants department where in 2014 took the lead of the Product Development. In 2017 changed to the Planning and Technology Department to lead the Refining Analysis and Development unit. In the beginning of 2020, became the Head of Midstream (& Refining) Innovation Center, developing projects around circular economy and low carbons fuels. In 2021, lead the development of the Galp strategy for hydrogen and joined the team created to execute it, becoming Head of Technology. In mid of 2022 joined EDP as Head of H2Tech department and in the beginning of 2023 embraced a new challenge as Innovation Director of EDP Produção, developing projects around energy transition and renewable energies. MSc and PhD in Chemical Engineering from Instituto Superior Técnico. Loves to travel, backpacking style, probably the reason for being passionate about energy efficiency and sustainable mobility.

Dr. Benedikt Ortmann is Global Director for Origination & Business Development Projects for the BayWa r.e. Group. He has more than 20 years of extensive experience in the renewable energy sector. Before joining the BayWa r.e. team in 2011, he was CFO at S.A.G. Solarstrom AG in Freiburg and built up the international project business of SOLON SE in Berlin, developing it into a successful and highly profitable division. At BayWa r.e., his current focus is on the origination and development of new markets, technologies and on sales for the entire projects business, including wind, solar and new technologies. BayWa r.e. is one of the key companies driving renewable energy development worldwide. The company provides end-to-end project solutions, ongoing operations management and is an Independent Power Producer with an expanding energy trading business. The company has installed solar, wind and battery capacity of more than 6 GW. BayWa r.e,'s joint shareholders are BayWa AG, a globally successful business with revenues of €23.9 billion, and Energy Infrastructure Partners, a market leader in energy infrastructure investment that manages over €7 billion from global investors.

Jan is Sr Policy Advisor at SolarPower Europe. He's responsible for rooftop solar, prosumers, and digitalisation in the EU's solar PV trade body. He leads the advocacy based on product and market trends in EU countries and legislation. He also consults members on regulatory developments. In the past, he has worked as a product and project manager for Pulse of Europe.

Alyssa is passionate about the environment and finding innovative solutions to build a better future for the next generation. So after receiving her Master's degree in Political Communication and Strategy from the Brussels School of International Studies, it was a natural step to launch her career by supporting the uptake of clean energy globally. Alyssa quickly caught the renewable energy bug, and has dedicated her career to helping accelerate the clean energy transition ever since. She has worked for trade associations across a wide spectrum of clean energy solutions, including solar PV, electrification, energy efficiency, and clean transport, and wind power. Alyssa supported the expansion of wind power into emerging markets as Chief of Staff and Communications Director of the Global Wind Energy Council and leading the communication and outreach for offshore wind at the World Bank Group, and in her free time she is a freelance journalist on climate and sustainability issues, yoga teacher and jewellry designer. After starting her career in solar, she is thrilled to be back in the sector to make sure countries across the world can unleash the immense potential of solar power!

José Queirós de Almeida - CEO Greenvolt Communities. Founder and CEO of Greenvolt Comunidades (Greenvolt Group), national and international leader in solutions for Energy Communities and Collective Self-Consumption of Energy. More than 20 years of international experience in renewable energy (Greenvolt Comunidades, Ideatest, Eesti Energia, EDP Energias de Portugal, OMIP/MIBEL), in different markets (Portugal, Spain, Estonia, Sweden, Finland, Poland, Latvia, Lithuania), including Distributed Solar, Electric Mobility, Energy Efficiency, IoT Platforms, etc.. Degree and postgraduate degree in Business Law (Coimbra University). MBA from LisboaMBA/UCLA Anderson Management School. DBA (PhD) from Nottingham Trent University in Management.

Katarzyna Rezza Vega is a global communication and gender equality expert who has been working in the field of international cooperation for many years. Since 2021, she is the Head of "Women Energize Women" (WEW) initiative at GIZ GmbH. WEW is a global campaign of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK) and part of the "Bilateral Climate & Energy Partnerships" global project. This initiative aims to unlock the potential of women in the renewable energy sector, mobilize, connect and highlight female talents. Prior to joining Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, a worldwide service provider in sustainable development, she worked extensively in strategic communications and specialized public relations, advising international companies, start-ups, and consultancies. She is a graduate of Freie University Berlin and holds two Master's degrees in Communication Science and English Studies.

