Conference Speakers

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Catherine Adelmann is co-founder and former General Manager of Fosera Solarsystems GmbH & Co. KGaA, a leading manufacturer of Pico-Solar-Home-Systems for rural electrification. In addition to her entrepreneurial achievements, she is a Startup Coach at the Startup Center and PhD candidate in the research group of smart grids at the University of Applied Sciences Ulm. She serves as a member of the advisory board of the Global Renewables Congress (GRC), where she advocates for large-scale renewable energy deployment.

Christian Adolph is Senior Innovation Manager at E.ON Group Innovation, leading strategic innovation initiatives with a clear focus on e-mobility and new energy. He is responsible for piloting new business models, technologies, and partnerships, managing ventures from business case development to implementation. Prior to E.ON, Christian served as Manager Product Portfolio at Webasto Charging Systems and can draw on four years of experience in management consulting, lastly at Arthur D. Little, where he specialized in automotive strategy, electric mobility, and digital transformation.

Having joined in 2014, Adele's career at Lightsource bp 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 bp through a significant period of change with drive, compassion, and determination. In her current remit, Adele leads LSbp global functions including Safety, Quality, Sustainability, IT & Digital, PMO, TMO, Engineering Centre of Excellence and Innovation, 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 and is a member of the advisory group of the BSc Energy Management at CU London. She holds an MSc in Economics for Arts, Culture and Communications Summa Cum Laude from L. Bocconi University in Milan.

Dan-Eric Archer is CEO and co-founder of CheckWatt and also a board member of the Swedish solar association as well as board member of Power Circle (a Swedish nonprofit organization focused on building knowledge and networks to accelerate the energy transition). In his role at CheckWatt since 2017 the company has evolved to become the leading aggregator of flexibility in the Nordics, with a focus on battery energy storage. At the moment the virtual power plant of CheckWatt connects around 15,000 assets consisting of batteries, solar PV, wind power and thermal loads of all different sizes. The aggregated flexibility is delivered to the Nordic TSOs, those DSOs that have implemented local flexibility markets and/or flexible connection agreements as well as in bilateral trade with balance responsible parties and electricity retailers.

Antonio Arruebo works as a Market Analyst at SolarPower Europe. He delivers high-quality market reports, briefs, and other products through the provision of data, research, and insights on the solar PV and battery storage markets, energy policy, and technological trends.

Mr. Barandalla has more than 15 years of experience in the solar photovoltaic industry as a renewable energy consultant and project manager. He currently serves as a Solar Advisory Lead for UL Solutions Advisory Team in Europe and Latin America. He has relevant experience in lender's (technical due diligence review and independent engineering services) and owner's engineer tasks for solar PV projects developed worldwide. Daniel has worked in key Merge and Acquisition (M&A) transactions for UL Solutions key clients overseeing portfolios of operating and development Solar PV assets worldwide. Furthermore, prior to joining UL Solutions, he focused as TA on commercial activities in Latin America with good expertise on Projects in Mexico, Chile, Brazil and other areas in Central America. He has been previously involved in Projects in the Asia Pacific Region, with experience in PV module audit inspections as well as providing training solutions for different stakeholders.

A senior executive with over 25 years of sales and management experience in the leading edge semiconductor and automotive industry. His former roles include country manager positions and global account manager functions with multinational companies. Juergen is responsible for partnerships, business and market development with a focus on customer engagement and developing suitable sales strategies. Juergen holds a Master in Engineering and an MBA degree with a focus on IOT and design thinking and is fluent in German and English.

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.

Dr. Djaber Berrian received his Ph.D. in photovoltaic engineering from the University of Freiburg, Germany, in 2020. Previously, he worked as a research and development engineer specializing in thin-film silicon solar cells at the CDER research center in Algeria. In 2017, he joined ISC Konstanz in Germany as a Ph.D. student, focusing on various research projects related to energy yield prediction for fixed-tilt and tracking bifacial PV systems. Additionally, he served as the R&D solar module manager for lightweight flexible PV modules at OPES Solar Mobility. Throughout his career, he has engaged in numerous scientific activities within the renewable energy sector. Currently, he is an Expert and Deputy of Innovation & System Design at BELECTRIC GmbH.

Dr. Benoît Bidaine is Strategic Program Officer of CE+T Group. He holds a physics engineering degree (2006) and a PhD (2012) from the University of Liège, Belgium. Throughout his career, he has worked at the intersection of technology development and R&D leadership, contributing to advancements in simulation-driven design, composite materials, and satellite navigation systems. He later transitioned to the energy sector, where he has been instrumental in managing R&D teams and driving innovation in power conversion and energy storage solutions. As part of CE+T Group, he focuses on coordinating development in modular and scalable power conversion platforms, enhancing efficiency, flexibility, and integration in modern energy systems.

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.

Felix Boldt is CEO of Solarworx GmbH, a leading manufacturer of standalone solar systems and DC Mesh grids. As a Renewable Energy Engineer, Felix has over a decade of experience in the solar off-grid sector across sub-Saharan Africa. He has worked in more than 10 countries, with a current focus on Zambia, Nigeria, and South Africa. With extensive expertise in the wind and solar industries, Felix is dedicated to advancing sustainable energy solutions in emerging markets.

