Speakers at SAIREC 2015

Abdulhakim Abdisubhan

Senior Advisor
Hydropower Development, Ethiopia
abdisubhan777@gmail.com
Currently I am the Advisor of the CEO of the Ethiopian ElectricPower, a Utility that is engaged in developing
and supplying electricity to the country. I worked as executive officer for EEPCO for ten year Nov. 2004-Dec.
2013. I worked in a managerial and leadership role in the development of 11 renewable projects in Ethiopia
during the last 20 years, mainly hydropower which have an aggregate capacity of around 9.25 GW.

Marie Hlne Aubert

Senior adviser
International climate and environment negotiations, France
marie-helene.aubert@elysee.fr
Marie-Hlne Aubert is a member of President Franois Hollandes cabinet and adviser on international
climate and environment negotiations.
Member of the French Green party from 1990 to 2008, she was successively elected as Conseiller Rgional
(Regional Councillor) for the Centre-Val de Loire region (1992-1998), then Dput in the National Assembly
for the Eure-et-Loir constituency (1997-2002). She was a member of the Foreign affairs committee, vicechair of the National Assembly (2001-2002), and finally Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for the
Ouest region (2004-2009).
Initially a teacher of French literature, she went on in 2009 to obtain a Masters degree in agricultural
development and economic policies from the Institute for Studies of Economic and Social Development
(IEDES University Paris 1).
Before being called to the French Presidency in may 2012, she was deputy director of the Futur Facteur 4
research and consulting office, which specialises in energy and sustainable development issues.

Rainer Baake

State Secretary
Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, Germany
buero-IIA1@bmwi.bund.de
Rainer Baake was appointed State Secretary at the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy in
January 2014. Born in Witten in 1955, he studied economics in Marburg, graduating as Diplom-Volkswirt.
From 1985 1991, he served as First District Councillor for Marburg-Biedenkopf, before being appointed
State Secretary at the Ministry for Environment, Energy and Federal Affairs of the state of Hesse. In 1998
he moved on to become State Secretary at the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation
and Nuclear Safety. From 2006 2012 he was the Federal managing director of the NGO German
Environmental Aid, and then worked as Executive Director of the Think Tank Agora Energiewende before
rejoining the government.

Bohuslav Barta

Specialist Consultant
Energy and Water Resources Engineering
South Africa
bartab@iafrica.com
Bo Barta is registered Professional Engineer as per requirements of the Engineering Council of South Africa.
His professional career spans more than 45 years working primarily on the water engineering and energy/
water resources development and management projects scattered around the Southern Africa region (e.g.
Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa and Swaziland).
His key experience and accumulated expertise are primarily in planning, design and construction as well as
rehabilitation of the water services infrastructure assets (i.e. mainly water transfer schemes including dams
and water conveyance components). He, most recently, concentrates on the implementation of renewable
energy technologies with emphasis on the small hydropower and extraction of hydroelectricity by the
hydropower retrofit to hydraulic structures.
Bo (although of the retirement age) is presently self-employed Specialist Consultant in the fields of energy/
water services system analysis and hydraulic assets evaluation, seeking optimal means in usage of energy
and water resources.

Bernard Bladergroen

Associate Professor
University of the Western Cape, South Africa
bbladergroen@uwc.ac.za
Prof. Bladergroen, a former student at the University of Twente in the Netherlands joined the University of the
Western Cape (UWC) in 1998 as a PhD student and continued as a postdoctoral fellow in hydrogen
separation and production (2003-5). In 2007, he accepted his role as the deputy director of the South African
Institute for Advanced Materials Chemistry (SAIAMC) at UWC, an institute (70 people) that develops and
demonstrates technology mostly related to the energy sector (e.g; hydrogen production, compression and
storage, battery development, membrane separation technologies and synthetic fuel production). Prof
Bladergroen co-authored over 30 publications in peer reviewed journals and patents and is currently heading
the Energy Storage Innovation Laboratory (ESIL) which was launched to provides a platform facilitating the
commercialise of technologies in partnership with local businesses.

Stefanie Bourne

Senior Engineer
DNV GL, South Africa
stefanie.bourne@dnvgl.com
Ms. Bourne is a Senior Engineer at DNV GL with a focus on utility-scale wind project development in Africa.
Ms. Bourne has nearly seven years of experience in the wind industry in North America, South America,
Europe and Africa and is currently based out of DNV GLs offices in Cape Town, South Africa. In her role at
DNV GL, she supports wind project feasibility, resource assessment, operational monitoring and asset
management, project due diligence, construction monitoring and power performance testing. She holds a
Master of Science degree in Atmospheric Science from the University of Alaska Fairbanks and a Bachelor of
Science degree in Energy and Environmental studies from James Madison University.

Luis Crespo

President
PROTERMOSOLAR / ESTELA, Spain
luiscrespo@protermosolar.com
PhD Aeronautical Engineer and Sociologist. In 1975 he founded the Solar Energy Division at CASA.
From 1979 until 1989:
Interatom/Siemens, Central Receiver System solar plant of the AIE.
ASINEL, Technical Director of the German-Spanish GAST (air cooled solar tower) and AWEC-60 (1MW)
projects.
Director of Renewable Energy Institute (IER/CIEMAT).
In 1989 he switched from his technical carrier to a managerial one joining the CDTI as Deputy Director.
Afterwards: General Manager of AENTEC. General Director of CEX, a venture capital company with a
positive track record after 15 years of activity.
Since 2008 when he returned to the CSP sector he is General Secretary of PROTERMOSOLAR. He is
also President of ESTELA since 2011. He also helped CTAER research centre in Andalusia during its
launching phase 2009-2010 as General Manager.
He teaches Business Administration and Energy subjects at the Polytechnic University of Madrid.

Shen Dechang

Vice Secretary-General
Chinese wind energy equipment Association, China
shendc06@126.com
Shen Dechang, Professor, Vice Secretary-General at Chinese Wind Energy Equipment Association the
eighth editorial board member of solar energy journal , the ninth committee member of Chinese Wind
Energy Association, as well as the technical committee member of world wind energy association . Professor
Shen Dechang is a member of wind energy industry standard construction expert group appointed by the
national energy administration of China. Prof. Shen Dechangs research interests are wind power industry
development status and trend at home and abroad, the developing strategy & analysis of lager offshore wind
turbines, forecast of wind energy technology development and application technologies of small and
medium-sized wind turbines, etc.

