Solarplaza Summit Agri-PV Europe

The Industry Advisory Board empowering the event

The combined wealth of knowledge, years of experience, and high-level network of our expert advisory board members help shape our program and enhance our event. Featuring top developers, policymakers, researchers, innovators and farmers, our board represents the myriad of stakeholders that must collaborate in order to scale up Agri-PV.

Emilien Simonot

Head of Agrivoltaics, Europe

Lightsource bp

With a degree in forestry engineering, Emilien has over 15 years of experience in climate-tech and renewables industries. He has been active in the field of agrivoltaics since 2015, he has contributed to bringing several sites to operation as well as collaborating on entrepreneurial projects across Europe, LATAM y APAC. Emilien joined Lightsource bp in 2023 as Head of Agrivoltaics EMEA and leads the activities of the company to further progress the integration of agricultural initiatives alongside energy production.

Theresa Kärtner

Policy Advisor Renewable Energy and Social Policy

Deutscher Bauernverband E.V.

James MacDonald

Global Coordinator of Agri-PV innovation

ENGIE

Since 2021, James coordinates global agrivoltaics innovation and projects for the ENGIE group via their R&D&I center Laborelec in Belgium. Interacting with project developers, farmers, engineers, equipment manufacturers, public authorities, civil associations, researchers, and other stakeholders in multiple languages, James assists ENGIE’s various teams develop national + regional strategies while steering agri-PV projects from early development to operations. James has worked in the PV and agri industries on 3 continents since 2005. In 2023, he completed a PhD on agrivoltaics + ecovoltaics at the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, building on prior postgrad studies in renewables grid integration, controlled environment agriculture, as well as a graduate diploma in linguistics.

Veronica Bermudez

Founder & Principal Consultant

Berbetin

Dr. Veronica Bermudez is an energy technologist and strategic advisor with over two decades of international experience at the intersection of clean energy research, industrial innovation, and technology deployment. Her expertise spans thin-film photovoltaics, tandem solar cells, batteries, hydrogen, and system integration — with a strong emphasis on manufacturability, techno-economic viability, and strategic alignment with market and policy frameworks. She currently leads Berbetin, a consulting firm focused on scaling deep-tech energy solutions. Previously, she was Director of the Energy Center at the Qatar Environment and Energy Research Institute (QEERI), where she established pilot lines and testbeds for next-generation PV and storage technologies under extreme environmental conditions. She has also held senior roles at EDF R&D and Solar Frontier and advises on EU and global innovation programs, including funding evaluations and industrial scale-up strategies. Verónica is deeply engaged in bridging the gap between scientific excellence and real-world deployment. Her work focuses on aligning research agendas with industrial bottlenecks, regulatory constraints, and bankability filters—enabling clean technologies to move from lab breakthroughs to market impact.She holds a PhD in Physics and has received several prestigious awards, including the 2007 International Schieber Prize, the Research and Development Leader of the Year from the Women in New Energy Leadership Awards 2022, and Middle East Sustainability Leader 2024.

David Lecoufle

Farmer

Ecolieu Lacampagne

An environmental Engineer, David Lecoufle spent 20 years as project manager to plan and implement PV and Hybrid Power plants in Sub Saharan Africa. In 2021, David converted to being a farmer in organic Agroforestry on a 12ha farm in Southwest France. Since that time, David also develops AgriPV systems from a farmer perspective both for continental Europe and Sub Saharan Africa. David is convinced that AgriPV is a real solution to bring a number of benefits to agriculture in particular with respect to climate change.

Matthew Berwind

Team Leader PV System Simulations PV Power Plants

Fraunhofer

Since 2020, Dr. Matthew Berwind has been a scientist at the Fraunhofer ISE leading public and private projects in the Agrivoltaics and Solar Power Plants groups as the subject manager for photovoltaic simulations. His thematic focal points at the Fraunhofer ISE are the maximization of dual-yield in tracked agrivoltaic systems, leading two public projects in this direction, as well as the digitalization of and data analytics for integrated PV power plants.

Antanas Karbauskas

Policy Officer

European Commission

Antanas is a policy officer at the European Commission, DG AGRI, the unit responsible for economic sustainability of the EU CAP (Common Agricultural Policy). He holds a master’s degree in agricultural economics and policy from Wageningen University, the Netherlands. He has 6 years’ experience working on the implementation of the CAP at National level and 6 years – in developing the policy at the European level. His expertise covers the eligibility conditions for farmers to receive CAP income support, among which for the agricultural areas with Agri-PVs.

