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Speakers


Last year's line-up:

Travis BradfordGDCIITB
Professor of Renewable Energy at University of Chicago and founder of Prometheus Institute (www.prometheus.org), a leading data analyst in the global PV market


Founded in 2003 by Travis Bradford, a former private equity and hedge fund executive, the Prometheus Institute was created to fill a need for reliable data, quantitative analysis and practical information about the solar energy industry. The Institute strives to be the world's leading source of publicly available primary data on the photovoltaic (PV) supply chain and end-markets through a series of data collection and dissemination projects and the publication of the industry's oldest newsletter, PV News. Travis Bradford is author of the book "the Solar Revolution" and of various in depth PV market and industry reports.


Gerard Stryi-HippGDCIIGSH
Managing Director of the BSW (German Solar Industry Association: www.solarwirtschaft.de)


BSW is the lobby group of the German solar energy industry, with over 600 member companies. As a strong community of companies, the BSW Solar acts as information provider and intermediary between the business, political and public sectors. It represents the common commercial interests of businesses across the solar energy value chain. Germany is still the world's largest PV market.


Javier AntaGDCIIJA
President of ASIF, the Asociación de la Industria Solar Fotovoltaica (Spanish Solar Energy Industry Association: www.asif.org)


More than 490 Spanish companies involved in solar PV are currently members of this organisation, which was founded in 1998. Mr Javier Anta is a veteran of the Spanish solar energy market and, as an advisor on behalf of ASIF, is involved in all discussions with the Spanish government about the new feed-in tariff. Spain is currently the world's second-largest PV market.

Jigar ShahGDCIIJS
Chief Strategy Officer, SunEdison. Jigar Shah is a founder and board member of SunEdison (www.sunedison.com)


SunEdison delivers solar energy services, not solar equipment, with no upfront costs. Jigar Shah has extensive experience in both the solar PV and wind industries. Before founding SunEdison in 2003, Shah worked in mergers & acquisitions, corporate strategy and sales (specialising in national commercial accounts) for industry giant BP Solar. As well as working for the Department of Energy on alternative vehicle and fuel cell programmes, Shah has worked in an engineering capacity for both AstroPower, the largest publicly traded pure-play PV solar company, and the Atlantic Orient Corporation, a leader in the medium-sized wind turbine market. Shah has a BS in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana, and an MBA from the Robert H Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland.


Richard LoyenGDCIIRL
Manager of Enerplan (l'Association Professionnelle de 'énergie Solaire), the French Solar Energy Business Association


The mission is to represent and improve the solar industry sector and market in France. The French market is one of the top ten worldwide photovoltaic markets with a current annual market growth of more than 100 percent.


Peter LorenzGDCIIPL
Associate Principal in the Houston Office of McKinsey & Company Inc.), a management consulting firm advising leading companies on issues of strategy, organization, technology, and operations.


Peter is currently leading the Firm's global knowledge effort on Solar Power. He has served electric power and renewable energy companies on strategic, growth and M&A issues.

Stelios PsomasGDCIISP
Policy Advisor,  HELAPCO (Hellenic Association of Photovoltaic Companies) (www.helapco.gr)


Mr. Stelios Psomas is Director of HELAPCO, the Hellenic Association of Photovoltaic Companies. HELAPCO is a non-profit organisation that was set up by representatives of Greek photovoltaic companies in 2002. Mr Psomas is a highly reputed expert in the Greek PV market and industry and one of the initiators and promoters of the feed-in tariff system, which is currently generating enormous interest in new PV applications and power plants in Greece. Mr Psomas is a former executive director of Greenpeace in Greece.

Hiroshi Matsukawa GDCIIHM
Dr Hiroshi Matsukawa works for the RTS Corporation (www.rts-pv.com), the leading organisation for consultancy and expertise in the Japanese PV market


Founded in March 1983, RTS has been investigating and studying PV, and acting as an international information exchange, for more than 20 years. RTS studies and analyses technical developments and trends in the PV market. Its customers are Japanese government agencies, leading PV cell/module manufacturers in Japan and overseas, major electric utilities, major silicon companies, companies using PV systems and electric power equipment companies. RTS provides a monthly report containing comprehensive current information on PV activities in Japan, and publishes an anual PV market report on Japan. Dr Matsukawa graduated from Professor Kurokawa's laboratory and has a wide knowledge of PV technology, and the PV market and industry in Japan.

Gerardo MontaninoGDCIIGM
Director of the Operations Department at GSE s.p.a. (Gestore dei Servizi Elettrici), the organisation managing the feed-in tariff applications for PV systems


The company has the most comprehensive picture of Italian PV market developments, such as feed-in tariff demand in all market segments and forecasts of further market developments. GSE plays a central role in promoting, incentivising and developing renewable energy sources in Italy. The company has a single shareholder: the Ministry of Economy and Finance. Since 2005 GSE has focused on managing, promoting and incentivising renewables in Italy. GSE plays a key role in Green Certificates and issues the Guarantee of Origin and RECS (Renewable Energy Certificate System) certificates.

Stephen O'RourkeGDCIISOR
Senior analyst at Deutsche Bank Securities in New York(www.db.com)


As a PV industry expert, Stephen O'Rourke predicts that the solar photovoltaic industry will achieve grid parity - standalone economic viability without incentives - within five years. He believes that the current strong growth in industry capacity will soon lead to an oversupply situation, probably beginning in 2009, when there will be a more than adequate supply of polysilicon. For the long term, he forecasts explosive growth and a potential undersupply situation.