Sir A Diallo

Programme Coordinator -WACCA

ECOWAS Centre for Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency (ECREE), Cabo Verde
sdiallo@ecreee.org
Sir A. Diallo currently serves as Coordinator of the West Africa Clean Cooking Alliance, (WACCA). Under
his leadership, WACCA gained tremendous momentum in its quest to establishing a viable market for
sustainable cooking energy services in the ECOWAS region by putting in place innovative programmes.
Before joining ECREEE, Sir served as the Executive Director of The Social & Ecological Management Fund
(SEM), an NGO working to alleviate energy poverty in Senegal. At SEM, he was instrumental in registering a
multi-country PoA for large-scale distribution of ICS and alternative cooking fuels.
He holds a Masters of Science in Project Management. He has 15 years of experience working on
sustainable development issues related to energy, environment, climate change and decentralised financial
systems and youth development in West Africa and the US.

Chris Ehlers

Business Director
ACWA Power, South Africa
chrisehlers@acwapower.com
Chris Ehlers has more than 18 years of track record within the renewable and conventional power generation
industry. In 2012 he joined ACWA Power as Business Director in order to facilitate the companys growth in
Africa.
From 2007 Chris was Managing Director for Siemens Renewable Energy in the UK. Under his watch more
than more than 2500MW of on- & offshore wind turbines were sold, installed and maintained, which created
more than 1000 direct jobs. Chris served the Board of RenewableUK.
Previously, Chris held various Director Roles in blue chip EPC Companies such as Siemens Energy, Hitachi
and Babcock Borsig spanning from Sales to Procurement & Logistics. Chris holds a degree in Mechanical
Engineering from the University of Applied Sciences Lbeck, Germany and a MBA from Instituto de Empresa
(IE) Business School, Madrid, Spain.

Dipolelo Jane Elford

Renewable Energy Consultant, South Africa

dipolelojaneelford@telkomsa.net
Academic qualification: Masters in Public Administration. Current employment status: Renewable Energy
Consultant, speciality: wind energy.
Prior: Director Stakeholder Relations for Windlab Development SA, May 2012 to July 2015. Through
Windlab, participated in the South African Wind Energy Association (SAWEA). Served on SAWEA Board
from October 2012to November 2014 including serving as Chairperson between 2013 and 2014.
Prior: Chief Director in the Western Cape Department of Environmental Affairs and Development Planning
for over ten years, managing various programmes, including Pollution and Waste Management, Climate
Change, Energy and Sustainability. Through Government, championed policies and projects promoting all
forms of renewable energy.

Kumar Emani

Deputy Secretary General

ICLEI Local Governments for Sustainability, India
emani.kumar@iclei.org
Emani Kumar is the Deputy Secretary General of ICLEI Global and also the Executive Director of ICLEI
South Asia since its founding in 2005. With degrees in Environmental Management, Environmental Planning
and Civil Engineering, Emani has more than eighteen years of professional experience on issues related to
climate change policy and planning, local governance, renewable energy and energy efficiency, social
accountability, systems management and auditing.
Previously Kumar has worked with the Confederation of Indian Industry and also with the National Institute of
Urban Affairs. Apart from overseeing the organisations strategic development, he also coordinates various
multi-year & small scale projects and research work.
In his role as ICLEI Deputy Secretary General, Emani Kumar works with all the offices in Asia, to ensure
cohesion in implementation of ICLEIs agendas and spearhead advocacy activities in the region.

Sifiso Dlamini

Managing Director,
NuRa Energy ,South Africa
sifiso@nura-energy.co.za
Sifiso Dlamini is the Managing Director of NuRa Energy, a solar home systems utility in rural KwaZulu Natal,
South Africa. He has spent most of his professional life at NuRa Energy for whom he has worked for the past
11 years. He started as the Utility Engineer, working his way up to being the General Manager, a position he
held concurrently with being the Company Secretary, until he ascended to his current position as the
Managing Director. He is a Trustee of Rural Energy Employee Share Empowerment Trust, an employee
Trust that has a 20% stake in NuRa Energy.
He holds a BSc degree in Electronic Engineering and is a Senior Member of the South African Institute of
Electrical Engineers (SAIEE).

Rabia Ferroukhi

Head of Policy and Deputy Director- Knowledge, Policy and Finance

IRENA, United Arab Emirates
rferroukhi@irena.org
Dr. Rabia Ferroukhi joined IRENA in 2011 where she is currently the Deputy Director of the Knowledge,
Policy and Finance division. She also leads IRENAs Policy Unit, which is responsible for the work on a
range of renewable energy policy issues including design, socio-economic benefits and integrated resource
management. Dr. Ferroukhi brought to this position over 20 years of experience in the fields of energy,
development and environment. She worked in both public and private sectors, including with governments in
the Middle-East and North Africa, energy companies in the Mediterranean region and the GCC, and
international institutions. Dr. Ferroukhi holds a Masters in Applied Economics and a Ph.D. in Economics from
the American University in Washington DC.

Agostinho Miguel Garcia

Principal Consultant
Sun Business Development Lda, Portugal and Thabo Consulting Engineering, South Africa
agostinho.garcia@sunbd.pt
Physics Engineer with a masters degree in Solar Energy completed in 2000, Agostinho Miguel Garcia is an
international expert performing feasibility studies, business plans, engineering designs and construction
supervision of photovoltaic, concentrated solar power and wind power plants. He has more than 15 years of
professional experience in renewable energies and policies, deep experience in solar technologies and
development of solar power projects, solar park expert with experience in India and South Africa. Experience
in 5 continents and more than 15 countries in Renewable Energies and policies, solid experience in solar
policy and programmes development as well as advisory roles for 5 governments in 2 continents, with a
focus in Southern Africa (Namibia and South Africa). He has worked as an international consultant for
development banks and the UNDP as well as the Clinton Foundation.