Mary Boryslawska is the CEO and co-founder of Enzum, a software company optimising energy storage assets through machine learning. With a background in machine learning engineering and extensive experience in the energy sector in the UK and Australia, she has led Enzum's expansion into the German and Polish markets, securing key partnerships with battery distributors and industrial clients. Passionate about the intersection of AI and renewable energy, Mary is focused on driving innovation in energy storage optimisation and market integration.

With nearly 15 years of experience in investment banking and advisory, Chris brings deep exper-tise in M&A and JV deal origination across a wide range of renewable energy technologies, includ-ing solar, wind and energy storage, as well as the power, infrastructure and utilities sectors. Before joining Apricum, Chris spent a decade in Hong Kong, where he held key roles at top in-vestment banking and consulting companies. Most recently, he served as vice president, business development - renewable energy, APAC at ORIX, Hong Kong, where he was responsible for deal origination and business development to increase ORIX's renewable energy investment portfolio. Prior to that, he was a senior associate at Evercore, Hong Kong, advising on a broad range of M&A deals across Asia. Chris also worked as a senior associate at PwC Hong Kong in the valuations advisory department, covering various sectors. Chris holds a Bachelor of Arts degree with honors in Classics from Oxford University and is an ICAEW (Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales) registered chartered account-ant. At Apricum, Chris is a member of the London-based transaction advisory team where he leads M&A and capital raise transactions in both Solar PV and BESS across Europe.

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.

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.

Chloé Coral is a Project Engineer at Azimut 360, specializing in photovoltaic installations for self-consumption and rural electrification. She leads the development and implementation of solar energy solutions across Sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America, working closely with international agencies such as UNDP, GIZ, and AFD. Currently, she is overseeing a project in Mozambique aimed at optimizing mini-grid operations through a digital tool that enhances data acquisition, system design, and performance monitoring. This initiative integrates existing mini-grids into the platform, improving efficiency and long-term sustainability. With a background in energy engineering, Chloé has extensive experience in smart grids, distributed generation, and innovation projects funded by the European Commission. She holds a double master's degree in Energy Engineering from KTH Royal Institute of Technology and Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, as well as a bachelor's degree from Politecnico di Milano.

Anna Darmani is a principal analyst at Wood Mackenzie Power & Renewables, where she heads the research and analyses on Europe, Middle East and Africa storage markets. She has over ten years of experience in the energy industry, developing innovation and technology roadmaps and conducting EU research and advisory projects. Anna was one of the European Battery Alliance founding members and has worked with different industrial players to make Europe a global leader in the booming battery industry.

Martin Daronnat is currently Head of Flexibility & Structured Origination Germany at Engie Global Energy Management et Sales (GEMS). Active since more than 10 years in the energy business, Martin has a strong background in Flexibility and Renewables structuring and origination. His team currently offers flexibility offtake agreements and structured products to allow asset owners to make their assets bankable with the desired level of risks exposure. They closed (the first ever in continental Europe) long term fixed price flexibility purchase agreement in 2024 in Germany, allowing a large scale BESS to be financed. More of these deals are expected to be signed in 2025. ENGIE as a whole is a worldwide leader in BESS; with an objective to build 10GW by 2030, and currently having 5GW operational or in construction.

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.

Simon De Clercq is Senior Associate at Aurora Energy Research. He leads the Belgian and Dutch research team and manages Aurora's products on the Dutch and Belgian power and flexibility markets. Prior to joining Aurora, Simon was based in Mozambique where he advised the Mozambican government on the mobilization of climate finance. Before that, he worked as a strategy and policy consultant on renewable energy in Brussels.

Benedikt Deuchert is Head of Business Development and Regulatory Affairs at Kyon Energy, one of the leading battery project developers for utility-scale battery storage projects in Europe. He is responsible for developing new business models and leads initiatives to shape the regulatory environment for flexibility services in the electricity grid in general, and for battery storage in particular. Before joining the management team of Kyon Energy, he gained 8 years of experience in the energy sector, most recently as Senior Consultant at E-Bridge Consulting (Bonn, Germany). Benedikt Deuchert holds an MSc (Master of Science) degree in Electrical Engineering from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zurich.

José Donoso is an economist and has been linked to the renewable energy sector for more than 30 years. Currently he is CEO of the Spanish Photovoltaic Union (UNEF), an association that brings together more than 800 companies of the sector in Spain. He is also President of the Spanish Photovoltaic R&D Platform (Fotoplat) and member of the Advisory Council of the Electricity Market Organization (OMEL). Internationally, he is a member of the Board of Directors of the Global Solar Council (GSC), the global photovoltaic energy association; representative of national and European associations on the SolarPower Europe Board (SPE) and member of Task 1 of the International Energy Agency (IEA).

- 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.

Dr. Eerenstein holds a PhD in Materials Science. Between 2003-2006 she worked as a Marie Curie Research Fellow at the University of Cambridge (UK), working on combined electrical and magnetic data storage devices. This work was published in Nature, Science and Nature Materials. She was program Coordinator Solar Applications at the Energy Research Centre of the Netherlands (2006-2016), where she worked on new applications of solar panels such as building integration. She is now owner of Renergize Consultancy and general manager of EasyFix Solar, a company focussing on innovative mounting structures for solar panels. Renergize Consultancy offers advice and services to companies working on renewable energy innovations. Renergize Consultancy is overall project coordinator of the Dutch project Sunbiose, a large national project on Agri-PV systems.

