Solarplaza Summit | Energy Storage Germany

Zach is a Market Analyst at Modo Energy, a specialized intelligence platform for the battery energy storage system (BESS) sector. He is an expert in conducting in-depth commercial and financial analysis of European power markets, with a strong focus on BESS revenues in Germany and solar cannibalization risk. Zach leverages proprietary forecasting models to analyze how market shifts, like falling ancillary service prices and rising solar output, impact asset profitability. His insights are crucial for developers, investors, and operators seeking to optimize revenue stacking and mitigate risk in the rapidly evolving flexibility market.

Jannik Carl is a Senior Energy Markets Manager at Kraken, specializing in the trading and commercial optimization of flexibility assets for renewable energy integration. He focuses on the critical intersection between energy trading, complex market dynamics, and the commercial viability of flexible consumption and storage. Jannik's expertise lies in developing strategies to monetize flexibility across various European power markets, helping to balance the growing share of fluctuating renewables and contributing to a more stable and cost-efficient electricity system.

Marco is a highly experienced executive in the energy sector, bringing over 15 years of leadership in Strategy, Sales, and Business Development, complemented by over 10 years in Product Management for Energy, IT, and IoT solutions. With a background as a Fractional CPO and Strategic Consultant in Climate Tech, he specializes in commercializing Renewables, Batteries (BESS), IoT, and Automation. Marco's expertise is grounded in a PhD in Energy Engineering focused on Batteries-Smart Grids integration, and he leverages his extensive project experience in Solar, Wind, and BESS to drive corporate co-creation and growth within the digital energy transition.

Heiner Breuer is Head of Technical Innovation at Obton, leading efforts to design and implement future-proof PV and BESS plants. As electrical engineer with deep entrepreneurial roots, Heiner co-founded abakus solar AG and built it into an acknowledged EPC and O&M provider. With over two decades of experience, he has held senior roles, including CTO at ENcome Energy Performance and Technical Director at Edify Energy, specializing in utility-scale solar plus storage plants. Heiner's expertise blends hands-on engineering, asset management, and innovation strategy to maximize the performance and reliability of large-scale PV and Battery assets.

Ruben Valiente is the Managing Director of Maxxen, a rising leader in the European energy storage market, headquartered in Zurich with manufacturing operations in Turkey. With over 20 years of international experience in the energy sector and a cum laude degree in engineering, Ruben combines deep technical expertise with sharp commercial insight and strategic leadership. His career spans the entire energy value chain — from project development and finance to EPC, O&M, and supply chain — and includes key roles in engineering, consulting, project execution, and business development. He has led global solar and advisory projects exceeding 1 GW, helped design cutting-edge turbomachinery, and contributed to securing a pipeline of opportunities worth over $5 billion. Renowned for his analytical rigor, cross-functional leadership, and unwavering integrity, Ruben excels at steering diverse teams and complex initiatives in fast-paced international settings. Fluent in five languages, he is also a seasoned speaker who has addressed global industry forums and academic audiences alike. A committed advocate for sustainability, Ruben is driving Maxxen’s mission to deliver innovative storage solutions and accelerate the energy transition across Europe and beyond.

Gerard Reid is a Co-founder and Partner at Alexa Capital, an independent financial services business committed to mobilizing capital towards achieving net-zero. He is also a Fellow at the Institute of the Environment at the University of Minnesota and a member of the Global Future Council on Advanced Energy Technologies at the World Economic Forum. Gerard has developed a strong reputation as a leading global expert in the energy and mobility space. A trusted authority on the energy transition, he is a published author and avid blogger, with a following of more than 200k across several platforms. He is also the co-host of “REDEFINING ENERGY” podcast, the leading energy podcast in Europe. He is focused on empowering and accelerating change by advising organizations, industry leaders and global decision-makers (business, finance and government) on the transition towards net-zero carbon emissions. His breadth of experience stems from 20 years working in the finance industry (equity research, fund management and corporate finance) with a focus on both the energy transition and the digital energy revolution the sector is going through. Prior to founding Alexa Capital, he was Managing Director and Head of European Cleantech Research at Jefferies & Co. Gerard was also a lecturer at the University of Applied Sciences in Berlin, TU Berlin and Imperial College in London.