Gurbuz Gonul

Senior Programme Officer and Acting Division Director

IRENA, United Arab Emirates
ggonul@irena.org
Mr. Gurbuz Gonul joined the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) in 2014 as Senior Programme
Officer for administering the Regions and currently serves as Acting Director for the Country Support and
Partnerships Division.
Formerly, he worked as Senior Energy Economist of the Islamic Development Bank between 2010 and 2014,
where he led the work for the development of an Energy Sector Policy for the Bank as well as complex loan
and technical assistance projects in Africa and Asia. Between 2004 and 2010, Mr. Gonul served as a Senior
Expert at the Energy Charter Secretariat in Brussels, where he spearheaded policy analysis, sectoral indepth reviews, regional / country reviews concerning energy investments, trade and transportation.
He also held positions in the EU Delegation in Ankara and Turkeys Ministry of Energy since 1993.

Thorsten Herdan

Director General Energy policy department

Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, Germany
buero-ii@bmwi.bund.de
Thorsten Herdan (Dip. Ing.) was born on 10 July 1966. He was appointed Director-General for energy
policyheating and efficiencyin the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy as of June 2014.
He previously held the positions of managing director of the professional association for producers of power
systems and the professional association for producers of engines and systems (both members of the
German Engineering Federation) (VDMA), of managing director of the Research Association for Combustion
Engines (FVV), and of managing director of the German Engineering Federations Energy Forum, which is in
charge of developing the Federations energy policy.
Mr Herdan served on the Board of the European Association of Internal Combustion Engine Manufacturers
(EUROMOT), on the Board and the Supervisory Board of the European Wind Energy Association (EWEA),
and as Vice-President of the Offshore Wind Energy Foundation.

Elham Ibrahim

Commissioner for Infrastructure and Energy

African Union Commission, Ethiopia
ibrahime@africa-union.org
Dr. Ibrahim is a holder a Ph.D. in Electronics and Communications, Over 33 years, she has served in the
academic research, electrical energy production & interconnection, energy strategies and policies, energy
planning studies, renewable energy. In 28 April 2008 she was elected for the post of The Commissioner of
Infrastructure & Energy, in the African Union Commission. In July 2012 she was reelected for the same post.
Her portfolio covers multiple sectors, She is responsible to lead the Infrastructure and Energy Department to
realise its mandate to enhance Regional and Continental efforts for accelerated integrated infrastructure
development and effective sustainable development of energy resources.

Mahama Kappiah

Executive Director
ECOWAS Centre fro Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency, Cabo Verde
mkappiah@ecreee.org
Mahama Kappiah is the Executive Director of the ECOWAS Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy
Efficiency (ECREEE). He was eminent in the establishment of the Centre which aims to ensure increased
access to reliable, affordable and clean energy in West Africa. Under his leadership, ECREEE has attained
international recognition as a unique regional renewable energy and energy efficiency promotion agency in
Africa.
Prior to the establishment of ECREEE, Mahama Kappiah was Head of the ECOWAS Energy Division. Some
of his achievements include the creation of the West African Power Pool (WAPP) and the ECOWAS
Regional Electricity Regulation Authority (ERERA). Before that, he worked in the Planning and Development
Department of the Volta River Authority (VRA) of Ghana. He is a member of the REN21 Board and has over
25 years of experience working on sustainable development issues related to energy, environment and
climate change.

Wim Jonker Klunne

Programme Director
Energy & Environment Partnership (EEP), South Africa
Wim.JonkerKlunne@EEPAfrica.org
Mr. Wim Jonker Klunne is a renowned expert with 20+ years of experience in the renewable energy sector in
eastern and southern Africa. With an academic background in Civil Engineering and Management, Wim has
in-depth technical knowledge combined with strong management skills.
Wim has worked on a wide range of energy implementation, research and capacity building projects in Africa
on behalf of the African Development Bank, the World Bank group, ECN, CSIR, UNDP, GEF, EU, national
governments, private sector and bilaterals.
Currently Wim is the Programme Director of the Energy and Environment Partnership (EEP) for southern
and eastern Africa, a renewable energy, energy efficiency and clean technology investments challenge fund
financed Finland, the UK and Austria.

Heinz Kopetz

President of the World Bioenergy Association

World Bioenergy Association, Austria
hg.kopetz@netway.at
Heinz Kopetz, Austria, is president of the World Bioenergy Association, since 2012. In 2013 he also served
as chairman of RENAlliance, a network of the global industry associations of renewable technologies such
as wind, solar, hydro, geothermal and bioenergy.
Heinz Kopetz, graduated from the University of Life Sciences in Vienna and the Iowa State University, USA
in economics (1966). After his studies he served as managing director of an agricultural agency in Austria. In
the eighties he developed the concept of the farmer as energy producer and implemented financial and
educational programs in this field. In this time he also founded the Austrian Biomass Association, was
engaged in the deployment of district heating systems using biomass and started the first programs of short
rotation forestry in Austria.
During his professional career he was engaged in different positions related to energy, e.g. as member of the
supervisory board of a public utility for electricity and district heating, as chairman of the European Biomass
Association (AEBIOM) or as member of the advisory committee for Energy of the European Commission.

Silvie Kreibiehl

Head of Centre
FS-UNEP Collaborating Centre, Germany
s.kreibiehl@fs.de
Silvie Kreibiehl is Head of the FS UNEP Collaborating Centre for Climate & Sustainable Energy Finance, a
strategic cooperation between the United Nations Environment Programme and the Frankfurt School of
Finance & Management supported by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment.
Silvie has the overall responsibility for all consultancy projects in the area of climate and sustainable energy
finance committed to facilitating the necessary structural change of energy supply and use around the globe
by helping to catalyse private sector capital flow towards green investments. Before joining the Centre Ms.
Kreibiehl worked for Deutsche Bank for 17 years, with 10 years in corporate finance, in particular in the RE
sector.
Silvie is a contributing author of the Fifth Assessment Report (AR5) of the IPCC and has recently been
nominated to serve as member of the independent Technical Advisory Panel of the UNs Green Climate
Fund.

