Solarplaza Seminar | BESS Greece

Virginia is a Partner in the International Project & Structured Finance Group and Head of the Greek Law energy, corporate, projects and finance practice. Virginia graduated in Law from Cambridge University in 1989 and practised as a barrister in London for five years before moving to Athens and qualifying as a Greek lawyer in 1998. She joined Watson Farley & Williams in 2007 after ten years ata major Greek commercial law firm and specialises in acquisitions and financing in the infrastructure and energy sector, as well as real estate, corporate M&A, insurance and finance deals in Greece for Greek and foreign investors and banks. She is listed as a leading individual in the energy sector in most ranking publications and is a member of Legal 500’s Hall of Fame for her many years’ top ranking as a Greek energy expert. Virginia is widely recognised for her energy, infrastructure, finance and corporate/M&A expertise by legal directories Chambers Europe, Legal 500 EMEA and IFLR 1000. Chambers notes that clients and peers describe her as “the perfect partner in a transaction” and a “beacon of the industry”. Other clients add that she is “always responsive and provides a top-notch level of service”.

With a background in mechanical engineering and previous leadership roles in construction across six European markets, Sebastiaan combines technical insight with commercial leadership to accelerate energy transition efforts globally. Sebastiaan drives international expansion and investor engagement for ion Ventures to scale clean energy solutions with a particular focus on Europe.

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.

Liuba Andreeva is an energy market expert with more than 20 years of experience across power systems, electricity markets, and energy asset management. She currently serves as Head of Go-to-Market at Capalo AI, bringing expertise in energy trading, portfolio management, and product development. Throughout her career, Liuba has worked in both Polish and international energy companies as a certified power trader, portfolio manager, and Head of Portfolio Management. Her experience spans electricity market operations, ancillary services, and cross-border energy systems. Liuba brings hands-on experience from electrical power plant operations and extensive collaboration with transmission system operators across five countries. She holds a Master’s degree in Engineering, specializing in automated systems for power plants, and combines deep technical expertise with a strong data-driven approach.

Edwin founded Solarplaza company in 2004. He is a senior PV expert and started in the photovoltaic solar energy business in 1994. He has experience as a solar energy consultant and project developer in more than 200 PV projects. Edwin holds a Master’s degree in Chemical engineering and previously worked in the Chemical industry before starting his first consultancy company in PV in 1994.

Mr. Konstantinos Natsis has significant and diversified experience in the broader energy sector. He received the diploma of Electrical and Computing Engineering (National Technical University of Athens) in 2007, while in 2008 he received a MEng diploma on Renewable Energy Sources (the University of Manchester). Mr. Natsis has been working as a RES engineer, specialized in construction management, for several energy companies in various technologies (solar, wind, hydro, hybrid systems). The positions and the duties that have been assigned to Mr. Natsis are Chief Officer, Director and project manager of utility scale PV plants, wind farms and hybrid power plants. Mr. Natsis is currently the Chief RES Engineering & Construction Officer of PPC Renewables S.M.S.A. | PPC Group.

Professor Dr Eng. Emmanuel Karapidakis is an Electrical and Computer Engineer. He was Dean at School of Engineering, and Director of Energy, Environment and Climate Change Institute, (ieecc.hmu.gr) in Hellenic Mediterranean University, (hmu.gr). Since 2025, he has been CEO of Hellenic Association of Electricity Storage Systems - HAESS, (www.haess.gr). His professional and research interest focuses on Modern Power Systems Operation, Energy Storage, and Electricity Markets.

Apostolos Panos has been the Chief Commercial Officer in Principia since March 2024. His previous role was Head of Energy Management at Enel Green Power Hellas. Also held various positions as an engineer in the O&M Department of the company, and as Responsible for Battery Energy Storage Systems operations worldwide. His previous professional career focused on the energy sector, with employment at HEDNO and on the development of RES plants. He is a graduate of the Department of Electrical Engineering of the University of Patras and holds a Master's Degree entitled "Energy: Strategy, Law & Economics" from the Department of International and European Studies of the University of Piraeus.

Joshua Murphy is a renewable energy professional with over 15 years of experience in utility-scale solar and battery storage. As Director of Energy Storage at Econergy (TASE: ECNR), he leads the company's storage strategy and delivery across the UK and Europe. Econergy operates in eight European markets with a ~12.5GW portfolio. Its storage platform totals around 7GW, with 600MWh connected or ready to connect and roughly 700MW (approximately 1.5GWh) in construction, targeting about 6GW connected and under construction by 2030.

Stelios Psomas is a leading Greek PV consultant and lobbyist. He started campaigning for PV in Greece already in 1995 (as a Greenpeace energy & climate campaigner). Since then he has pushed for the introduction of support schemes for PV and the opening of the market through his role as a policy advisor for the Hellenic Association of Photovoltaic Companies (HELAPCO). He has been actively involved in the introduction of feed-in tariffs, self-consumption support schemes, auction schemes and long-term energy planning in Greece. In particular, he was involved in the drafting of most of the PV-related legislation in Greece, and has also acted as an advisor to the banking sector, facilitating the financing of PV systems.

Louiza is a Research Senior Associate at Aurora Energy Research, Southeastern Europe, where she leads the flexible energy markets activities across the SEE region. Since August 2023, she has been analyzing market dynamics and trends in Greece, Romania and Hungary, with a focus on battery economics and balancing markets. Before joining Aurora in April 2023, she spent four years at the Greek Transmission System Operator (IPTO), specializing in market operations and balancing markets. She holds an MEng in Chemical Engineering and a Master in Energy Systems.

Nicolas Kyriakoglou is a Senior Consultant in Baringa’s Energy and Resources practice. In this role he helps investors deploy capital in southern Europe and the Balkans, to enable their energy transition towards sustainable, decarbonised infrastructure, while also maintaining system stability and energy security. Currently Nicolas is focusing on helping utilities, developers and investors build their business case for flexible assets, particularly battery energy storage systems (BESS) across Southern Europe while also leading Baringa’s European Flexibility Market Reports delivery. He is experienced in commercial due diligence for power generation assets, market modelling and asset go-to-market strategy. Prior to his work at Baringa Nicolas was a Senior Reporter European Electricity for Argus Media.

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