Eva is a Senior Associate at Aurora Energy Research, where she leads the company's work on Pan-European flexibility and battery markets. Since joining Aurora in 2020, Eva has contributed to a wide range of forecasts and strategic studies, with a strong focus on the evolving role of flexibility in energy markets. Her expertise includes long-term, granular modeling of ancillary services and intraday markets, and she has been instrumental in the successful rollout of Aurora's flexible energy product in core European markets. Eva's deep knowledge of battery economics and her strategic insights make her an influential voice in the energy storage sector.

Markus Graebig, 50Hertz Transmission, is responsible for business partner development with a focus on data centers and battery storage systems. Member of the task force of the 4 German TSOs for the redesign of our grid connection procedure. At 50Hertz since 2017, previously in management consulting and research. Studied electrical engineering (TU Berlin) and sustainable development (University of Cambridge).

Nicola is the Director of Portfolio & Asset Management at Vattenfall, where she oversees the strategic direction and long-term profitability of the company's Solar & Battery portfolio. Her role is central to Vattenfall's energy transition, spanning critical markets including the Netherlands, Germany, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. Nicola's expertise lies at the intersection of development, trading, and finance, allowing her team to drive maximum value for renewable energy assets. She is responsible for navigating complex market risks, optimizing project profitability, and executing the overall portfolio strategy—all with the goal of ensuring long-term asset performance and securing revenues in an ever-evolving regulatory landscape. Nicola is a pivotal voice in ensuring Vattenfall remains at the forefront of solar and battery value creation.

Jeremias Schleeger is a leading expert in Political Affairs for TenneT in Germany, where he shapes the regulatory landscape for one of Europe's largest Transmission System Operators (TSOs). He is at the forefront of policy dialogue concerning crucial infrastructure topics, including grid expansion and the integration of large-scale renewables. Jeremias's deep understanding of German energy policy, particularly regarding the necessary regulatory framework for advancing the national hydrogen strategy, makes him a vital voice in ensuring the successful and timely execution of the energy transition.

Dr. Christoph Kost leads the department “Energy System Analysis” and the group “Energy Systems and Energy Economics” at the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE. His current scientific work includes the topics of policy analysis and financing in the field of energy technologies, the derivation of technology costs and market introduction strategies. He analyses energy technologies and their future use as well as system interactions and sector coupling by applying economic analyses, system modeling and risk analyses.

Martin is the Head of Flexibility & Structured Origination in Germany at ENGIE, where he is a commercial leader in Europe's most dynamic energy storage market. He is at the forefront of commercializing flexibility and managing market risk for grid-scale batteries. Martin specializes in structuring complex offtake agreements and fixed-price flexibility deals, essential for managing merchant risk and unlocking new revenue models in Germany's unsubsidized battery boom. With a background spanning power trading, corporate PPAs, and clean energy origination, Martin brings deep, hands-on insight into making flexibility truly investable in real-world energy markets.

Anna von Bremen is Head of Energy Innovation at Osborne Clarke. She advises companies in the energy industry on regulatory and energy law issues and aspects of digitalisation in the energy sector. She also conducts complex regulatory litigation. Her clients include energy producers, energy trading houses, industrial offtakers and utilities.

Christoph Gardlo is the Co-Founder and COO of ESFORIN (Energy Services for Industry). The company’s core business is algorithm trading in intraday markets with clients’ flexibilities – helping companies to optimize energy costs and reduce significant amounts of CO2. Before becoming an independent energy entrepreneur, Christoph gained profound experience in the energy markets in various companies. In the 2000s he joined E.ON with focus on Marketing, later becoming Account Manager Power Station Sales. In 2010 he was Head of Gas Sales Germany at Cargill, then Head of Key Accounts Portfolioservices & International Sales at natGAS AG, before he became COO and Co-Founder of ESFORIN.