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.

Tristan brings almost 20 years of solar and electrical industry experience to Kiwa PVEL. As VP of Sales and Marketing, he oversees Kiwa PVEL's commercial activities and collaborates with PV module buyers, investors, research institutions and manufacturers to develop innovative performance and reliability test programs for product qualification. Tristan previously served as Product and Quality Manager for Silfab Solar, where he oversaw Silfab's extended reliability testing and was responsible for new product development and new material qualification. He has also directed equipment procurement and technical site operations for solar project developers and Independent Power Producers at a range of projects across North America, South America and Asia.

Alexandra is Senior Construction Contracts Manager at Engie Renewables. She is responsible for setting contracting standards and supporting project development and execution worldwide. With a career dedicated to the design and construction industries, Alexandra specializes in complex international contracts for infrastructure and energy projects. Passionate about collaboration and solution-driven dealmaking, she focuses on building strong partnerships to drive successful project outcomes.

Robert began his automotive career after earning a degree in electrical engineering. He spent 15 years at Honda in Ohio, spearheading advanced product engineering initiatives and leading the North American implementation of Honda's hybrid powertrains. During this time, he also served as a key program leader for the Acura TLX and NSX, and headed the Infotainment engineering team. Since joining SBD in 2017, Robert has been integral to the Connected Car and EV practices, managing large-scale projects for OEMs and Tier 1s. Now serving as Domain Principal for Electrification, he provides global subject matter expertise to diverse projects, supporting clients' journeys in the electric revolution.

Johannes Flemming started his career in 2018 in technology consulting at P3, specialising in batteries and e-drives. For the first two years, he worked on development and industrialisation projects in the automotive industry before shifting his focus to stationary energy storage. His expertise includes development, technology analysis, market analysis and strategy consulting for residential, commercial and industrial battery energy storage systems (BESS). Today, Johannes leads the battery storage and power electronics team at P3 and drives innovation and strategic progress in this area.

Christian Folke is a seasoned professional in the renewable energy sector, currently serving as the Head of Technology & Innovation at Uniper Renewables GmbH since May 2023. With a robust background in project management and innovation, Christian has been instrumental in advancing large-scale battery storage, e-mobility, airborne wind energy, and smart grids. Prior to his current role, he was a Project Engineer at Uniper Energy Storage GmbH for over seven years, where he focused on renewable integration and energy storage solutions. Christian also held positions at E.ON, including Portfolio Manager at the Innovation Center Energy Storage and Technical CCS Coordinator. His extensive experience in the energy industry is complemented by his academic background and certifications in project management and leadership. Based in the Cologne/Bonn region, Christian is dedicated to driving sustainable energy solutions and fostering innovation in the renewables sector.

Eduard Foved Johe is a Yield Assessment and Performance Manager at ENGIE. In his role, he supports ENGIE's teams globally in developing renewable projects, focusing on design optimization, yield assessment, and performance analysis of operational assets. With multiple years of experience in the solar industry, his expertise spans from solar cell and module technologies to optimization and yield modelling of solar and hybrid projects. He began his career at ENGIE in the residential solar market and later transitioned to renewable and hybrid utility-scale projects.

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Dr. Simone Fungipane is Founder & Chairman of iGreen System Srl. In his professional growth, he has held different roles, ranging from commercial management to process business consulting, with the opportunity to get to know different contexts and sectors in depth. Strengthened by the multidisciplinary skills acquired over time and thanks to previous experience in the field, in January 2023 he founded iGreen System with the challenging goal of designing and building highly innovative and high-performance Advanced Agrivoltaic Systems, concretely bringing the agricultural and photovoltaic sectors closer together. Driven by a great passion, he plans business growth strategies, builds and consolidates partnerships and relationships in the area, developing and strengthening the presence on the market.

Dr-Ing. Jesús Gallego is Technical Project Manager at CharIN e.V., where he leads the initiatives related to Conformance Testing and Interoperability in the e-mobility sector. With extensive experience in project management across automotive manufacturing, IT solutions and cybersecurity, he has successfully driven technical developments and global collaborations. His expertise spans technical strategy, stakeholder engagement, and advancing mobility and connectivity solutions.

Stefan Goede is a Co-Founder and the CTO of Munich Electrification, a supplier of battery management systems, software and components. His present role is focussed on research and development in the field of electric vehicle batteries and stationary batteries. Before founding Munich Electrification, Stefan worked in the automotive industry. Previous career steps include BMS software development at Tesla Motors, BMW AG and Daimler AG. He holds a Master of Arts in Business Development as well as a diploma in information technology from the Baden- Wuerttemberg Cooperative State University (DHBW) in Stuttgart.

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.

