Solarplaza Summit | Floating PV Europe

‎Dr. Giovanni Sandrini works as a researcher at Evides Water Company in the Netherlands. Evides supplies safe, clean, and high-quality drinking water to over 2.5 million consumers and businesses in the southwest of the Netherlands. Giovanni’s research focuses on surface water reservoirs, and he is leading the study that investigates the effects of floating photovoltaic systems on two local reservoirs that can be used for drinking water production. In his daily work, he strives to further improve the quality of both raw water and drinking water.

Lucas de Haro is CEO of Velto. He leads the definition and execution of the company’s overall strategy and oversees its daily management. He stepped into the role at the beginning of 2021 upon the creation of Velto, transforming the company into a pan European IPP. Since the early 2000s, he has devoted his career to the renewable energy, engineering and infrastructure sectors, with a strong international emphasis. Mr. de Haro holds a Master’s Degree in Industrial Engineering from the Technical University of Madrid (UPM) and an MBA from the University of Massachusetts. He also holds the PMP Certification from the Project Management Institute.

Gino is an experienced banker that works for more than 11 years for ING. He currently works for ING Business Banking and is the head of the Sustainable Finance Team in The Netherlands. The Sustainable Finance team focusses on (project) finance solutions for client investments in sustainable projects in solar, BESS, onshore wind, geothermal, heat networks and biomethane, but is open to discuss any other sustainable project as well. In The Netherlands ING (project) financed 5 floating solar projects.

Nienke Rijpstra works as an Investment Director at StartGreen Capital, where she manages the team of Energiefonds Overijssel. This fund has €330 million in assets under management and provides both entrepreneurs and project owners financing for the energy transition and the circular economy. Her personal focus is on solar, battery storage systems, energy infrastructure, and geothermal energy. Nienke is responsible for the acquisition, deal execution, and portfolio management.

Willem Stitselaar is a former investment banker with over 25 years of experience in the infrastructure investment industry. He has an extensive background in financing large infrastructure development assets, with a strong focus on the Energy and Digital Transition sectors. Until recently, Willem served as Senior Managing Director at Macquarie Capital, where he spent 17 years building and leading strategic initiatives. During his tenure, he founded and scaled development platforms and businesses that played a key role in advancing the European energy transition and digitalisation efforts. He has a proven track record in capital raising, investing, and managing successful exits. Prior to joining Macquarie, Willem held positions at ABN AMRO Infrastructure Capital Europe and PricewaterhouseCoopers in London. He holds an MSc in Economics from the University of Amsterdam.

Polina, an environmental entrepreneur with dual Masters degrees in Chemical Technology and Renewable Energy (Ocean), possesses over 20 years of experience in the energy sector and is the solo-female founder of a hardware startup. As an active traveller (exploring 71 countries) and deep-sea diver (reaching depths of 100 metres), Polina saw many beautiful places ruined by negative anthropogenic impacts and based on her inner feelings, she decided to change her life. After a successful 14-year career in the oil & gas industry (ex-Schlumberger), Polina made a fundamental career move from the "black" side of fossil fuels to the "green" side of renewables. Guided by her academic background and extensive professional journey, she founded HelioRec, an innovative company focused on floating solar technology for near-shore locations where half of the global population lives.

Andrés is CEO of ISIGENERE. Born and raised in Colombia, Andrés studied Computer Science and holds an MBA by the Kellogg Graduate School of Business in USA. Andres started his career working in software startups. After his MBA he worked for the consultancy McKinsey & Company in Spain where he advised clients in strategy and technology projects. Later on he moved to Santander Bank where he led the growth of the subsidiary of the bank from 1 country and managing 80 million euros of spend, to 11 countries and 8000 million euros of spend. Now in Isigenere, Andrés is leading the growth of the company in utility scale and self-consumption projects while continuing the innovation by creating new and better versions of ISIFLOATING, its floating solar system. the pioneering company in floating solar systems since 2008 when their first floating solar system was designed and installed in Alicante (Spain).

Hamed Roozdar is an expert in floating solar technologies and currently heads the Floating PV Department at Bata Energy Solutions. With an academic background in corporate law, Hamed transitioned early in his career to the renewable energy sector - driven by a strong vision for sustainable development. Over the past years, he has been actively involved in the realization of over 30 floating PV projects across Europe with three different floating systems. His expertise spans the full project lifecycle, having worked from the perspectives of developers, manufacturers, and EPCs. Hamed’s & Bata Energy Solutions’ work reflects a deep understanding of both the technical and strategic/commercial dimensions of floating PV, making them trusted partners in one of the industry’s most dynamic and fast-evolving fields.

Mette Kristine Kanestrøm is Head of Solar, Storage and Smart Grid at Multiconsult, where she leads the development of innovative renewable energy and grid solutions across the Nordic market. With experience spanning solar energy, energy storage, smart grids, IoT, and telecommunications, she brings a unique perspective on how digitalization and clean energy technologies can work together to accelerate the energy transition. Prior to joining Multiconsult, Mette held leadership roles at Telenor and Solenergi FUSen, building expertise across both technology and renewable energy sectors.

I am a mission-driven professional dedicated to creating societal value through entrepreneurship and the energy transition. With an MSc in Business Administration (Small Business & Entrepreneurship) and a background in corporate banking at Rabobank and ABN AMRO, I specialize in bridging the gap between financial strategy and sustainable impact. Currently, at Enber, I help realize complex sustainable energy projects by focusing on structuring, project management, and financing. I am passionate about solving the energy sector’s toughest challenges to benefit initiators and society alike.

Hélène Gelas advises on public law, environmental law, urban planning law and energy law, in the field of energy and real estate. She holds a doctorate in law and assists her clients, from large listed groups and investment funds to small and medium-sized French and international companies, with advice and litigation before the administrative courts and in all stages of projects, whether for major real estate development projects or for renewable energy projects (wind, photovoltaic, hydraulic, methanization, hydrogen or storage...). She assists clients in all matters relating to the obtaining of authorizations (development strategies for complex projects, implementation of construction under appeal, etc.), and also, for energy projects, connection or even power purchase contracts.

Emma van Veenendaal is a PhD candidate at Deltares, where her research focuses on the environmental impact of floating photovoltaics on freshwater ecosystems. Her work combines monitoring data and hydro-ecological modelling to better understand how floating PV systems affect water quality and primary production, a key process in aquatic ecosystems. Ultimately, her research aims to support evidence-based guidelines for the responsible deployment of floating PV.

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Dee is a Project Manager at Solarplaza, where she leads high-impact renewable energy events focused on Agri-PV, Floating-PV, Energy Storage, and more. Drawing on a decade of experience in sustainability, Dee excels at facilitating collaborative discussions and driving knowledge sharing among industry leaders. She focuses on advancing the energy transition by connecting key stakeholders and fostering practical insights within complex sustainable markets.