Steffen is the Founder and CEO of Entrix. With Entrix, he is helping the owners of batteries to capture the maximum value of their assets through an intelligent trading and optimisation platform. Prior to founding Entrix in 2021, he was a strategy consultant with McKinsey & Company, especially advising large European utilities on matters regarding the energy transition.

Dr. Hilton joined IHS Markit (now S&P Global) in 2020 and has eight years of experience in the clean energy sector. He focuses on clean energy technologies in Europe, Middle East and Africa and has a particular interest in how energy storage integrates with other industries. He has recently published work on recycling, energy storage for EV charging, vehicle-to-grid technologies, second life batteries and the use of batteries in hydrogen production. He leads the global forecast for energy storage. He has published articles in multiple well-respected journals, responded to government calls for evidence on energy storage and electric vehicles (EVs), and has been quoted in a range of media outlets. Dr. Hilton holds a first-class Master of Engineering degree in mechanical engineering and a PhD in energy engineering with a focus on energy storage integration with renewable energy and EV infrastructure, both from the University of Southampton, United Kingdom.

Anoucheh Bellefleur is a key figure at ABO Energy, where she serves as Team Manager Finance and Sales for Energy Storage and Infrastructure projects. She leads a multidisciplinary team focused conducting portfolio transactions, financial structuring, and due diligence, including the modeling of revenue scenarios and negotiation of investment terms. With extensive experience in renewable project development and market strategy, she shares insights on building bankable business cases for storage and structuring hybrid and standalone project transactions. She is a regular speaker on renewable energy developments in Europe and has a strong academic background, with a master's degree from the London School of Economics and Sciences Po Paris.

Farzad Sarfarazi is a RES + BESS Business Analyst at Uniper Renewables, working at the interface of technology, commercial modelling, and project development. He supports the origination and development of utility-scale co-located battery storage projects across Europe by conducting techno-economic assessments, shaping hybrid system designs, and analyzing routes-to-market for co-located assets. He holds a PhD in energy economics with a strong background in energy system modelling and battery storage business cases.

Christopher's work focuses on bringing flexibility to the electricity market in Germany. In his current role as Senior Energy Trader at Terra One, he designs and implements trading strategies for large-scale battery storage systems. Strategies are AI and big data based and trade across all wholesale and ancillary services markets. Given his experience with Terra One, The Mobility House, RWTH Aachen University, and others, he has expertise in software development and agile working structures. He obtained his Master's degree in Renewable Energy and Power Systems Management at City, University of London, UK and his Bachelor's degree in Advanced Technology at the University of Twente, NL.

As Director of Mobilize Energy Solutions (part of the Renault Group), Alain Thoral is at the intersection of the automotive and energy industries, pioneering the shift toward a flexible, decentralized energy system. With over 20 years of experience at Renault Group, he is a leading expert in smart charging and Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) technology. Alain has been instrumental in developing and commercializing bi-directional charging solutions (like the Mobilize PowerBox and V2G service), which transform electric vehicles from simple consumers into mobile energy reserves. His work is critical to balancing the power grid, integrating renewable energy surpluses, and enabling customers to save money by intelligently managing their stored electricity. He is a key advocate for cross-sector collaboration to achieve sustainable and affordable mobility.

Mirko is the Managing Director at enervis energy advisors GmbH, where he is a leading expert in providing strategic advice and commercial analysis for the energy market. With extensive experience in energy consulting, his primary focus areas include electricity price forecasts, electricity market scenarios, and the asset valuation of Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS). Mirko is instrumental in driving market transparency, helping clients navigate the increasingly complex structures of the energy transition. He is also a regular contributor to the influential Enervis Battery Storage Index, providing independent, robust assessments of historical and potential revenues for large-scale BESS projects in Germany. His expertise provides clients with the crucial, data-driven foundation needed for successful investment and strategic positioning in the evolving power market.