Ulrike Gunnemann is a passionate advocate of sustainable energies. In her role as Head of Global Hybrid at BayWa r.e., she is dedicated to the development of complex renewable energy projects combining different electricity generators and storage technologies. Before joining BayWa r.e. in April 2022, Ulrike worked as manager and expert for an international engineering consultancy company. Being worldwide active in numerous hybrid and storage projects as well as energy system studies, Ulrike advised governments, investors and project developers in the development of green energy solutions. Ulrike combines engineering, financial and AI expertise with excellent track record in setting up new business fields, strategy and M&A.

Claudia Günther leads the Research teams for Northwestern Europe at Aurora. In this position, she is responsible for the power market outlook for these markets, alongside strategic studies on the energy transition, covering topics evolving around electricity market design, decarbonization of the power sector, renewable energy and energy storage. She has an extensive track record of acting as an advisor on project and studies for developers, investors, utilities, grid operators and policy makers on the national and EU level.

Franz has a background in Mathematics and is Energy Data Scientist at ECO STOR based in Munich, Germany. As part of the ECO STOR Team, he developed software to control large scale storage systems and commissioned numerous storage projects. Passionate about accelerating the energy transition, he specializes in assessing how storage can optimize the integration of renewable power into the grid.

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.

Holger Hesse is Professor at the University of Applied Sciences Kempten. He holds a PhD in physics and he gained expert knowledge in the fields of battery storage and energy markets through various stages in industry and academia. He was postdoctoral researcher at Technical University of Munich and consultant for BMW, e.on and other well renowned industrial players. His research team has a particular focus on battery storage modelling including techno-economic analyses, energy dispatch optimization and machine learning derived control of systems.

Alexander has been leading sonnen's device development team in the position of Vice President Device Development since 2024. Between 2019 and 2014, he was responsible for sonnen's commercial and industrial storage development activities in the position of Vice President C&I. Prior to joining sonnen, Alexander was involved in setting up the stationary energy storage business unit at VARTA as Technical Director. He holds a diploma and a doctorate in physics.

Gadi Hirsch is a senior strategy manager and lead market and policy analyst at SolarEdge Technologies. Gadi leads business analysis and strategy formulation efforts for key market segments, focusing on distributed energy resources and digitally enhanced energy business models. He also covers technological trends and policies, with an emphasis on European and North-American markets. He holds a BA in economics and has previously led economic analysis and management consulting teams.

Julie Horn is a Senior Strategy and Business Development at Virya Energy, specializing in renewable energy growth strategies. With deep expertise in solar, energy storage, EV charging, and smart energy management, she has led strategic initiatives, business development, and innovative product roadmaps. Julie holds dual master's degrees from Solvay Business School and has served as an expert evaluator for the European Commission.

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.

Claudius Jehle is the founder and CEO of volytica diagnostics GmbH, a company specializing in independent, data-driven battery diagnostics for e-mobility and energy storage applications. With a background in Mechanical Engineering and System Identification from the Technical University of Munich and Delft University of Technology, he has been driving advancements in battery analytics and predictive diagnostics for over a decade. Before founding volytica, he led the Energy Storage Diagnostics and Telematics research group at Fraunhofer IVI. As an active industry participant, he contributes to technical publications, industry discussions, and global conferences, providing insights into battery technology, value chains, and independent diagnostics.

Manuel Jimenez Castro is a multidisciplinary professional with extensive international experience in renewable energies, specializing in photovoltaic (PV) systems, battery energy storage systems (BESS), and green hydrogen solutions. Currently serving as a Global Application Engineer at Siemens AG, Manuel excels in product and solution definition, market research, design, review, verification, and validation according to relevant standards. Manuel holds a Master's Degree in Telecommunication Engineering from Universidad de Sevilla and has worked with leading companies such as Siemens Gamesa and Power Electronics. His contributions to the field include developing application notes, analyzing PV plants, and providing technical support for clients. Manuel is also an active participant in international summits like Intersolar and SPI, where he shares his knowledge and insights on the latest trends and innovations in the solar industry. Additionally, Manuel is a voting member of the UL1741 Committee, contributing to the development and maintenance of standards for inverters, converters, controllers, and interconnection system equipment used in distributed energy resources.

Sarah is a project manager at the Dutch Marine Energy Centre (DMEC), a leading accelerator and knowledge centre for offshore renewable energy innovations. She focusses on hybrid offshore energy parks that integrate different renewable energy sources like offshore wind, wave, and offshore solar. Her work covers technical, policy and sustainability aspects, along with stakeholder engagement.

Mark Kragh is the founder and CTO of Off-Grid Europe GmbH. He is an expert in renewable energy systems with long-term experience in systems engineering and design, leadership as well as data analytics. Since 2020, OGE is part of the project ASER300 that set the target to electrify at least 300 villages in Senegal. In the course of realizing the project, OGE set up the senegalese subsidiary Off-Grid Africa in order to establish itself long-term in the west-african market. Innovation and constant optimization of technology are an integral part of the company. Apart from Off-Grid Systems, Mark has developed a unique solar boat (SunSailor) as well as a containerised solution to produce solar oxygen (SolarO2). He currently focuses on the development of a BESS (Battery energy storage system) for commercial and industrial users as well as on a solar cooling solution for the agricultural sector.