Juan Rivier, Electronic Engineer and Ph. D. in Electrical Engineering by Comillas University, is currently Head of Global Regulation within Iberdrola Renewables, with a global responsibility (geographies and renewable technologies) on Renewables Regulation. He is a SolarPowerEurope and WindEurope Board Director. He has now more than 30 years of experience in the energy sector, beginning as an academic during 15 years at the Institute for Technological Research (IIT) of Comillas University, and joining Iberdrola in 2007 where he has been global responsible for Renewables Regulation and also global responsible for renewables PPA structuring.

A MSc graduate at the IIIEE Institute at Lund University, passionate about climate and renewable energy policy. Currently employed as Head of Market Intelligence at SolarPower Europe, striving to accelerate the transition to a zero-carbon EU energy system through effective policymaking and enabling regulatory frameworks. Key areas of expertise Renewable Energy Policy Solar PV, Battery Storage and electricity markets & technologies Sustainability and Climate Change Corporate Social Responsibility and SDGs International experience Fluency in 3 languages

Alexia Ruvoletto is Head of Secretariat at the Solar Stewardship Initiative (SSI) the first sustainability assurance scheme specifically tailored for the solar sector. She is responsible for overseeing the daily work of the SSI Secretariat, supporting the SSI Board of Directors, representing the SSI in external fora and stakeholder partnerships. She previously served as Senior Trade Policy Advisor for SolarPower Europe where she was responsible for international trade and supply chain sustainability.

Mr. Kyle Ryan is a Senior Solar Engineer of RWE Renewables. He is responsible for coordinating project engineering activities and expertise during Development, Construction and Operation of solar photovoltaic plants, in Europe and Australia. He is also responsible for creating and maintaining specifications and processes to ensure quality and best practice in solar photovoltaic projects, across the international team. He has actively contributed to solar photovoltaic growth for the company, especially in the United Kingdom and Spain. He is now also the solar lead for hybrid plant design.

Victoria Santos is a research associate in the Power and Renewables team at Wood Mackenzie, with a keen focus on the dynamic solar and storage markets in Europe. Her energy sector experience includes forecasting and analysis related to all aspects of onshore wind, solar PV and storage on which she has published various reports during her time at Wood Mackenzie. She also contributes towards Wood Mackenzie's global analysis and monitors project development, asset transactions and policy updates across the region.

Annie is Director of the RE-Source Platform, an alliance of stakeholders representing clean energy buyers and suppliers. Annie leads the Platform's energy buyer engagement and advocacy activities which advance RE-Source's mission to support more corporate buyers to procure renewable energy.

Since 2021, Christian Schill is group manager of 'Photovoltaic Power Plants' at Fraunhofer ISE, Germany, after stations at Freiburg Material Research Centre (FMF), PSE GmbH and the University of Freiburg. He is an alumni of the Sustainability Center Freiburg. He works in the fields of quality of PV power plants, outdoor weathering of PV modules, climate data and spatial analyses, with a focus on integrated PV and digitalization in the PV sector.

An internship in a solar association in 2009 was the starting point of his professional career in the field of renewable energies. During his studies Stephan Schindele worked several times for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). After completing his MBA program at the California State University East Bay (2011) he was employed as a PhD candidate and project manager at the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE. There he built up the new business field of agri-photovoltaics, wrote numerous publications on the topic of Agri-PV and received several awards for his work (2012-2020). Between 2015 and 2020 he taught energy policy at Reutlingen University. He is also Co-Chairing in Land use and Permitting Workstream SolarPowerEurope. In 2020 Stephan Schindele joined the BayWa r.e. family as Head of Agri-PV. He supports the global Agri-PV market development and successfully leverages the synergies of the agricultural and energy industry.