As CEO, Lucas leads marketing and product at Einklang. With over five years of start-up experience, he previously served as the first employee and Head of Product at Voltfang, where he launched the first commercial 2nd-life battery storage to the german market and scaled one of germanies largest battery providers.

Bernd is a highly experienced executive in the renewable energy sector, bringing over 12 years of specialized experience in solar, energy storage, and EV charging. He has a strong track record of success in identifying, developing, and realizing new business opportunities and building teams for project business in the renewable energy sector. Bernd has gathered experiences as Program Manager for R&D projects of C&I PV inverters, as Platform Product Manager with a global PV inverter solution responsibility, and was a first mover in bringing C&I storage solutions to the German market.

Dr. Benedikt Ortmann is a highly respected figure in the renewable energy sector, now serving as an Advisor for SOL New Energy. A seasoned executive, his career is distinguished by a deep focus on the development and financing of solar PV projects across global markets. He is widely recognized for his decades of leadership in the industry, having been instrumental in driving the growth and successful execution of utility-scale solar projects around the world. Dr. Ortmann brings a wealth of strategic expertise in market expansion, project structuring, and realizing the commercial potential of new energy ventures, making him a pivotal voice on the future of solar development.

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.

Marcus is the Managing Director at The Mobility House Energy, a company pioneering the commercial integration of electric vehicles (EVs) with the energy grid. As a leading voice in the field of Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) and smart charging, he focuses on unlocking the immense value stored in EV batteries to support grid stability and enhance renewable energy integration. Marcus is an experienced entrepreneur who co-founded The Mobility House in 2010. He is responsible for partner sales, business development, and marketing, and has successfully realized collaborations with major automakers and utilities. His expertise lies in developing and scaling up cutting-edge digital energy management solutions that allow customers to earn revenue by making their vehicle batteries flexible assets.

Mark Junker is a leading Research Associate at RWTH Aachen University's Institute for Power Electronics and Electrical Drives (ISEA), specializing in advanced battery systems. His research is critical to the energy transition, focusing heavily on battery cell-to-cell variation, second-life applications, and aging prediction for lithium-ion batteries. Mark actively works on the operational and economic feasibility of battery deployment, applying his deep knowledge to develop models for the sustainable and cost-effective management of storage assets. His studies are essential for extending the usable lifetime of batteries and assessing their safety, making him a vital expert on the long-term performance and circular economy of energy storage.

Max has 10+ years of experience in renewable energy trading: he originated, structured and negotiated project finance off-take and short-term optimization agreements across Europe and in Mexico.He joined Pexapark in 2021 and advises on PPA and BESS optimization transactions across Europe with a focus on the DACH region. Prior to joining the firm, he advised investment funds, IPPs and Industrials on commercial and procurement strategy. At the utility Trianel he unlocked value of a multi-GW renewable energy portfolio.Max holds an MBA in Energy and Resource Economics from the TU Freiberg and a BSc in Energy and Process Engineering from the TU Berlin.

Lars Josten is a highly accomplished executive with over 15 years of focused leadership in the German and European solar PV sector. With an established track record of successful internationalization and commercial execution in large-scale solar project development, as CEO of his former company, he now acts as CCO for SOL New Energy. His expertise and commercial acumen make him a decisive leader in driving the profitability and market growth of renewable energy ventures.

Kari Tikkanen is Head of Revenue at Aukera Energy with 15 years’ experience in real assets and infrastructure. He is a commercially driven engineer and has been structuring offtake transactions for renewable generation and flexibility assets since 2017. Before joining Aukera was Kari the global power markets and PPA lead at DIF Capital Partners (now CVC DIF), an infrastructure fund manager with over 16 bn EUR assets under management, and offtake lead at renewables developer OX2. Kari started his career in real estate before transitioning into renewable energy and has worked on over 3 GW of renewable energy and flexibility projects across many European markets, including GB, Nordics, Germany, Poland, Italy and Romania. For BESS specifically has he been responsible for negotiating and executing some of the first long-term solar PV and BESS agreements in Europe.