Cecilie is a research analyst in Wood Mackenzie's Power and Renewables team, focusing on European, Middle Eastern and African storage markets. Before joining the storage team, she contributed to Wood Mackenzie's Middle East and Africa solar and onshore wind analysis, monitoring project development updates, asset transactions and policy updates. Prior to joining Wood Mackenzie, she worked as an ESG and social impact analyst for a financial services firm. In that capacity, she focused on EU regulation and international frameworks and advised on sustainability-related investments. Cecilie holds a bachelor's degree in International Relations and a bachelor's degree in Business Administration from IE University in Madrid, Spain.

Thomas Kündiger is co-founder and Chief Technology Manager of BOS AG, responsible for product roadmap, system design and research projects. As an expert in product development and off-grid power supply, his passion is to develop environmentally friendly state-of-the-art energy solutions, with a deep understanding of B2B and end-user needs, especially in rural areas. He combines practical skills in mechanical engineering with a Bachelor's degree in Energy Systems and a Master's degree in Systems Engineering & Management.

Alice Lefort is an Agri-PV Product Manager at BayWa r.e. Global, supporting the development of the Agri-PV market segment across Europe. She holds a master's degree in Agroecology and Agricultural Engineering from the National Polytechnic Institute of Toulouse. Alice began her career at BayWa r.e. France in 2019 as an Agricultural Engineer, working to integrate renewable energy solutions into farming communities and support agri-environmental measures. In 2022, she took on responsibility for Agri-PV development at Ib Vogt France, leading solar energy strategies on agricultural land and fostering EU-wide collaboration in the agrivoltaics sector. In 2023, she rejoined BayWa r.e. With her background, Alice is deeply engaged in promoting synergies between solar energy and agriculture, leveraging Agri-PV as a catalyst for agricultural and energy transition. She co-authored the paper "How Agri-PV Can Boost the Transition to Regenerative Agriculture in Europe" in collaboration with BCG.

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.

Miguel Lopes is global Sr. Asset Leader for BTM Solar and batteries in McKinsey. He has counseled utilities, pure solar behind-the-meter players, IPPs, distributors and private capital in the space across the world. He has supported clients develop their go-to-market strategies, building businesses from scratch or Hyperscaling and implementing operational excellence in established players. He is responsible for McKinsey's BTM solar and batteries forecasts, as well for several operational excellence assets.

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).

Evelyn Maier is a Product Manager at sonnen GmbH, a leading company in intelligent battery energy storage solutions and renewable energy. She is responsible for the commercial and industrial battery energy storage systems at sonnen. With a degree in Energy Engineering, she has extensive expertise in the energy industry. Previously, she worked at RWE, one of Germany's largest utilities, in various roles across business development, R&D, and asset management for RWE's renewables division.

Florian Mayr is an expert for strategy, business development and transaction advisory in the global renewable energy markets, including energy storage. Mr. Mayr leads Apricum's energy storage practice and is responsible for the company's international activities in this field. In particular, Mr. Mayr supports Apricum's clients in successfully accessing new markets and seizing attractive business opportunities. He is also active in advising cleantech companies on corporate and project financing, including M&A, fund raising and due diligence. Furthermore, he is a regular contributor to external publications and a frequently booked speaker on the topic of energy storage. Prior to Apricum, he spent a decade in senior positions at McKinsey & Company and RWE, where he was mainly involved in strategy development projects both in the conventional and renewable energy sectors. Mr. Mayr holds a master's degree in engineering from the Technical University of Berlin, and an MBA from the Technical University of Berlin and the University of Mannheim.

Rebecca manages Aurora's renewables analysis for the European Power Markets team, specialising in research to advise on policy and regulatory risks, financing, and investment strategies for renewable technologies across various European markets. During her tenure at Aurora, she has led multiple influential studies and insight reports into a broad range of energy topics, spanning policy, market design and energy finance. Rebecca was instrumental in driving Aurora's expansion into Ireland, developing our first Ireland Power Market Forecast. Rebecca holds a BSc in Biological Sciences from the University of Warwick.

Minja Mihajlovic is an Energy Solutions Analyst and Project Manager at DMEC (Dutch Marine Energy Centre). As part of DMEC's technical team she works on modelling multi-source offshore renewable energy systems as well as the integration of nature-positive offshore solutions. As a part of her Master thesis, she studied offshore energy storage technologies and their integration in offshore wind farms. Currently, she is managing a research project on the potential reoxygenation of the North Sea, using oxygen that is a byproduct of offshore hydrogen production. With a background in Electrical and Computer Engineering, Minja combines technical expertise with a multidisciplinary approach to drive advancements in offshore renewable energy systems.

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.

Molly Morgan is a Senior Research Analyst of the solar PV sector at CRU. Her areas of focus include tracking and forecasting evolution in solar module efficiency and architecture. She also undertakes analysis of solar manufacturing capacity, production, and financial data which - alongside end demand through installations forecasting - forms the basis of CRU's coverage of the solar market.

Marvin Müller is a Senior Project Engineer at PEM Motion GmbH and a certified Product Compliance Officer acc. to ISO/IEC 17024. He is responsible for topics around product compliance and safety for the e-mobility / sustainability market. He has deep expertise in the homologation process of vehicles and vehicle parts as well as the conformity process of industry products such as energy storage systems and chargers. His core markets are Europe, China and North America.