Meryem Lakhssassi

Sustainable Development Officer

MASEN, Morocco
m.lakhssassi@masen.ma
I am in charge of sustainable development within MASEN structuring team (Moroccan Agency for Solar
Energy). I am managing the Environmental and Social Impact Assessments (ESIA) conducted in the frame
of the projects developed (solar power plant and associated facilities) and coordinating the environmental
and social safeguards measures according to Masen and IFIs (Institutional Financial Investors) requirements
as well as other contractual requirements.

Christine Lins

Executive Secretary
Renewable Energy Policy Network of the 21st Century (REN21)
christine.lins@ren21.net
Christine Lins was appointed as Executive Secretary of REN21, the Renewable Energy Policy Network of
the 21st Century, in July 2011. REN21 is a global public-private multi-stakeholder network on renewable
energy regrouping international organisations, governments, industry associations, science and academia as
well as NGOs working in the field of renewable energy. REN21 has its headquarters at UNEP, the United
Nations Environment Programme in Paris/France. Between 2001 and 2011, Ms. Lins served as Secretary
General of the European Renewable Energy Council. Previously, she worked in a regional energy agency in
Austria promoting energy efficiency and renewable energy sources. Ms. Lins holds a Masters degree in
international economics and applied languages. She has more than 19 years of working experience in the
field of renewable energy sources.

Tetsunari Iida

Executive Director of the Institute for Sustainable Energy Policies

Institute for Sustainable Energy Policies, Japan
tetsu@isep.or.jp
Tetsunari Iida is a Leading Authority on Renewable Energy, and a Social Innovator who has introduced
Ecological Initiatives as Executive Director of the Institute for Sustainable Energy Policies (ISEP), a Nonprofit and Independent Research Institute.
As a Committee Member for METI and MoE, he has proposed Nuclear-free energy policies. And he has
been promoting community-based RE projects in Japan as Secretary-General of Japan Community Power
Association.

Barry MacColl

GM, Research, Testing and Development

Eskom, South Africa
barry.maccoll@eskom.co.za
Barry has been working in the power industry in South Africa for over 24 years. He is currently the National
Utilitys General Manager of Research, Testing and Development and leads a team of over 380 people
involved in applied research, testing and consulting in a variety of specialist energy technology related
disciplines. As a utility owned facility, the focus is on finding practical solutions to the operational and
strategic challenges of Eskom. Barry is an Electronics Engineer with an MBA from Rhodes University. Barry
manages teams structured around centres of excellence the renewable technology; energy storage and
electric vehicles; energy efficiency and SMART grid COEs examples. He understands the need for change in
the context of a slow moving industry and the need to balance risk, cost, efficiency and environmental
issues. He is married to Carey and has three children.

Klaus Maier

Corporate Development Manager

Mobisol, Germany
klaus.maier@plugintheworld.com
Klaus Maier has been working in the field of energy efficiency and energy development in emerging markets
over 5 years. He joined Mobisol in 2013 and is currently Corporate Development Manager in Berlin,
Germany. Together with his colleagues, he successfully established Mobisol in Rwanda in 2014. To this day,
the Mobisol Rwanda Ltd. installed already 7,000 solar systems. In his current role, he is responsible for
Mobisols global market entry strategies and strategic partnerships, including Mobisols expansion within
Africa and to Asia. Prior to its work for Mobisol, Klaus worked in several private enterprises operating in
emerging markets, mainly focusing on Ethiopia and the Philippines. Klaus holds a Master in Environment
Recourses and Energy Management from the Berlin School of Economics and Law. in several private
enterprises operating in emerging markets, mainly focusing on Ethiopia and the Philippines. Klaus holds a
Master in Environment Recourses and Energy Management from the Berlin School of Economics and Law.

Roeb Martin

Team Leader
DLR, Germany
martin.roeb@dlr.de
Dr. Martin Roeb holds a diploma in chemistry from the University of Cologne and a doctoral degree in
physical chemistry from the same university. Since 1999 he has been working as a scientist, project manager
and group leader in DLRs Solar Research Division in the field of solar high temperature applications. He
took over the lead of the team high temperature solar chemical engineering. He has been work package
leader and coordinator of several domestic and EU projects on solar high temperature processes and in
particular on solar fuels. He has been involved in international cooperation in the context of the IEA, the
IPHE and SOLARPACES. He used to be the DLR representative in the project HYDROSOL, which has been
awarded by the Eco Tech Award Expo 2005, the Technical Achievement Award of the International
Partnership for the Hydrogen Economy 2006 and the Descartes Prize 2006 for Scientific Collaborative
Research.

Thembakazi Mali

Senior manager: Renewables

SANEDI, South Africa
thembakazim@sanedi.org.za
Thembakazi Mali holds a Ph. D in Chemistry and a Graduate Diploma in Engineering in Environmental
Engineering from the University of the Witwatersrand. Her career spans over a decade in the chemical and
petrochemical fields. Presently, she is the Senior Manager: Clean Energy Solutions (Renewable Energy and
Alternative Energy) at the South African National Energy Development Institute (SANEDI), which is a statefunded energy research organisation that focuses on public interest energy R&D that seeks to assist
government in meeting the national goals of economic development and the improvement of quality of life of
all citizens. She serves as the South African representative and executive committee member to the
International Energy Agencys (IEA) Implementing Agreements on Ocean Energy Systems, Bioenergy and
Solar Cooling and Heating. She is the director of the Southern African Regional Secretariat for the
Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Partnership (REEEP) which is hosted by SANEDI.

Robbie McNaughton

Team Leader Solar thermal processes

CSIRO, Australia
robbie.mcnaughton@csiro.au
Robbie McNaughton is the team leader for the CSIRO Solar Thermal Processes team. Robbies has a
background in Chemical and Process Engineering which he applies to the challenges presented by the daily
and seasonal variations of solar energy. His work over the past 16 years has spanned areas such as solar
fuels processes, Steam and mixed reforming for syngas and hydrogen production, Supercritical steam
systems, Solar Brayton cycles, high temperature thermal storage and most recently the development of a
solar thermal supercritical carbon dioxide experiential system. He recently led the project team that achieved
the first solar thermal supercritical steam suitable for power generation. He has expertise in managing large
research projects with international collaborators and delivering innovative solutions.