Lars manages Fluence's Marketing and Policy Team in the EMEA region, providing leadership to the company's strategic communication with customers, policy makers, media and the general public across Europe. As part of his role, he is directly responsible for policy and regulatory efforts at the EU level and oversees the company's policy work at the country level in Europe. Before taking over the Marketing and Policy Department, Lars held different roles in Fluence on policy as well as on market and business development.

Aurélien plays a critical role in shaping the regulatory landscape for energy storage across Europe. He is a leading voice in Brussels, actively engaging with EU institutions on key legislative files to ensure a favorable framework for battery, pumped hydro storage, and other flexibility solutions. Aurélien's work focuses on removing barriers and defining market mechanisms that enable the large-scale, accelerated deployment of energy storage necessary to achieve energy security and the EU's decarbonization goals.

Benedikt 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.

Kai Becker is Chief Development Officer at Energy2Market since 2020. With his deep expertise in the renewable energy market, his focus is on supporting operators of decentralized flexibilities – such as batteries or co-location – to realize the maximum value of their assets through multi-market optimization. Previously, Kai worked in product development and origination at E.ON and Trianel, with a focus on renewables.

Marcel is the Country Manager for Germany at Clean Horizon, a consultancy dedicated to the energy storage market. He is instrumental in expanding Clean Horizon's presence and impact in one of Europe's most dynamic battery markets. Marcel's expertise is focused on providing advisory services for Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) projects, including bankability assessments, commercial and technical due diligence, and owner's engineer support. His deep understanding of the German regulatory and commercial landscape helps developers and investors maximize the profitability and technical viability of their storage assets.

As Team Leader for Flexibility Services, Harald Ott is responsible at VERBUND Energy4Business GmbH for the marketing of distributed energy resources (DERs) such as battery storage systems or small and medium size industrial flexibilities over VERBUND’s virtual power system, the VERBUND Power Pool on all short-term energy markets. The products range from the optimization of stand-alone and collocated battery storage systems to the optimization of power flexibility from consumption-sides, switched electrical loads, and/or decentralised generation units. Before working as Product Manager, Harald was working as Controller in VERBUND’s power trading subsidiary and at VERBUND Hydro Power.

Philipp is a Senior Associate at Aurora Energy Research, where he leads the German Flexibility Market Report and German Grid Report. His work focuses on modelling flexibility markets and evaluating the profitability of battery energy storage systems. Also, he is responsible for Aurora’s German Grid Report, providing forecasts of redispatch volumes and analysing the impact of grid curtailment on business cases. Since joining Aurora in 2021, Philipp has worked on a wide range of advisory projects, particularly in the area of flexibility services, and played a key role in developing Aurora’s flexibility offering for the German market. Prior to Aurora, he worked in long-term power market modelling. Philipp holds an M.Sc. in Industrial Engineering from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology.

Kyle Barth is a Senior Consultant with Apricum, based in Berlin. Kyle’s focus is on strategy and transaction advisory in all areas of renewable energy, with recent emphasis on battery energy storage, solar PV and energy management and flexibility solutions. Previously, Kyle spent several years at ABB, in progressive strategy and business development roles focused on electrification, digital transformation, and facilitating the acceleration of the energy transition. Kyle has an MBA (from IESE Business School in Spain) and prior studied electrical engineering (at North Carolina State University in the US).

Moritz is a leading executive at Sungrow Europe, where he serves as VP for the BeNeLux, DACH, Nordics, and Turkey regions. He is at the forefront of the company's market strategy, overseeing the development and execution of sales and business development efforts across key European markets. With a career dedicated to the solar industry, Moritz possesses deep expertise in PV inverter and energy storage solutions. He is a key driver of Sungrow's regional growth and a pivotal voice on the technological innovations shaping the future of solar and energy storage.

