Solarplaza Summit | The Netherlands

Eline Fleur Speklé is a policy officer for the energy transition at the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy. She has a legal background, with a Master's degree from Edinburgh University in Global Environment and Climate Change Law. In her current position, she focuses on the SDE++ subsidy for solar and wind energy, as well as improving the link between the energy transition and the transition towards a circular economy. She is passionate about pursuing a just and sustainable energy transition and incorporates this in her work.

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Larissa Gunst is a structurer and originator at Eneco Energy Trade concentrating on Dutch Solar. She started in 2016 as an operational meteorologist supporting renewables forecasting and both short and long term trading based on the weather. She made the move to originator to be able to make more impact on the energy transition. Next to her focus on Dutch solar and curtailment Larissa is setting up origination in Spain.

Alexander Roepers is Manager E-Mobility, responsible for the E-Mobility team of Greenchoice. In his current role he is responsible for the development and scaling of propositions for consumer as well as for businesses. Common ground is the smart integration and combining of EV-charging infrastructure with solar and/or storage. He holds a Master’s degree in Economics and is highly experienced in commercial & business development roles in various industries, formulating strategies & investment plans, implementing and executing them. Prior to this role he was a.o. responsible for acquisition and financing of windfarms, setting up strategic partnerships and he is one of the initiators and responsible for multiple large scale battery storage projects for Greenchoice.

At Vattenfall, Eric is focussing on multidisciplinary solar parks. He holds a MSc. in Energy Science and a MSc. in Business Economics. Both within Vattenfall and in numerous associations, he is a strong supporter of Agrivoltaics. Within Holland Solar, he is the chairman of the working group Ecology, and he is also an active member within the Solar Power Europe Working Group Agrisolar. Moreover, he is a part of projects such as Symbizon and EcoCertified.

Tim is an investment professional in the renewable energy sector working at Klimaatfonds Nederland. Besides being a key member of the investment team, he is involved in battery storage developments and the sourcing and execution of PPA's to make projects bankable. Over the last years, Klimaatfonds Nederland successfully executed several Corporate PPA's and secured predictable revenue streams for their (solar) projects. Prior to Klimaatfonds Nederland Tim worked in the energy team of PwC’s M&A department. He holds a Masters’ degree in Sustainable Energy Technology from Delft University of Technology.

René van der Linden is project development manager for Enerparc in the Netherlands and has a wide understanding of the energy market. Starting his career as project manager renewable energy at FrieslandCampina he built up and integrated renewable energy technologies, such as biomethane, solar and wind, into the organisation’s energy needs. Using this experience he is focussed now on the successful deployment of solar assets, where he integrates the lessons from other countries into the Dutch portfolio.

Manuella Appiah is a business and human rights expert leading the ESG strategy development and implementation of Sunrock. Sunrock is a large-scale ground, water and rooftop solar assets developer and energy producer. Prior to her appointment at Sunrock, she headed a team of (senior) policy officers at the Dutch Social and Economic Council that was responsible for facilitating multi-stakeholder agreements. These agreements supported and monitored extractives sector companies’ compliance with international ESG guidelines in their supply chains. She is particularly knowledgeable about the operationalisation of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, and the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises. She has in the past also implemented projects for international institutions like the World Bank and the International Labour Organisation.

Jan-Phillip is part of Encavis AG’s investment team and based in Hamburg, Germany. Since joining the German IPP in 2020 he has lead PV transactions in Germany, The Netherlands and Spain where he was responsible for contract negotiations (SPA, EPC, Project Financing, etc.), due diligence process and financial valuation. Jan-Phillip is particularly interested in creating client-driven, subsidy-free business cases for renewables.

Fabio Pisano is a Manager Business Development with expertise for development and implementation of new product development of integrated solutions at KiesZon. He is experienced in strategic marketing, sales management and business management with proven results in different markets and companies, with a strong focus on tapping into new markets, the developing and implementation of new business models. The developing of new opportunities is one of his strong sides, especially when markets ask for new competitive programs. His preference goes out to themes such as the energy transition and digitization. Fabio Pisano is one of founders of the first energy neutral Transferium of the Netherlands situated in Den Bosch.

Steven Pleging works in Business Development Netherlands for BELECTRIC and looks back on over 20 years of experience in the solar industry. His journey started in 1999 at Philips where he started to explore different solar energy markets. Having become passionate about solar energy and sustainability, he left Philips to further develop the solar business in Econcern/Ecostream and later on in Colexon Energy. In 2010, Pleging started to focus on project development related business. He returned to the Dutch market in 2017 with his project development company. In 2020, he joined BELECTRIC, focusing on acquisition of EPC and O&M contracting.

Josefin Berg, Associate Director in the Clean Energy Technology group at S&P Global Commodity Insights, analyzes the trends and strategies in the downstream photovoltaic (PV) market. Her focus areas include PV demand and forecasts, company strategies (developers and engineering, procurement, and construction providers); mergers and acquisitions, costs, and the integration of PV in the power generation mix. Ms. Berg authors reports on PV markets and trends, and she regularly speaks at industry events. Ms. Berg holds a Master of Science in environmental engineering from Uppsala University, Sweden. She speaks English, French, Spanish, and Swedish and is based in Barcelona, Spain.