Markos Melaku

markos_melaku@hotmail.com
Markos is a professional engineer with over 25 years of graduate experience specialising in geothermal
power development. He did his post-graduate studies at the Geothermal Institute and the School of
Engineering at Auckland University in New Zealand, and his Bachelor degree (First Class) in mechanical
engineering from Addis Ababa University. He was based in New Zealand for over 15 years where he worked
for a number of international consulting firms and geothermal development companies.
Markos has gained broad experience in various phases of project development, encompassing project
appraisal, drilling & well testing, reservoir assessment, conceptual and detailed engineering. In the past, he
has worked on a number of projects with numerous responsibilities in many countries; including Ethiopia,
Kenya, Indonesia, New Zealand, Philippines, USA and the South Pacific and has undertaken assignments
for major independent developers, government agencies and projects financed by global financial
institutions.
He is currently based in Addis Ababa and works as a freelance consultant with a focus on development of
green-field geothermal projects.

Michael Eckhart

Managing Director
Citibank, USA
michael.eckhart@citi.com
Michael Eckhart is a Managing Director and Global Head of Environmental Finance at Citibank, based in
New York City. He is involved with REN 21, IRENA, the IEAs Renewable Industry Advisory Board, and as a
financial advisor to SE4All. Previously, he was founder and President of the American Council On
Renewable Energy (ACORE) in Washington, DC. In the 1990s he led the SolarBank Initiative in Europe,
India and South Africa, where he founded the Eskom-Shell Solar Energy Company. Earlier, he had a 20-year
career in power generation. He has received numerous awards including Renewable Energy Man of the Year
of India, the Skoll Award for Social Entrepreneurship, and the ISES Global Leadership Award. He received a
degree in Electrical Engineering from Purdue University and an MBA from Harvard Business School, and
served in the US Navy Submarine Service.

Grace Mukasa

Regional Director
Practical Action East Africa, Kenya
grace.mukasa@practicalaction.or.ke
Grace A. Mukasa is an accomplished international development director, with a Masters degree in Gender
and Development, 20+ years top management and field experience with 5 international NGOs, a profile and
credibility in fighting poverty and commitment to social change. She has lots of hands-on experience of
fundraising: leading, coordinating and providing oversight for complex multi-country and multi-sector
strategic planning, programme and project management + public policy analysis and influencing targeting
pan-African and international policy organisations as well as African and South Asian governments.

Benard Muok

Director Programmes
African Centre for Technology Studies, Kenya
bmuok@yahoo.com
Dr. Muok holds a Post-doc in Bioenergy and Climate Change from University of Edinburgh, UK; PhD from
Kyoto Prefectural University, Japan; MSc and BSc from Moi University. He also holds a certificate in
Environmental Impact Assessment and Environmental Audit from Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture
and Technology and International certificate in Conservation at the Royal Botanical Garden, Kew, UK.
Dr. Muok has worked for over 20 years in research focusing on renewable energy, energy access and policy
in Africa, science technology innovation, environmental conservation forestry and climate change adaptation
and mitigation.
He is the Director of Programmes at African Centre for Technology Studies and Vice President World
Bioenergy Association. He is board member of World Intellectual Property Organisation and member of East
African Community Bioenergy Advisory Group. He has published extensively in international journals and
books.

Gama Mutemeri

Chief Executive Officer

TTO Climate, South Africa
gama@ttoclimate.com
Gama Mutemeri is CEO of TTO Climate. The organisation focuses on adaptation technologies through its
Soweto Rocket Stove project and mitigation through its Moletsi Moringa reforestation project.
Gama has worked in the energy sector for over two decades. He holds a Masters degree in Energy Policy
and Planning from the University of Cape Town and a diploma in Energy and Environment from The
University of Oslo. Gama lives and works in Johannesburg.

Ayanda Nakedi

Senior General Manager

Eskom Renewables Business
Ayanda Nakedi currently heads Eskoms renewables unit and has 20 years of energy experience. This
experience has spanned working in what has been traditionally a mans world (General Manager of Strategy,
Technology and Assurance in the Generation Division) to that of a nurturing socially conscious role as the
CEO of the Eskom Development Foundation.
Ayanda hails from Ezibeleni in Queenstown, now resides in Centurion, is married and has two children. She
is a Board member of South African Wind Energy Association, Board member of TAP (Trans-Africa projects)
and Eskom Finance Company. In 2013 Ayanda was awarded with the prestigious Leadership Award of Boss
of the Year.
Under her guidance Eskom is implementing its first two utility scale renewable projects, the 100 MW Sere
Wind Farm near Vredendal in the Western Cape and the 100 MW Upington Concentrating Solar Plant in the
Northern Cape.

Kadri (Kevin) M Nassiep

CEO SANEDI
State owned, South Africa
KADRIN@SANEDI.ORG.ZA
Kadri Nassiep is the Chief Executive Officer of the South African National Energy Development
Institute(SANEDI), which is a state-owned company established under the National Energy Act of 2008. The
entity reports to the Ministry of Energy of the Republic of South Africa.
He holds a Masters Degree in Mechanical Engineering and has over 20 years of experience in the energy
sector. He is a mathematical scientist by profession and was initially employed in 1992 by Eskom, the
national utility. He was appointed in 1997 as Eskoms Energy Research Manager, responsible for research in
the area of integrated energy systems. In 2003 he joined the Department of Minerals and Energy as the
Chief Director for Energy Planning. He was responsible for development of policy, strategy, legislation and
regulation supporting the implementation of energy efficiency and renewable energy.

Tobias Bischof-Niemz

Centre Manager for Energy

South Africa
tbischofniemz@csir.co.za
Dr Tobias Bischof-Niemz is the Centre Manager: Energy at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research
(CSIR) in Pretoria, where he leads the establishment of an integrated energy research centre and a growing
team of scientists and engineers. Before joining the CSIR, he was with South Africas electric utility Eskom in
the Energy Planning Unit, where he was part of the team that developed the long-term power-capacity
expansion plan (Integrated Resource Plan IRP) for South Africa.
Dr. BischofNiemz is a member of the Ministerial Advisory Council on Energy (MACE) that advises Minister
Joemat-Pettersson on long-term, strategic energy topics.