Dr. Jan Figgener is the Team Lead for Battery Technology Support and Product Development at RWE. He is an expert in battery storage, with a career focused on conceptualizing and developing multi-megawatt battery storage projects. Before joining RWE, he led a research department on stationary storage systems and electric vehicles at RWTH Aachen University. His work is highly influential; his analysis of the battery storage market has been used by the German government to shape its national storage strategy, and his scientific studies are applied in the industry. Jan is at the forefront of the energy transition, driving the standardization and automation of battery storage projects and providing crucial insights on battery analytics and grid integration.

Mr. Stefan Müller is the co-founder, shareholder of Enerparc AG, and since end of 2008, a board member he was responsible for the international and operational business. Following his diploma thesis in 1992 in solar energy, he gained international experience in different roles and various countries. Enerparc is an international specialist in the whole value chain of large-scale photovoltaic power plants. The service ranges from the technical design (EPCm) to the turn-key delivery (EPC) and finally to the operation (O&M) of power plants. In the last years the Enerparc Group has seen an exponential growth.

Florian Mayr is a Partner in the Deals Strategy Practice at Strategy& Germany, the Strategy Consulting arm of PwC. With nearly two decades of experience advising international investors and companies, he is a recognized expert and thought leader in strategic transactions with a particular focus on the energy transition. Based in the Berlin office, his consulting focus lies on executing value creation projects, conducting commercial due diligence, as well as developing growth strategies and business models. He specializes in areas such as renewable energy and cleantech, including solar PV, energy storage, low-carbon hydrogen, and digitization. Florian began his career at a leading international strategy consultancy before transitioning to in-house consulting at a major energy company. Prior to joining Strategy&, he was a Partner at a consultancy focused on the renewable energy sector, where he led the divisions for energy storage, green hydrogen, and ‘digital energy’. He holds diplomas in both engineering and business administration from the Technical University of Berlin and the University of Mannheim.

Kilian is responsible for the revenue strategy of BW ESS's global BESS portfolio. Previously, he initiated Aquila Clean Energy’s battery storage investments in EMEA, managing the development of over 7 GW of BESS projects in 10 countries. Since 2009, he has worked in various positions within the renewable energy sector, including heading strategy and business development at Vattenfall’s trading unit. Kilian holds a bachelor's degree in international affairs and a master's degree in economics from the University of St. Gallen.

Stefan has wide experience in financing various renewable energy projects in Europe, including batteries. He has worked on financing projects based on various revenue structures. Within Rabobank’s European Project Finance team, Stefan is responsible for the team’s activities in, amongst others, Germany.

Since 2020, Torsten has been Head of Infrastructure & Energy at Berenberg, the world’s second oldest bank. He has more than 20 years working experience in infrastructure and renewable energy project finance. At Berenberg he is responsible for several debt funds focusing on Renewables, Digital Infrastructure, and Energy Transition with more than 1bn EUR Assets under Management. The debt funds focus on junior debt and unitranche debt solutions, providing funds to fill the client’s leverage gaps, also in BESS projects. Before joining Berenberg, he was Senior Vice President at Hamburg Commercial Bank (former HSH Nordbank), where he focused on senior debt in mostly renewables transactions in Europe. He holds a Diploma in Business Administration & Engineering from Technical University Berlin and a Master of Engineering from the University of Michigan.

Marco is part of Encavis AG’s investment team and is based in Hamburg, Germany. Since joining the German IPP in 2015, he has worked in asset management for solar and wind projects and later led BESS transactions (also with focus on development) in Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark, and Italy. In these roles, he was responsible for contract negotiations (SPA, EPC, Project Financing, etc.), managing the due diligence process, and conducting financial valuations. Marco has also a strong interest in electricity market developments and pricing dynamics.

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.