Solarplaza Summit | Floating PV Europe

Karolina Baltins co-leads the Photovoltaic Power Plants group at Fraunhofer ISE, which comprises over 14 scientists and numerous students. Within the group, she is responsible for advancing topics related to integrated photovoltaics, with a particular focus on Floating Photovoltaics (FPV). In this context, she oversees research areas such as yield simulation and monitoring, potential analysis, environmental impacts, and feasibility studies. Karolina Baltins holds a Bachelor of Science in Ecology and Environmental Protection as well as a Master of Science in Geography of Global Change. She completed her Ph.D. at the University of Freiburg. Her dissertation, titled “Global assessment of environmental stress factors for solar technology application using Geographical Information Systems,” examined global environmental stress factors for the application of solar technology.

CEO & Founder of Solarif Group. Industry leader & expert in the world of insurance, banking, sustainable energy and investments. Harry Wolkenfelt is a worldwide known entrepeneur, investor, speaker and trade missionary. His major contributions to the solar industry and smart, solid insurance solutions are greatly appreciated by a wide range of business organizations, governments and the larger society.Due to his broad experience in investment banking he has a solid background in finance. Over the decades, he managed several large teams and businesses in order to keep growing and conquer both large scale & niche markets.The Solarif Group is unique and known for its excellence and variety in service.By prodiving smart solutions for large scale solar investments, a connection is made between sustainability and economic growth. Whether you are in need of a professional, specialized Solar Insurance, Risk Management of your products & projects, finding the right amount of investments or by Smart Financing your project: we are here to help you grow!

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Sofia is a PhD researcher studying the impacts of floating solar panels on water bodies such as lakes and reservoirs. More particularly, her project utilises the Delft3D hydrodynamic and water quality model to assess these impacts. Previously, she applied the same model to understand a reservoir's spatial distribution of evaporation as part of her MSc degree. Before starting the PhD, she worked for several years as a Civil Engineer in the industry, specialising in the design of drainage systems, raw and treated water pipelines, sewage and water distribution systems, as well as dam recovery projects and security inspections. In addition to her technical expertise, she led teams responsible for overseeing the execution of these projects, ensuring efficiency, quality, and compliance with industry standards. Her research interests include lake modelling, hydrodynamics, hydrology, climate change, and water resources management.

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).

Stanislas is a Senior Solar PV Consultant in Multiconsult, Norway, with more than 10 years of experience. He is currently undertaking an Industrial Ph.D. (2019-2022) together with Multiconsult and the Norwegian University of Science and Technology on the design and optimization of hydropower-connected floating solar PV plants. Stanislas has been one of the founding members of Multiconsult’s solar energy advisory team, specializing in solar PV projects in emerging markets. He has extensive international experience from solar projects ranging from Eastern/Southern Africa to Central/Southeast Asia. He has been awarded the prizes ‘Norway’s Young Consultant of the Year’ by the Norwegian Association of Consulting Engineers in 2017 and ‘Europe’s Young Professional of the Year’ by the European Federation of Engineering Consultancy Associations in 2018.

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.

After finishing his master degree in business economics at Rijksuniversiteit Groningen, Harold started his career as commercial banker in 1996. Harold has worked at several Dutch banks, and has fulfilled rolls in relationship management, structuring management buy outs, risk management and general management. After a post-doc study Corporate Social Responsibility at Erasmus Universiteit, he joined the Triodos Renewables Energy team. Harold’s main focusses are solarprojects and heat- and coldstorage projects in the Dutch market. As Triodos is a frontrunner in renewable energy since their origination in the 1980s, Harold is very interested in financing new technologies. His main goal is to contribute to fighting the climate change.

Stephanie is Solar Technical Manager at Akuo Energy. She holds a double degree in Environmental Engineering from the Polytechnic School of São Paulo and École des Ponts et Chaussées in France, as well as a Master’s in Energy Transition. At Akuo, she specializes in the technical development of solar projects, with experience ranging from Agri-PV and floating solar in France to large-scale fixed and tracker systems in Latin America. Stephanie is also active in Environmental and Social Community, helping integrate IFC performance standards for greater project sustainability. She has contributed to the European SERENDI-PV project, working with international partners to enhance the performance and integration of advanced photovoltaic technologies, including floating and bifacial systems

Jonathan is graduated with Master’s Degree in Mechanical Modeling of Materials & Structures from the French Engineering School « Ecole Centrale Marseille ». When he joined Bureau Veritas, he worked as a Structural Naval Engineer for different types of offshore floating O&G assets, then he was in charge of the commercial development of the Offshore Floating projects at Bureau Veritas. Jonathan is now market leader for marine renewable energies, which main objectives are to support the Business Development network for market intelligence, prospection and offers, but also to advise on R&D needs and to ensure a transverse view of all BV activities on these markets.

Md Mosfiqur Rahman is an experienced engineer with over a decade of experience in the Oil & Gas and Renewable industries. He has a strong focus on renewable energy projects, particularly in floater motions, coupled analysis, mooring analysis, marine operations, and subsea installation analysis. Mosfiqur has contributed to several high-profile projects, including the Floating Wind Reliability JIP, Floating Solar JIP, Floating Substation JIP, and the Hywind Scotland pilot park project. Mosfiqur holds a Master's degree in Marine Technology and has held senior engineering positions at TechnipFMC and Semar AS.

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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.

Dee Yon Chng (pronounced Dion) is a project manager for Solarplaza spearheading the following events in chronological order: Agri-PV 2023, Floating-PV 2023, Energy Storage Spain 2023, Romania 2024, France 2024. Prior to Solarplaza she helped co-found a "floating" coaching company, and worked as sustainability consultant. She is a strong believer in knowledge sharing around sustainability topics, with 10 years of chairman experience in facilitating a collaborative and fruitful discussion.