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.

John leads LCP Delta's Electric Vehicle (EV) team and has overall accountability for the successful delivery of our EV-related products (EV Charging Research Service & CHARGEtrack) and consultancy projects. With over 15 years in the energy industry, he is passionate about driving the transition towards net zero - and electrification of transport is an integral piece of the puzzle. He has been with LCP Delta since 2012. During this time, he has had the privilege of supporting a wide range of businesses including energy companies, equipment manufacturers, policy makers & investors on topics ranging from EV charging to combined heat & power (CHP) to microgrids. He graduated from the University of Edinburgh with an MChem in Environmental Chemistry.

I started my journey at DKB AG as a Trainee with focus on project finance within the renewable energy industry in 2020. At the beginning of the year 2022 the demand for bank solutions for battery storage projects started to grow. Subsequently this topic gained my interest because storage projects where more complex and we had to thing about new solutions. Currently I am responsible for acquiring and structuring new projects and have successfully worked on several battery projects.

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.

Ioana Petcu is an experienced energy and climate expert, with a strong communication and public affairs profile. She currently leads the industrial and decarbonisation workstreams at Eurelectric, focusing on policies aimed at delivering on Europe's growth and net-zero ambitions. She joined Eurelectric in 2018 to spearhead media interactions and crisis communications, as well as multichannel engagements, supporting the company's advocacy efforts. Prior to this, Ioana worked at NATO, the European Parliament, and the Romanian Ministry of Defence. She holds a master's degree in international relations - diplomacy and conflict resolution, and a bachelor's degree in communications.

Maddalena Pondini is covering the role of Decarbonization Strategy Advisory Expert in Siemens SI Building Sustainability. She supports clients in overcoming their unique sustainability challenges through initiatives that include strategic roadmap development, benchmarking, and continuous improvement processes. In parallel with her role at Siemens, Maddalena is currently taking an MBA in Sustainability Management at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität FAU, Erlangen. With 10 years of experience in the energy and utility industries, she brings a deep understanding of energy transition trends, spanning both the grid side and the consumer/prosumer landscape, combined with a strong customer-oriented mindset. Within Siemens she also covered the role of Product Manager in the Grid Software organization, where she contributed in shaping product strategies to address evolving customer demands and support future-proof grid management solutions. She holds a BSc and a MSc in Energy Engineering from Politecnico di Milano (Italy). She has a curious mindset and she is passionate about delivering customer value with innovative solutions to support the energy transition.

Géraldine Quelle has been working for Phaesun GmbH since 2010 operating research and innovation projects in different African countries, currently coordinating the BeCool Kenya and Ghana project. She holds a diploma in International Business Administration and a Master of Science in Sustainable Energy Systems. Since its foundation in 2001, Phaesun has focused on PV Off-grid power supply for rural electrification, productive use solutions, water pumping systems and the caravan & camping sector. The main target regions are Africa, Latin America, Europe and the Middle East. Phaesun works closely with international NGOs and GOs as well as with local partner companies in the target countries to deliver and permanently establish energy in non-electrified areas.

Abigail Ross Hopper is the president and CEO of the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), the national trade organization for America's solar and storage industry. Ms. Hopper is a visionary leader who has transformed SEIA into an advocacy powerhouse and the leading voice for the U.S. solar and storage industry, a $64 billion force in our nation's economy. She is known for overseeing tremendous industry-wide growth in the solar and storage space, most notably, the sector's employment of 280,000 people in the industry, the quintupling of the solar module manufacturing capacity in the U.S., and the adoption of business-friendly policies that promote American energy dominance. Ms. Hopper has been named in The Hill's Top Lobbyist list since 2020 and has been featured in hundreds of media outlets across the country. She is also working to shepherd the next generation of the solar workforce by championing diversity efforts in the industry and through her Solar Sisters initiative. Under her tenure, SEIA has received numerous awards for its work and company culture and was named by the Washington Post as a 2023 and 2024 Top Workplace and a Best Nonprofit to Work For by the Nonprofit Times. Ms. Hopper currently serves on the board of directors of RE+ Events, the Arthur L. Irving Institute for Energy and Society at Dartmouth, the Consumer Energy Education Fund, and Earthday.org. Before joining SEIA, Ms. Hopper was the Director of the Department of Interior's Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, where she led the agency that oversaw the leasing and development of all offshore energy, from oil and natural gas to offshore wind. She also served as the Director of the Maryland Energy Administration (MEA), and as the Energy Advisor to Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley. Ms. Hopper graduated Cum Laude from the University of Maryland School of Law and earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Dartmouth College. She is the very proud mom of three children and loves to read, ride her Peloton, and lie on the beach, all while drinking decaf Dunkin.

Christa Roth is a Consultant for Cooking Energy which is vital for human survival. With a focus on Africa, she assists worldwide to develop locally appropriate efficient technologies for cooking or other uses of heat, based on locally available renewable resources, including climate-friendly solid biomass fuels from sustainable sources. She started integrating PV-based household energy solutions in her work since 2010, first for low-wattage needs like lighting. She is now exploring high-wattage PV-solutions for cooking in off-grid scenarios to see how and where they fit in the mix of household cooking energy to complement or substitute unsustainable solid biomass cooking fuels. Christa always puts the users and producers at the centre of any technology development, so that users can get what they want and can afford and local producers or installers can create a sustainable business from the promotion of these technologies.