Jesse heads Aurora’s Research and Advisory team for the Dutch and Belgian markets. His expertise is the economics of renewables, flexible technologies, and energy policy, with a proven track record as a market advisor on several strategic studies and transactions for developers, investors, and policy makers. Prior to joining Aurora, Jesse worked for Eneco in Rotterdam.

Amelie Veenstra is Policy Director at Holland Solar and has influenced a lot of policy making for the solar energy sector. She has over 20 years of experience with renewable energy and sustainable building, and has worked a lot on creating the right market conditions for new technologies, with a primary focus on solar energy. Netmetering, SDE+(+) and grid issues are nowadays dominant topics. In addition to contributing to the creation and execution of the national climate agreement she is involved with municipalities and provinces for shaping adequate policies. Amelie closely follows the developments of the regional energy strategies in the Netherlands.

Jan Willem has over 20 years of experience in the energy market and worked for some of the larger utilities. Early 2020, Jan Willem sold his previous companies Greenspread and Greencrowd to private equity concern NPM Capital. Since his departure in October 2020, Jan Willem works as an independent consultant at Stratergy. Stratergy advises funds, banks, utilities, and large consumers and producers of energy and specializes in maximizing asset value and minimizing financial risk.

Marc Londo is Substantive Director of NVDE, the Netherlands Association for Renewable Energy representing ~6,000 companies active in decarbonizing our energy economy. His key activity is safeguarding that NVDE’s positions towards media, politics and policy makers meet the critical eye of the energy expert, with a focus on renewable energy policy and strategy. He is also guest researcher at the Copernicus Institute of Utrecht University on the same topic. In his former occupations at ECN, he acquired vast knowledge and experience in providing technical support to renewable energy policy making, at EU and Dutch national level: scenario and road mapping studies, techno-economic assessments and policy evaluations (ex-ante and ex-post). He also coordinated ECN’s technical support activities to the negotiations for the National Energy Agreement. Earlier, he worked as a project manager in sustainable energy and integrated rural development. He holds a PhD in biomass and land use and graduated in environmental chemistry.

Lars Rupert is founder and CFO of GIGA Storage. Lars has an extensive experience in structuring and mergers & acquisitions. He was involved in many (re)financings and the setting up of international investment funds and investment structures. As CFO Lars is responsible for the financial side of the business cases of GIGA Storage

Ivo van Dam has over 20 years of experience in electric systems, electric components, and electric distribution, with the last 15 years dedicated to the renewable sector with projects combined with PV, EV charging, battery storage, and hydrogen. Ivo has recently headed the project delivery and engineering unit of Vattenfall and is currently CTO at PowerField and PowerGo and responsible for project delivery, engineering, and new technology development. From 2019 Ivo has performed several technical feasibility and market studies around electrolysis, green hydrogen and integration of hydrogen and battery storage in renewable generation units. Ivo is known to have the highest quality focused procurement strategy in the market and is a creative technology lover.

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Roland co-chairs the Loyens & Loeff Energy Team, advising energy companies and other market parties on regulatory aspects of transactions and representing his clients in court proceedings. He also participates in decision-making processes by policymakers and regulators, such as the Dutch Consumer & Market Authority (ACM). The scope of his work extends across the entire energy chain: gas (E&P, storage, LNG, transport and supply), power (generation, transport and supply), renewables, heat and CO2. Roland is a member of the Dutch Energy Law Association and regularly publishes on Energy law-related topics.

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Researcher Remco de Boer writes and speaks about energy and climate. He is the creator of the podcast Studio Energie, a weekly interview program with the main players in the Dutch energy and climate debate. In 2015 he published the book Between pride and hysteria (Tussen hoogmoed en hysterie), a revealing reconstruction of the fight against shale gas in the Netherlands. He is currently working on a new book about the energy transition, which will be published in 2023

Leon Straathof is advisor grid infrastructure and regulation for Holland Solar, NWEA and Energie Samen. In this role, he represents the interests of the members and works on enabling and accelerating grid integration of sustainable generation. Together with network operators, governments and market parties, he develops short and long-term solutions for transport congestion. Leon has 30 years of work experience in the energy sector. He has broad experience in the field of sustainability and flexibility of energy supply, grid integration, short and long-term solutions for transport congestion, grid renewal, system integration and legislation and regulations.

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!

Margien is the Business Lead Director European Network for Allego. Margien was trained as a chemist. She worked with DSM, NedStack, Bredenoord, CleanTech and QuinteQ where she developed herself as Marketing and Sales specialist for new technologies and new markets in the field of sustainable energy. She is active in the daily board of ESNL focusing on Energy Storage. This year she started as Business Line Director of the European network of Allego.