Constantin Klyk

Founder and Senior Consultant

Agri-PV Consulting

Constantin Klyk is a Mechanical Engineering graduate with expertise in renewable energies. With a background in research and a specific focus on Agri-PV systems, Constantin has made significant contributions to the field. When he served as a Project and Product Manager at Zimmermann, a prominent Sub-structure supplier, Constantin plays a crucial role in designing and implementing Agri-PV systems. Now, Constantin works as an independent consultant, at Agri-Pv Consulting. Additionally, Constantin is recognized as the lead author of the first dedicated book on Agri-PV: Agrivoltaics: Technical, ecological, commercial and legal aspects, due to be published on the first of July.

Program Overview

Session 1

Market growth and regulatory overview

Session 2

Bridging the gap - from innovation to implementation

Session 3

Meaningful collaboration: Leading European Agri-PV projects

Session 4

Growing a shared future - building a resilient Agri-PV food system

Speakers

Andrea D'Amico

AIAS board member & Co-founder I-Pergola

Andrea D'Amico

AIAS board member & Co-founder I-Pergola

AIAS (Associazione Italiana Agrivoltaico Sostenibile)

Andrea D’Amico has over twenty years of experience in research, innovation, and business development, working with universities, research centers, and the startup ecosystem. With a background in economics and a Master’s degree from the School of Information Management Systems (SIMS), University of California, Berkeley, he has worked across multiple industries, including automotive, oil & gas, energy, and ICT, supporting technology transfer and international growth. In 2021, he co-founded i-Pergola, an innovative benefit corporation pioneering advanced agrivoltaic solutions through R&D and experimental projects in collaboration with leading academic and industrial partners. He also serves as a Board Member of AIAS (Italian Sustainable Agrivoltaics Association), promoted by ENEA, where he contributes to shaping the future of sustainable agrivoltaics in Italy and internationally.

Tomasz Nowosielski

Managing Director

Tomasz Nowosielski

Managing Director

Burgenland Energie

Tomasz Nowosielski is Managing Director of BE Energy GmbH, Austria’s leading developer and operator of renewable energy projects. Since joining in 2021, he has overseen the country’s largest portfolio in wind and ground-mounted PV, with battery storage soon to follow. Active in the renewable energy sector since 2006, Tomasz has held managerial roles in eight countries with industry leaders including Vestas Wind Systems, Verbund, and the Triton-owned energy infrastructure company EQOS Energie. Under his leadership, BE Energy aims to evolve from Austria’s No. 1 in renewables to the No. 1 in flexible renewables.

Elina Bosch

Senior Analyst

Elina Bosch

Senior Analyst

Becquerel Institute

Elina Bosch holds a Master’s degree in Energy Engineering and has been working since 2019 as a Senior Analyst at the Becquerel Institute, a Belgian consultancy company specialized in solar photovoltaics. Her expertise spans key aspects of the solar PV sector, including market dynamics, regulatory frameworks and techno-economic analysis for conventional and emerging solar PV applications. She is actively involved in research and consultancy projects, supporting research centers, organizations, and companies across various countries by providing strategic insights, analyzing the competitiveness of PV business models, and tracking regulatory developments affecting the sector.

James MacDonald

Global Coordinator of Agri-PV innovation

James MacDonald

Global Coordinator of Agri-PV innovation

ENGIE

Marwa Jemai

Solar Techno Manager

Marwa Jemai

Solar Techno Manager

Akuo Energy

Marwa Jemai is a Solar Techno Manager with extensive experience in photovoltaic (PV) systems design, energy optimization, and project management. With a background in industrial chemistry and process engineering, she has developed a deep expertise in optimizing solar power plant layouts, ensuring compliance with industry standards, and supporting strategic technical decisions. Marwa started her career as a Technical and Business Development Engineer, where she gained hands-on experience in PV system design and business development. She later took on roles in energy optimization, conducting audits and implementing efficiency solutions for commercial and utility-scale projects. Her experience in the H2VERT.TUN project further expanded her knowledge in green hydrogen and Power-to-X (PtX) technologies, working closely with The Tunisian the Ministry of Industry, Mines and Energy (MIME) to develop feasibility studies, standards, and training programs.

Nicolai Reiners

Co-founder

Nicolai Reiners

Co-founder

Feldwerke

After leaving his hometown Bremen in the North of Germany to study at TU Munich (IT and Finance), with experiences in renewables from commercial roof-mount PV systems and strategy consulting in the energy industry, Nicolai decided to bring the idea of Agri-PV to life along with his co-founders Nils and Marco. Since late 2023, they are developing and realizing large-scale Agri-PV plants all over Germany.