Michael is Executive Advisor to the CEO and a member of the leadership team. Alongside his business development work, Michael heads SolarPower Europe's award-winning market intelligence team. He is lead author of the annually published Global Market Outlook and EU Market Outlook, and works closely with Policy Analyst Raffaele operating the Solar & Storage workstream. Michael has been working in solar for over 20 years. After co-founding Photon-Magazine in 1996, he served in various positions within the Photon group, primarily as Editor-in-Chief of Photon International. In 2014, Michael started MISCHCO, a company offering strategy consulting and communication services to solar companies. In 2016, TaiyangNews, a digital news platform for the solar industry that Michael founded, went online. Michael studied Geology/Palaeontology at Bonn University, Geology at RWTH Aachen, and Mineralogy at Frankfurt University. He speaks German and English.

Lars Schmidt is a Partner at EY's Climate Change and Sustainability Services, specializing in decarbonization strategies and green energy sourcing. With over 15 years of experience in the energy sector, Lars has a deep understanding of green energy sourcing projects, including solar and wind (both onshore and offshore). He helps clients to achieve decarbonization targets with green power sourcing strategies and has provided PPA advisory services to industrial clients in sectors such as chemicals, healthcare, semiconductor manufacturing, food production, and more.

Michael Schmidt is Deputy Head of the UNIDO Investment Technology Promotion Office Germany. Working for the specialized agency of the UN for Industrial Development (UNIDO), he promotes industrial cooperation, investment and technology transfer between Germany and emerging markets and developing economies, and especially African markets. A major focus area of his work relates to innovative energy solutions, energy efficiency and decarbonization of industrial processes in these markets. Before joining UNIDO in 2018, he worked as managing director for the Germany Chambers of Commerce Abroad (AHK) in South Eastern Europa, build up his own consultancy business with focus on Eastern Europe and China, and represented Chinese real estate and industrial company CFLD in Europe.

Daniel Schmitt co-founded Memodo in 2013, a company that specializes in photovoltaic systems and energy storage solutions. His enthusiasm for sustainable energy prompted him to start Memodo with partners Enrico Brandmeier and Tobias Wenleder. Under his leadership, Memodo has expanded its presence across Europe, becoming a key wholesaler in the photovoltaic and energy storage market. The company is noted for its expert solutions and innovative approach, serving both residential and commercial sectors. Achievements: - Established Memodo as a leading European wholesaler in the renewable energy sector. - Expanded operations to multiple countries, enhancing the company's market footprint. - Formed strategic alliances with other major players in renewable energy, broadening product offerings and improving market reach. Vision: Daniel Schmitt is dedicated to advancing the energy transition with innovative and sustainable solutions, aiming to increase the adoption of renewable energy and storage systems, thereby contributing to a sustainable future.

Erik Schöller is one of four founding brothers who run Schonergie out of deep conviction. As Chief Operating Officer (COO) he is responsible for business units fulfilling customer needs reaching from small house owners to large scale industries to solar power plants operators. During his time at Schoenergie he drove the expansion plans forward to such an extent that nowadays Schoenergie runs six subsidiaries in total and thus becoming one of the big players in southwestern Germany. He has deep insights into the residential market and its challenges from marketing to procurement to construction in times of worker shortage.

Mr. Giovanni Scomparin works as an Advisor at Eurelectric - the sector association which represents the common interests of the electricity industry at pan-European level. In his role, he works with Eurelectric's business members on a variety of corporate energy sourcing-related topics, including Power Purchase Agreements and Energy Attribute Certificates. Previously, Mr. Scomparin spent time at ENGIE Impact (the consulting division of the ENGIE Group) and Global Counsel, a regulatory consultancy - working on a variety of subjects, from the reform of the EU electricity market to future costs of carbon-free hydrogen.

Eric Sebaoun is the Business Development Director for ENGIE's Distributed Solar & Storage activity, based in Paris. He is dedicated to accelerating the decarbonization of C&I clients through the deployment of innovative and integrated solutions, encompassing design & build, financing, O&M, and on-site PPA. Eric also provides BD support to operational entities across 20 countries within ENGIE Energy Solutions GBU in Europe, the USA, Brazil, the GCC, and South-East Asia. He previously held various global positions in business and market development, marketing, and general management within the energy, environment, and industrial sectors.