Gerard Ostheimer

Global Lead for Sustainable Bioenergy

Sustainable Energy for All, USA
GEOE@novozymes.com
Dr. Ostheimer serves as the Global Lead for the SE4ALL Sustainable Bioenergy High Impact Opportunity.
Working with diverse partners he promotes the development and deployment of sustainable bioenergy
solutions to help achieve SE4Alls goals of increasing energy access and doubling the use of renewable
energy.

Andre Otto

Centre Manager for Energy

South Africa
tbischofniemz@csir.co.za
Andre Otto started his career in the Dept of Minerals and Energy Affairs in 1993 where, amongst other he
worked on the development of South Africas 1st IPP Wind farm: the Darling National Demonstration Wind
farm (1996 to 2006) and South Africas White Paper on Renewable Energy 2003. He was the Project
Manager for the UNDP-GEF project entitled the South African Wind Energy Programme (SAWEP) (2008
2010) and is currently Renewable Energy Technical Advisor at the South African National Energy
Development Institute (SANEDI) where he is also responsible for the Wind Atlas for South Africa (WASA)
Project.

Paddy Padmanabhan

President & CEO

ACWA Power International, Saudi Arabia
ymahmoud@acwapower.com
Mr. Padmanabhan, an Engineer with 35 years of experience has served ACWA Power from 2005 as the
company grew from a startup to where it is today; a leading private developer, owner and operator of power
generation and desalinated water production plants headquartered in Saudi Arabia now operating in 14
countries with a portfolio of plants worth US$ 27.5 Billion to deliver 18,000 MW of electricity and 2.45Mm/
day of desalinated water.
While ACWA Power is technology neutral and fuel agnostic, focused on delivering electricity and desalinated
water at lowest cost, the company is active in driving cost down in renewable energy delivering the lowest
unsubsidised tariffs seen in the world to date such as the first year tariff of 12.4 US Cents/kWh for 100MW
CSP generated electricity dispatched throughout the day and night at South Africa; and a levelized tariff of
5.845 US Cents/kWh for 25 years at Dubai for 200MW PV generated electricity.

Koen Peters

Executive Director
Global Off-Grid Lighting Association (GOGLA), Netherlands
k.peters@gogla.org
Mr Koen Peters is Executive Director of GOGLA since August 2014. He has over 20 years of international
work experience, in both public and private sector roles. Prior to joining GOGLA, Koen worked as renewable
energy expert within the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Earlier, he worked as consultant supporting
international business initiatives in developing countries. During this period he co-founded and co-managed
a solar PV company in Tanzania and was project manager of one of the first projects aimed at solar mobile
phone charging solutions, in Uganda. Earlier he worked for the Dutch government on international
cooperation; for the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development on international climate
investments; and for the British Department for International Development. Koen has a Master degree in
Environmental Engineering from Wageningen University and a Master in Business Administration jointly from
Nyenrode University and Kellogg School of Management.

Lorenz Petersen

Director
Climate Change, Rural Development and Infrastructure, Germany
Lorenz.Petersen@giz.de
In August 2014, Dr. Lorenz Petersen became Director of the Climate Change, Rural developoment and
Infrastructure, after serving three years as GIZ Country Director in Mozambique.
Previously, Lorenz Petersen managed the GIZ Competence Centre for Climate Change for five years and
held positions as technical expert on environmental policy issues, both at GIZ headquarters in Eschborn,
Germany.
By education he is an environmental economist with a specialisation in international environmental policy,
and governance aspects of natural resources management. He holds a postgraduate degree in agricultural
science and a PhD in Environment and Natural Resources Economics with 25 years of experience in
economic analysis, policy design and implementation in an international development and environmental
policy context. Before joining GIZ he held long term positions as Campaign Coordinator with Greenpeace
International and the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations in Rome with its World Bank
Co-operative Programme.

Morten V Petersen

CEO
WWEA, Denmark
mvp@victor-energy.dk
Founder of Victor Energy ApS 2009. Worked with renewables since 1985. Co Founder and Chairman of
Danish Small Wind turbine Association since June 2009. Chair of WWEA Small Wind turbine section since
April 2015. Board member of EREF since 2014. Has a role in re implementing of SWT in Denmark, and
raising of standardisation, certification and test possibilities
Small Wind Turbines makes sense as decentralised electricity production units for self supply or for small
communities, working in on- and off grid systems worldwide. SWT can support development in rural areas as
well as in areas with limited electrical infrastructure.
Further development for production abilities, quality upgrading and security for users of SWT are visible
goals. A worldwide standardisation for SWT will make the knowledge and access to SWT easier and promote
the use of SWT.

Mark Radka

Chief, Energy, Climate and Technology Branch

United Nations Environment Programme
mark.radka@unep.org
Mark Radka heads the UN Environment Programmes Energy, Climate, and Technology Branch, where he is
responsible for managing UNEPs efforts to link the global energy and environment agendas. UNEPs work
in this area focuses on reducing emission of greenhouse gases through greater use of renewable energy
and improved energy efficiency. Mark has a special interest in the uptake of advanced technologies by
developing countries, and was a coordinating lead author of the IPCCs Special Report on Methodological
and Technological Issues in Technology Transfer.

Vikesh Rajpaul

Programme Manager Concentrating Solar Power

Eskom, South Africa
vikesh.rajpaul@eskom.co.za
Vikesh is currently Program Manager Concentrating Solar Power at Eskoms Renewables Business Unit in
South Africa. He is a professional engineer with an MBA and a Government Certificate of Competency
(GCC), and is a member of the South African Institute of Mechanical Engineers.
He started his career in Eskom as an engineer in training in 1994, and has held various senior technical
management roles at various power stations and in Research within Eskom over the last 21 years. Given the
strategic importance of Concentrating Solar Power in Eskom, he was tasked to lead the development of
Eskoms 100 MW CSP project in 2010.
As programme manager for CSP, he has end to end accountability for all CSP initiatives within Eskom,
including solar augmentation. Hi is also Eskoms representative at the South African Solar Thermal Electricity
Association (SASTELA) and has represented South Africa as exco alternate at the Solar PACES Executive
Committee.