Franjo Salic is Head of International Investments at CEE Group, a Hamburg (Germany) based renewable energy asset manager. In this role, he is responsible not only for transactions of both wind and solar parks, but also for the further development of the portfolio in Europe. Franjo has been working for CEE Group for more than 10 years. In total, the CEE Group currently manages assets under management of 2.3 billion euros with a total capacity of approx. 1,650 MW (of which 350 MW in the Netherlands).

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Eelco Hoogduin is managing director of Zonnepark Services Nederland B.V. After his studies in aquatic ecotechnology and industrial ecology, he started his career in C&I solar PV in 2012. After some years of working for a large C&I EPC, as a business developer and project manager, he organized worldwide business events on solar asset management for Solarplaza. In 2017 he became director of asset management at Rooftop Energy, where he was responsible for more than hundred C&I and utility scale solar assets. This company has been acquired by a large private equity firm, and has rolled out a successful buy and build strategy, including acquisitions of two solar developers and several companies in the broader electricity landscape. Since 2021, he is managing director of Zonnepark Services Nederland, a joint venture between GOLDBECK Solar and Chint Solar, which is the leading solar O&M provider in The Netherlands with over a gigawatt of contracted capacity.

As an award-winning magician and corporate illusionist, Niels has studied neurolinguistic programming, hypnosis, psychological experimentation and marketing. Combining this with his experience in theater, cabaret and stand-up comedy, Niels has developed a unique form of entertainment.

Andrea Viaro is Head of Sales EMEA at Stäubli Electrical Connectors AG. He holds a master's degree in materials engineering and already has more than 10 years of industry experience with other tier-1 module manufacturers and technical consultancies. Andrea contributes to the company's strategy and, together with his team, strengthens the global leadership position of Stäubli's growing eBOS portfolio. As the world's most installed PV connector, the Original MC4 continues to set new benchmarks in the industry thanks to Stäubli’s pursuit of excellence and innovation.

Mohamed El Mhassani is a passionate advocate for sustainable energy transition, particularly in the field of solarparks and related subsidy and planning processes. He has been actively involved in the renewable energy industry since 2017, when he started his career at a startup in Eindhoven. With over 25 years of experience in commercial and service-oriented roles, he has developed a keen eye for building and maintaining sustainable relationships. He is always on the lookout for creative solutions and commercial opportunities, which have helped him to establish himself as a key player in the industry. Currently, Mohamed is working as Project Developer with SENS - Iqony Solar Energy Solutions in the Netherlands, where he is responsible for developing new business and driving the company's growth.

Davide Marro is the Sales Lead at Trina Solar for the Utility-scale business in North & Central Europe. His experience in the solar industry spans over 15 years with manufacturers of Solar PV components. Straight after his Masters in International Management & Operations he moved to New Delhi, where he entered the solar industry in 2008 to develop key markets for Moser Baer Solar in Europe. Convinced and passionate about the technology and the markets in Europe, he moved back to Germany in 2012. Shortly after, he joined Vikram Solar as Head of Business Development and later as Director Sales for over 7 years, before moving on to Trina Solar in 2020. In his current role at Trina Solar, Davide and his team focus on strategic partnerships with European Investors, IPPs, Developers and EPCs alike to offer state-of-the art product solutions with their in-house developed Trackers, Modules and BESS.

Vítor is currently the Technical director utility Europe of LONGi Solar since 2020. He has spent 14 years at TÜV Rheinland and brings extensive PV know-how in different areas including auditing and inspecting factories and installations in Europe, Asia, and South America, supervising construction and evaluating performance, as well as undertaking safety inspections and performance enhancement of PV plants worldwide.

Moritz has been working in the solar industry since 2010. He completed his Master in Solar and Energy Efficiency at the University of New South Wales (Sydney, Australia) and subsequently worked for Schüco Solar and SMA in the APAC market. After moving back home to Germany, Moritz continued to follow his passion for solar, working for Conergy and since 2016 as part of the Sungrow Europe team, now leading the region BENELUX, Central, Eastern, Northern Europe and Turkey.

Ivo has a diverse background, having studied both Chemistry and the English language. In 2009 Ivo decided to switch from a successful career in Language services to working in sustainability. He pledged to always work at or for companies which contribute to a sustainable world and never looked back. He worked for companies such as Enfinity and Kingspan and he was involved in the creation of successful propositions such as “Duurzame Zekerheid” by Unive. Since 2021 Ivo has been working as Business Unit Manager for Solora BV with the aim of staying the leading O&M Service Provider in The Netherlands.

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.

Originally from Brazil, Lorena Nieuwenhoven completed a double major degree in Politics, Philosophy, and Economics at the Erasmus University Rotterdam in 2019. She then deep-dived into the area of renewables and sustainability, helping expand the penetration of solar energy in the Iberian markets through her work as a Project Manager for Solarplaza. Apart from her work in the Spanish and Portuguese markets, Lorena has also spearheaded topical conferences related to Green Hydrogen and Hybrid Renewables.