Emilien Simonot is Head of Agrivoltaics for the EMEA and APAC regions at Lightsource bp, one of the leading solar PV project developers worldwide. Emilien is a seasoned senior executive working at the crossroad of energy sector, sustainability and innovation. With over 15 years of experience in renewables and innovation management, he has been involved with agrivoltaics since 2015, first from a venture capitalist perspective and then leading groundbreaking projects for large energy companies globally.

Joe is a research analyst based in London in the S&P Global Clean Energy Technology team. He covers downstream solar PV in the UK, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. He also covers upstream analysis of the global PV Tracker and Floating PV markets, along with their respective annual reports. Prior to this, Joe graduated from Oxford University with an MEng in Engineering Science in 2022. Here, he specialised in renewable energy and thermofluids.

Miguel Stilwell d'Andrade is CEO of EDP, a global leader in renewables, networks and client solutions, with operations across Europe, North America, Latin America and Asia-Pacific. More than 85% of the energy produced by EDP comes from renewable sources, and the goal is to be all-green by 2030. Miguel accumulates more than 20 years of experience in the energy sector. He spent the early part of his career in Investment Banking and has been a leader at EDP since 2000, from several transactions and investments that laid the foundation for EDP Renewables, to CEO of EDP Spain, CEO of EDP's supply business in Portugal and Board Member of EDP Distribution. After being the CFO of EDP, Miguel became CEO of EDP and EDP Renewables in January 2021.

Multi-lingual (Chinese, English, French) female leader with ten+ years' international professional experience in Asia, Europe and Middle East related to ESG, Project Management, Energy-sector Planning and Analysis, Liaison and Outreach in both private and public sectors (UNESCO, Deloitte, Jinko Solar, etc.). Lin Sun holds Sciences Po Paris master degree and Fudan Univ. Bachelor degree, known for results-oriented analytical methods that blend in-depth awareness of international affairs, business acumen and industrial sensitivity in renewables. During the journey in Jinko Solar, Lin Sun leads Sustainability Development Department in the headquarter, taking charge of managing and coordinating ESG, GHG-emission, 'Green transition' activities, in close collaboration with divisions in charge of Supply Chain, Operation, IT, Legal affairs as well as bankability such as project financing, scaling-up renewable and energy transition in various regions. Lin Sun had experiences in conducting market and industrial research that contributes to the green transition and sustainable development strategies. Lin Sun also acted as corporate representative to deliver speech and/or to participate in COP27, COP28, IRENA General Assembly, Sofia Economic Forum and other international summits for ESG and sustainability presentation, while as maintaining close relations with key shareholders in international and regional multilateral organizations, multi-development banks (IFC, EBRD, EIB, AfDB, ADB, etc.), research institutions and industry associations. In 2023, Lin Sun participated in EBRD annual meeting as business representative.

After a BSc in Energy Engineering at University of Bologna and a MSc in Sustainable Energy Technology at TU Delft, specializing on Solar PV & Energy Storage, Michele worked first as a Technical Consultant and Project Manager at DNV, leading technical advisory and certification firm in the Energy space, and since September 2022 as Head of Product Management Floating-PV at BayWa r.e., international developer and IPP with a strong leading position and the highest track record in Europe (300 MWp) for Floating-PV projects. Michele has been working for more than 6 years in the interesting and booming industry segment of Floating-PV, covering key responsibility roles and pushing the international agenda in the field, including managing international projects towards standardization. He is now responsible of supporting BayWa´s strategy, development and expansion in the Floating-PV space.

Laurent Talbot is Head of Energy Storage Germany at Statkraft, based in Düsseldorf. The Energy Storage teams develops battery storage systems for the German market, both stand-alone and co-located. Laurent led the feasibility study for Project Zerbst, Statkraft's first hybrid PV-BESS project in Germany, which was awarded a CfD at the Bundesnetzagentur's 'Innovation Auction'. He joined Statkraft in 2017 to set up the market access and PPA business for French PV & Wind project developers. Prior to Statkraft, he held business development, sales and origination roles in market access, PV modules manufacturing and sustainability strategy, in Germany, the UK and Spain. He is passionate about accelerating the energy transition through innovation, and is a member of the Steering Committee of the German-French Office for the Energy Transition (DFBEW/OFATE). Laurent studied international business in France and in the US, and holds an MBA from the European School of Management and Technology in Berlin.

