Solarplaza Seminar | BESS Czechia

Hugo is a Commercial Manager at ECO STOR GmbH, where he is primarily responsible for the interface between commercial activities and investment analysis. His responsibilities include developing innovative business models, conducting market and investment analyses, and identifying and engaging strategic partners to successfully market battery energy storage solutions. In addition, he designs pricing and contractual structures, negotiates with optimisers, utilities, trading houses and aggregators, and ensures that regulatory requirements are incorporated into commercially viable business models and investment decisions. Before joining ECO STOR, Hugo spent two years as a Project Manager at Blue Elephant Energy GmbH, where he was responsible for developing photovoltaic projects and coordinating project developers in Italy. He also co-founded and served as Managing Director of TA Renewables GmbH, focusing on the development of PV projects in the Czech Republic. Hugo studied Industrial Engineering and Management, specialising in energy markets and energy technology, at the Technical University of Munich. His master's thesis examined the strategic importance of battery storage systems for independent power producers (IPPs).

Martin Lesenar is an Energy Finance Specialist with more than 10 years of experience in the Czech banking sector, focusing on the financing and evaluation of energy infrastructure projects. Throughout his career, he has worked with several leading financial institutions, building extensive expertise across both conventional and renewable energy technologies. He currently serves as an Energy Finance Specialist at Komerční banka, where he is responsible for the assessment and structuring of financing solutions for a diverse range of energy assets, including hydropower plants, wind farms, solar PV installations, battery energy storage systems (BESS), and large-scale waste-to-energy (WtE) facilities. His expertise includes project finance, credit risk assessment, financial modelling, and the evaluation of complex energy investments. With a strong focus on the energy transition, Martin supports the development of sustainable and innovative financing solutions that enable the deployment of renewable generation and energy storage projects across the energy sector.

Grzegorz Kozioł, Senior Application Engineer at HiTHIUM, is an energy storage professional specializing in large-scale BESS projects and international market development. With a strong background in renewable energy and advanced power systems, he operates at the intersection of technology, strategy, and investment. He has extensive experience working with global manufacturers, developers, and investors, supporting the deployment of utility-scale energy storage projects across multiple markets. His expertise includes project structuring, system design, and translating complex technical solutions into bankable, revenue-generating assets. Grzegorz focuses on the evolving role of BESS in enabling the energy transition, enhancing grid stability, and supporting cross-border energy strategies. At Solarplaza, he brings an international perspective and practical insights into scaling energy storage in dynamic and rapidly evolving markets.

Jan Fousek is CEO of the Association for Energy Storage AKU-BAT CZ, which supports the development of energy storage, production of hydrogen, flexibility aggregation, building of infrastructure for e-mobility and overall modernization of the Czech energy and industry sector. Jan Fousek acts also as the Chairman of the Board in Solar Association and as the Member of the Board in Modern Energy Union (Svaz moderni energetiky). He has been active in the energy markets since 2007. In the years 2011-2016, he was co-owner and managing director of one of the largest European trading houses with emission allowances and electricity, Virtuse Energy.

Martina Kaplanová is an Associate at Aurora Energy Research, focusing on battery energy storage systems (BESS) and power market analysis across Central and Eastern Europe. Martina works closely with clients and project developers on commercial strategies, revenue opportunities, and market developments for energy storage, with particular experience in the Czech and Polish markets.

Martin Pich has over 25 years of experience in international energy and commodity trading. Since 2019, he has led the Trading Division at MND, overseeing trading activities across European and global power, gas, oil, oil products and carbon markets, as well as asset optimization and hedging. Previously, he held senior trading management positions at Alpiq in Switzerland and Central Europe. His current focus includes algorithmic trading, renewable energy integration and optimization of flexible assets, particularly battery energy storage systems (BESS).