Naim Rassool

Director
South African Renewable Energy Technology Centre (SARETEC), South Africa
rassooln@cput.ac.za
Naim Rassool has 9 years of experience practising as an engineer in the mining and manufacturing industry
with CSIR and Atlas Copco. Before joining SARETEC in March 2015 he spent the previous 8 years in a
combination of venture capital with the Innovation Fund & TIA and being a CEO of a medium size
engineering company, USC Metering (Pty) Ltd. Naim holds a BSc (Engineering) & MSc (Engineering) from
University of Witwatersrand and an MBA degree from University of Pretorias Gordon Institute of Business
Science (GIBS).

Roberto Ridolfi

Director
European Union/ International Cooperation and Development DG, Belgium
Roberto.Ridolfi@ec.europa.eu
Dr Roberto Ridolfi is Director of the European Commission for Sustainable Growth and Development at DG
for International Cooperation and Development. He joined the European Commission in 1994 and worked in
several delegations of the UNION: Malawi, Namibia and Kosovo as development and economic advisor.
Throughout Accession negotiations (2001-2004), he was the principal coordinator dealing with Environment
and Transport in Public-Private-Partnerships (PPP). Twice Ambassador/ Head of delegation to the European
Union, Mr Ridolfi was first in Suva where he served from 2005 to 2007. In 2010 he was appointed in Uganda
by the High Representative for Foreign Policy of the EU where he served till September 2013.In between, he
managed programmes dealing with Environment and Climate Change, Food security, Human development,
migration and asylum as well as the One-Billion-Euro Food Facility in 50 countries.

Evan Rice

CEO
GreenCape,South Africa
evan@greencape.co.za
Evan Rice is the CEO of GreenCape, a sector development agency set up by the Western Cape
Government and City of Cape Town to accelerate the development of the green economy and help position
the region as the green economy hub of the continent. He was previously a partner at the investment firm
Spinnaker Growth Partners and a management consultant at McKinsey & Company. Evan has also worked
for City governments in Johannesburg and Cape Town, and cofounded an online startup. He is passionate
about developing and driving sustainable solutions to economic, social and environmental challenges.

Meghan Sapp

Secretary General
PANGEA, Belgium
meghan@pangealink.org
Meghan Sapp is Secretary General of PANGEAPartners for Euro-African Green Energy, based in Brussels.
For close to 10 years, she has been advising companies and government agencies on biofuel investment
and policy in Africa while developing innovative, sustainable business models for renewable energy
implementation in those markets and mentoring entrepreneurs to set up their own ventures in their countries
of origin. She is also founder and Managing Director of PlanetEnergy, the renewable energy company based
in Spain responsible for developing energy communities, integrated renewable energy systems for urban,
rural and industrial communities. PlanetEnergy is her third successful renewable energy start-up. Additionally
she is also Senior Editor for Biofuels Digest and sugaronline.com.

Elijah C Sichone

Executive Secretary
Regional Electricity Regulators Association of Southern Africa (RERA), Namibia
ecsichone@rerasadc.com
Elijah C. Sichone has been serving as the Executive Secretary of the Regional Electricity Regulators
Association of Southern Africa (RERA) since 2005. With 25 years working experience in the energy sector,
he has held senior positions in the National Electricity Regulator (NER) of South Africa, the African Forum for
Utility Regulators (AFUR), and Zambias Energy Regulation Board (ERB) and Department of Energy (DOE).
Academically, he holds two Bachelor degrees a Bachelor of Engineering (BEng) Degree from University of
Zambia and a Bachelor of Philosophy (BPhil) in Sustainable Development (specialising in renewable and
sustainable energy) from University of Stellenbosch in South Africa. He also qualified in 2011 as a Certified
Energy Auditor (CEA), a professional certification programme by the Association of Energy Engineers (AEE)
of America.

Paul Simons

Deputy Executive Director

International Energy Agency (IEA), France
veronika.gyuricza@iea.org
Paul Simons took up his duties as the International Energy Agencys Deputy Executive Director in July 2015.
He supports the Executive Director in providing leadership and strategic direction, including advancing the
global engagement strategy by strengthening co-operation with non-member countries and pursuing
initiatives with key partner countries.
Mr. Simons has an extensive expertise in energy and economic policy: he was Executive Secretary of the
Inter American Drug Abuse Control Commission (CICAD), co-ordinating drug policy and criminal justice
reform initiatives for the 34 members of the Organisation of American States. Before that he served as US
Ambassador to Chile and as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Energy and Sanctions, during which he
was a delegate to the IEA Governing Board and chaired an IEA Standing Group.
He has a BA from Yale University and an MBA in Finance from New York University.

Frank Spencer

Chair of the Embedded Generation Sub-committee

SAPVIA, South Africa
frank@millinfo.co.za
Frank, with an MSc in Engineering and a BPhil in Sustainable Development, is an engineer by background
with 15 years experience in the solar industry. He was instrumental in the installation of some of the first ongrid and off-grid solar PV projects in Southern Africa. In addition he has founded a solar PV business,
designed and commissioned numerous large off-grid and rooftop solar PV installations, and has been
actively involved with SAPVIA since her inception. He is well known in the industry for being an ethical and
passionate supporter of renewables, and currently chairs the SAPVIA embedded generation sub-committee.
His current employment is with First Solar where he heads up their Commercial and Industrial Business
Development division while providing technical support to EPCs

Andrew Taylor

Managing Director
Cape Advanced Engineering (Pty) Ltd, South Africa
andrewtaylor@cae.co.za
Dr Taylor specialises in alternative fuels and power machinery, particularly engines for electric power
generation. His expertise is in technologies to transform bio-mass into fuel/energy, and producing natural
fertiliser as by-product. Andrew is MD: Cape Advanced Engineering, set up in 1993 as an automotive test
unit at Stellenbosch University; privatised in 1999. CAE traditionally provided R&D, design, prototyping and
testing services to the auto industry. Andrew led CAEs involvement in locally manufactured automotive
products the Ford RoCam engine for the Bantam/Fiesta models, with over 1.5million units exported; the
fuel-injected VW Citi Golf, Golf and Jetta; and the VW Vivo and Polo engine. From developing gas-fuelled
engines, CAE extended operations to develop bio-gas power generation plants. Since 2008 CAE designed
and built agricultural application bio-digesters for power generation. Andrew has a PhD(Mech) Natal
University.