Rosa is since more than 20 years working in the renewable energy (RE) field in Germany, having been involved in several steps of the RE value chain. Before her start at EB-SIM, she was at Allianz Global Investors structuring equity funds. Before, she was 6 years developing RE projects at two international well-known German project developers. Previous to that, she provided non-recourse project finance to renewables at KfW IPEX-Bank and CommerzBank. She started her carrier at the engineering consulting company, Lahmeyer International (now Tractabel) and at a subsidiary of E.ON Energy.

Justin is an experienced distributed renewable energy (DRE) professional with more than 12 years of experience in business development across Africa. Before joining Odyssey, Justin built a cutting-edge distributor of solar equipment in Nigeria and launched a solar installation company in South Africa. Justin was a senior consultant for Huawei's digital power division and helped plot the department's expansion across Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Prior to these roles, Justin served in various business and project development capacities across SSA. He holds an M.A. from Boston University and a B.A. from Michigan State University.

Stefan Trittler has been active in the off-grid market for 15 years, during which he has held a number of roles including engineering, project management, sales and R&D. Prior to his current position as Head of Innovation / Project Principal at Asantys Systems GmbH, he was employed as Project Principal and Engineering Manager at PowerGen Renewable Energies Ltd, active as mini-grid developer and operator in East and West Africa. Previously, Stefan Trittler was Technical Expert Hybrid Systems at juwi AG, responsible for system design, engineering and project management of various international off-grid systems. Before that, he gained experience in technical sales of off-grid systems at Energiebau Solarstromsysteme GmbH and HAWI Energietechnik AG. In addition to his off-grid experience, he has travelled to numerous countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America and has a special focus on rural electrification in these regions.

Wijnand van Hooff is Managing Director of Holland Solar, the industry association of the solar energy sector in the Netherlands. Wijnand has more than 20 years of experience in the European solar energy sector including the management of (collaborative) EU technology development projects, the coordination of solar energy related public-private innovation programs in the Netherlands, and representing all organizations that are professionally active in the solar energy sector in the Netherlands.

As Head of Public Affairs of Amarenco, Eva Vandest elaborates and operates an influence strategy to boost Solar Energy deployment, the most sustainable and affordable Energy to date. As chair of the "Agrisolar" now "Land-Use and Permitting" workstream at SolarPower Europe, she promotes synergies between Agricultural and Solar sectors to tackle climate change adaptation. She stands for ecological transition promoting regenerative agriculture solutions combined with Solar Energy production in rural areas. Since 2022 she is also Vice-Chair of Global Solar Council. Before being certified in Public Affairs, Strategy and Influence at Sciences-Po Paris, she completed a Master's degree at Sorbonne Law School. She started to work at Amarenco in 2016 after an internship at French Conseil d'Etat.

Zivile Vens is an EMEA Energy Markets Development Lead at Google. She is responsible for coordinating policies, regulations and partnerships to achieve Google's goals of 24/7 Carbon Free Energy (CFE) sourcing by 2030, including time-stamped energy attributes certificates. She is an energy expert with over ten years of experience and previously worked as Deloitte's sustainability consultant and in the UK's energy department (BEIS) as a decarbonisation lead for power and oil and gas industries.

Electrical engineer. Founder and current President of ITALIA SOLARE association, the main Italian PV association with more than 800 members. A pioneer of photovoltaics since the early 1990s, in 2001 he founded Enerpoint, one of the leading companies in the sector active in asset management, projects development, distribution and EPC.

-

Vegard Vollset is Vice President and is leading the EMEA part of Rystad Energy's Renewable & Power Research team, with more than a decade of experience working within the energy industry. He has broad experience in energy modeling, M&A, and strategy work, and has worked closely with clients spanning the entire energy sector, from renewable energy companies and service companies to governmental organizations, investors, and NGOs. Prior to joining Rystad Energy, Vegard worked in Engie, Total Energies, and Equinor. He holds an MSc degree from the Norwegian University of Science & Technology (NTNU) in Trondheim and an MSc degree from the University of Stavanger.