During my studies, I had already embarked on the path towards renewable energies in combination with battery system solutions. Starting in the energy consultancy, I moved to the trading department and the virtual power plant of EnBW AG. Since then I have been working as a product manager in flexibility marketing and have been actively driving forward the large-scale battery storage segment within EnBW AG with a strong focus on a further growth of this business.

Markus Schiller is a Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) Customer Consultant at Daimler Truck AG. He is responsible for European key accounts, looking to electrify their truck fleets. With a background in engineering, he has deep expertise in eTrucks, electrical infrastructure and especially the planning of charging infrastructure in large-scale truck depots. Furthermore, he works in the development of innovative business models that reduce the total cost of ownership for eTrucks.

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.

Fabian Schmidt is Project Manager for Internal Charging Infrastructure & Interop Testing at Daimler Truck AG. He is responsible for the planning and implementation of charging infrastructure projects at Daimler Truck AG locations and sales outlets, as well as the technical evaluation and assessment of charging solutions. Fabian holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering with a focus on Production Technology and has contributed to several charging technology projects both domestically and internationally (USA).

Dr. Brianna Schuyler is the Director of Digital Product at the Access to Energy Institute (A2EI) in Berlin. She works with the team to allow energy providers, investors, donors, and governmental organizations to visualize and monitor data from on-grid, minigrid, and off-grid renewable energy sources through Prospect. Before joining A2EI, she led the data team at Engie Energy Access (formerly Fenix International), empowering the organization to use data and technology to increase solar energy access to over 8 million people across Sub-Saharan Africa.

Adrien Schwane is Head of eMobility at BayWa r.e. Operation Services GmbH, where he leads the department responsible for the planning, delivery and construction of charging infrastructure. With two master degrees from RWTH Aachen University, Adrien has extensive experience in project management, consulting and implementation of intelligent (DC) charging solutions for electric cars and trucks. Prior to his current role, Adrien was a project manager at The Mobility House GmbH, where he advised companies on smart charging solutions for their fleets and business parks. Adrien's career also includes significant contributions to renewable energy projects at his previous employers. His expertise in e-mobility and sustainable energy systems positions him as a key player in driving the transition to clean energy.

Neha Sinha is the Hardware Systems Product Manager for the Global Wärtsilä Energy Storage & Optimisation (ES&O) organization. Neha has a background in Mechanical Engineering and 7 years of product development and supply chain experience in the energy storage industry. In her current role, she effectively leads new product development initiatives from conception to execution by driving innovation and addressing industry challenges, all in support of global decarbonization. Prior to Wärtsilä, Neha worked at GE Renewable Energy in sourcing, logistics, and operations management - all in the energy sector.

Sepehr Soltani is an Energy Storage Analyst at Rystad Energy, specializing in renewable energy with a master's in mechanical engineering. Since joining Rystad, he has been instrumental in advising on the pivotal role of Energy Storage Systems (ESS) in the energy transition. Sepehr's expertise encompasses energy storage technologies, power markets, and optimizing performance for Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS).

Lars is a part of Fluence's Commercial, Market Development, Marketing and Policy Team in the EMEA region. He is responsible for policy and regulatory efforts on the EU level and throughout the EMEA region and supports the market and business development in Central Europe. Lars also leads the policy and market development for the TSO segment in the EMEA region, working with grid operators, regulators, and policy makers to establish energy storage as grid assets to improve utilisation and increase the operational reliability of power grids. Before joining Fluence, Lars worked for 8 years at Aggreko and Younicos (acquisition in 2017) on storage policy and market development globally, with a specific focus on storage-renewable hybrid assets. During this time, he participated in setting a 1GW storage target within Aggreko's company strategy. Before joining the clean energy sector, Lars worked at the political communication think tank ProDialog, and as a communication specialist for the European Parliament.

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.

With a combination of studies in Business Administration and Telecommunications, he has accumulated 7 years of experience in the dynamic world of electric mobility. Of Spanish-British origin, Juan Michael is a big passionate of the industry and, although he has a lot of experience in the field, he stresses the importance of always keeping up to date due to the constant advances and innovations that characterize this rapidly evolving market.

George Touloupas is Vice President, ESG and New Services in CEA. Since 2010 George has been active in technical consulting for PV and energy storage projects, as well as in PV manufacturing, EPC and project development. He joined CEA in 2015 and has previously led the technology and quality team for solar and energy storage. Prior to CEA, he held positions as Chief Operating & Technical Officer at Philadelphia Solar in Jordan, as Technical Operations Director at Recom and as an EPC and project developer in Greece.

Sarah Van Cleve is the Vice President of Sales & Commercial Excellence for Fluence's Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) division. In this role, she leads the region's energy storage solutions sales strategy and market development, driving growth through sales transformation efforts, policy engagement, marketing, product development, and market intelligence. Prior to joining Fluence, Sarah spent more than eight years in Tesla's energy storage division, holding a number of roles since the division's official launch in 2015. Most recently, she led Tesla's Megapack Sales Team for EMEA, overseeing the full sales cycle from lead generation to contracting. Before her tenure in Europe, she was based at Tesla's headquarters in California, where she established the U.S. Energy Policy Team and later led the Global Energy Business Development Team. Sarah began her career as a financial analyst at Southern California Edison, specializing in electricity and emissions markets. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).

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.

Mr. Angel Verástegui Gubler is a Senior Climate Advisor at responsAbility Investments AG. He develops green lending strategies with financial institutions across Latin America, validating their climate impact. With over 15 years in global clean energy initiatives, he has promoted energy access technologies with the public sector, assessed carbon emissions of renewable energy and energy efficiency projects from the private sector, and trained financial institutions on ESG and decarbonization.

- Electrical Engineer (University of Karlsruhe, today KIT) - PhD in the field of modeling and development of control strategies for fuel cell systems (Fraunhofer ISE and University of Karlsruhe, today KIT) - Since 03/2024 Energy Storage Chief Expert at Huawei Nuremberg Research Center - From 2017 to 02/2024 Head of Department 'Electrical Energy Storage' and Coordinator of Business Unit 'Electrical Energy Storage' at Fraunhofer ISE - From 2011 to 2016 Head of Department 'PV Off-Grid Solutions and Battery System Technology' at Fraunhofer ISE - From 2005 to 2010 Head of Group 'Off-Grid Power Supply' - Until 02/2024 Contact Person for Battery Systems at Fraunhofer Battery Alliance - From 2021 to 02/2024 Spokesman of R&D Advisory Board of German Energy Storage Systems Association (BVES) - From 2022 to 02/2024 Member of Steering Committee and Technical Advisor of Working Group 'Stationary Applications and Integration' of Batteries Europe / Batteries European Partnership Association (BEPA)

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.

David Wedepohl first came into contact with the solar industry while working for a US consulting firm before joining the German Solar Industry Association as Head of Market and Communications and spokesperson for the association. Today, he is responsible for all of the association's international activities outside of the EU. This now includes projects and partnerships in and with Africa, Latin America, Asia and the USA. He is a broadcast journalist trained at the international broadcaster Deutsche Welle and has studied and worked on both sides of the Atlantic. He earned his US degree as a Fulbright Scholar. He gained professional experience as a press and public diplomacy officer at the German Embassy in Washington, DC, and in the communications department of DaimlerChrysler AG. Since 2023, he has also been Managing Director of the non-profit branch of the solar and storage sector, BSW-Solar gGmbh.

Steven Xuereb is a renewable energy professional who has twenty-four years of experience both in the solar and wind industries. Currently he is an Executive Director of Kiwa PI Berlin, leading the sales and project delivery departments, focusing on delivering independent engineering services for large scale solar plants. Before joining Kiwa PI Berlin, Steven spent eight years procuring and developing solar and wind projects in North America, Chile and South Africa. His experience in the industry includes greenfield development, acquisitions, contracts management, research and development, certification and service operations. He is a mechanical engineer with a Master's degree in renewable energy from the Universities of Oldenburg and Kassel.

Mariyana is the Chief Operating Officer of International Power Supply (IPS) - a company with 36 years of experience in the development and manufacturing of power conversion, energy storage and micro-grid technologies in Europe. In her capacity of COO, she responsible for the effective Implementation of the company's strategic vision for manufacturing battery energy storage systems (BESS) in Europe. Managing daily operations to align regulatory requirements and market trends and needs with the company's strengths and development goals, Mariyana is now focusing on advancing energy storage as a solution to increase security of supply and power system flexibility in Europe. To date, Mariyana has over 15 years of experience in various leadership roles within business development and investment market research for wind, solar, energy storage and smart grids.

Dr. Guang Yang is currently serving as President of Technology at Beijing HyperStrong Technology Co., LTD. He earned his PhD in EECS from University of California at Berkeley. While at HyperStrong, Dr. Yang worked on the full stack of BESS control systems, including Battery Management Systems, Battery Array Management Systems and Energy Management Systems. He also led the R&D of the BESS data analytics platform, which incorporates cloud computing, big data technologies, and the latest AI technologies. By combining data, cloud and control systems, BESS can be modeled, operated, maintained and optimized during the full life cycle, thus offering customers the most competitive BESS with high round trip efficiency, long life time, and high availability.

Patrick Zank is an experienced project engineer and senior consultant specializing in battery and energy storage systems. He holds a degree in industrial engineering with a focus on materials science, where his research focused on the impact of new manufacturing technologies on materials testing. Since 2020, Patrick has been with VDE, where he first led technical due diligence and system consulting for Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS). He later advanced to the role of Senior Battery Consultant, providing in-depth expertise. Patrick is also an expert at DKE, the German standardization body, where he plays a key role in the development and enhancement of electrotechnical standards. He is a member of the Battery Passport consortium, which is shaping the guidelines for the EU Battery Regulation, aiming to balance sustainability objectives with industry feasibility. In addition to his technical roles, Patrick serves as the Business Development Manager at VDE Renewables, overseeing departments related to PV, BESS, and Grid Conformity. His work focuses on risk reduction through technical expertise, fostering trust with all stakeholders, and driving innovation in the energy sector