-

David Wedepohl, Managing Director International Affairs David Wedepohl is a radio journalist by training who studied and worked on both sides of the Atlantic. He holds a master's degree in Journalism and Public Affairs which he achieved as a Fulbright scholar. His professional experience included working for the German embassy in Washington, DC as a senior press and public diplomacy officer. He first came in touch with the solar industry while working for an American consulting company before taking up his job as director communications and markets at the German Solar Association, also serving as the organization's spokesperson. He now holds the position of managing director international affairs and is responsible for the association's international activities.

Howard Wenger currently serves as President of Nextracker, Inc., a leading provider of solar tracker and software solutions used in utility-scale and distributed generation projects. An accomplished solar industry business leader and executive spanning 35 years, Wenger brings global commercial and operations management expertise to Nextracker from his prior leadership roles, including president and board member of Solaria Corporation, president and chief executive officer of SunPower Corporation Systems, and executive vice president at PowerLight Corporation. Howard Wenger is passionate about enabling a clean all-electric future powered by a 100% renewable grid and distributed generation. He has worked for more than 35 years in the solar and utility power field, including executive and board member positions - from start-ups to leading multi-billion-dollar public companies. Mr. Wenger founded Wenger Ventures in 2017, an active clean power venture capital fund which has invested in over twenty companies and clean energy funds. During his career, Wenger has led and scaled companies, driven the establishment of public policies to mainstream solar including the first net metering law in the US and first rebate incentive program for grid-connected photovoltaics (California, 1994), and written software programs and tools that are still used today to design and engineer solar power systems. He has authored or co-authored over 75 technical papers and reports principally in the solar power field, most of which have been published and in the public domain. Wenger earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in environmental studies from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and a Master of Science degree in civil engineering from the University of Colorado, Boulder. Other Experience: Solaria Corporation as investor and advisor since 2017; board director 2019-2022; and served a 1-year assignment as President. Solaria merged with Complete Solar November 2022 to form Complete Solaria (NASDAQ : CSLR). SunPower Corporation (NASDAQ: SPWR), section 16 executive officer for 10 years, including president and CEO of SunPower Systems Corporation, with global responsibility for the company's residential, commercial, and utility power plant businesses. SunPower (and PowerLight) grew from $20 million to over $3 billion in revenue with over 10,000 employees during Wenger's tenure. PowerLight Corporation, executive vice president and board director. PowerLight was a global leading commercial and large-scale solar power company when it was acquired by SunPower in 2007 for over $300 million. Management positions at Pacific Gas & Electric Company of San Francisco, AstroPower Corporation (acquired by GE) and Pacific Energy Group, a company he co-founded and operated with Tom Hoff (see cleanpower.com).

Dr. Harry Wirth, born in 1968, studied physics at the University of Freiburg, Germany, and at the Universitiy of Massachusetts, USA. He earned his PhD from the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL) and from Fraunhofer ISE. From January 1999 he headed the R&D department of a specialty insulating glazing manufacturer. In 2005, he returned to Fraunhofer ISE to establish the group 'Photovoltaic Modules' and to conduct the setup of the PV Module Technology Center. Since April 2023, he is director of the division 'Power Solutions' Harry Wirth is author of the report 'Recent Facts about Photovoltaics in Germany' constantly renewed since 2011, author of the book 'Photovoltaic Module Technology' and inventor of more than 20 patents related to solar energy. Harry Wirth is board member of the International 'AgriVoltaics' Conference and Exhibition Series and of the AgriVoltaics Industry Forum.

Mariyana is currently serving as Vice Chairperson at the Association for production, storage and trading with electricity (APSTE) in Sofia, Bulgaria. With over 12 years of experience in various leadership roles within business development and investment market research for wind, solar and energy storage projects, Mariyana is now focusing on developing market design policies for greater integration of renewable energy into the electricity mix, including corporate sourcing of renewable energy and flexibility solutions such as storage, demand response and smart grids.