Kutane Waltaji Terfa

Coordinator Public Health and Environment Program

World Health Organisation, Ethiopia
kutanew@who.int
Waltaji Terfa Kutane is a public health and environment program coordinator of World Health Organisation
Ethiopia Country office, since May 2008 he is responsible sector water, sanitation, climate change and
health, indoor air pollution and emergency response in conflict areas and disease outbreak.
He is closely working with health, water, environment and energy sectors in capacity building, policy, strategy
and guidelines development and implementation. He has contributed to the development of WHO household
air pollution guidelines as member of steering committee.
He holds a Master`s degree in Human Ecology and BSc in Environmental Health and has over 20 years of
experience in the public health and environment sectors. He is a public health and environmental health
specialist by profession and was initially employed by ministry of health in 1989 and assigned as
environmental health inspector to Gambella administrative region health department. He was appointed in
1998 as environmental health and hygiene team leader in the same department responsible for
implementation of integrated environmental health activities. In 2002 he joined UNICEF as consultant for
public health emergency response.

Sven Teske

Renewable Energy Director

Greenpeace International, Germany
sven.teske@greenpeace.org
Mr. Teske has recently completed a PhD thesis on grid integration strategies and infrastructural planning
requirements for 100% renewable energy systems and took his current position as the Director for
Greenpeaces Renewable Energy Campaign in 2004. In this position he led the work on the Energy
[R]evolution: a Sustainable World Energy Outlook and specific grid analysis reports for Europe and China.
He was also lead author for the IPCC Special Report Renewables (SRREN).engines, CAE extended
operations to develop bio-gas power generation plants. Since 2008 CAE designed and built agricultural
application bio-digesters for power generation. Andrew has a PhD(Mech) Natal University.

Moeketsi Thobela

CEO
South African Photovoltaic Industry Association (SAPVIA), South Africa
moeketsi@sapvia.co.za
Moeketsi Thobela, a graduate electrical engineer with an MBA, has worked in various areas within the
renewable energy sector in South Africa. His initial involvement was as consultant in the establishment of the
Renewable Energy Finance and Subsidy Office (REFSO) at the then Department of Minerals and Energy
(DME) in 2005. Subsequently, he was Programme Manager on a research and capacity-building programme
that included feasibility studies on small-scale hydro, as well as on the Renewable Energy Market
Transformation Project which was sponsored by the World Bank and Department of Energy. His other
consulting assignments included project preparation for the second phase of the South African Wind Energy
Project (SAWEP II), as well as an assessment of the permitting requirements related to bio-energy projects.
He joined SAPVIA as CEO on 1 October 2014, and has focused his attention on promoting solar PV as an
energy security option.

Tania Roediger-Vorwerk

Deputy Director General Directorate 31 Sustainable Development; Natural Resources;

German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), Germany
Vorwerk@bmz.bund.de
Mrs. Tania Roediger-Vorwerk is currently the Deputy Director at Directorate 31 Sustainable Development;
Natural Resources; Economic Policy and Infrastructure of the German Federal Ministry for Economic
Cooperation and Development (BMZ). Formerly she was Head of the Policy Planning Staff at the same
ministry, worked as Head of the Department of General Personnel Matters and Personnel Development, and
as Deputy Head of the South Asia Department. Prior to her work at BMZ, she was Deputy Head of the
Department of International Affairs and Protocol and corporate lawyer for the City of Bonn, and worked as a
senior consultant at the international management consultancy Kienbaum. Mrs. Roediger-Vorwerk has a law
degree from the universities of Cologne and Munich and a Ph.D. in European Environmental Law.

Werner Weiss

Director
AEE INTEC, Austria
w.weiss@aee.at
Werner WEISS is a mechanical engineer and director of AEE Institute for Sustainable Technologies (AEE
INTEC) in Austria. He was chairman of the Solar Heating and Cooling Programme of the International
Energy Agency (IEA) from June 2010 to May 2014. Furthermore he is board member of the European
Technology Platform on Renewable Heating and Cooling. He has been project coordinator of more than 50
national, European and international solar thermal energy projects.
His main research activities are on solar combi-systems and solar heat for industrial processes.
Since 2007 he is lecturer at Vienna University of Technology and faculty member of the continuing education
centre.
Werner Weiss also has 20 years of experience with a number of training and capacity building projects in
Africa, South and Central America and other developing countries.

Michael Wild

President
International Biomass Torrefaction Council, Austria/Belgium
michael@wild.or.at
Michael Wild, economist and engineer by education, is active in renewable energies for practically his entire
26 years professional career. He has pioneered Biomass fired district heating systems in Austria and
conversion of coal fired systems to biomass in former socialist countries. The first internet based biomass
trading platform (ABEX) was started by him in 1999. Until 2010 he led the international biomass trading
company EBES creating numerous intercontinental supply chains for many types of biomass. From 2007 he
took a leading position in torrefaction technology development forming also a consortium with Andritz AG. In
2012 he helped setting up the International Biomass Torrefaction Council IBTC within AEBIOM whose
members elected him president. He is actively supporting producers and trading houses developing their
trade into Europe acting as their European Sales Manger. Co-founded of Carbon Wealth, a company to
convert atmospheric CO2 into a fuel via Skymining.

Li Junfeng

Director General of NCSC, President CREIA

National Centre for Climate Change Strategy and International Cooperation (NCSC), Chinese
Renewable Energy Industries Association (CREIA), China
li-junfeng@163.com
Mr. Li Junfeng is currently serving as director general of Chinas National Centre for Climate Change
Strategy and International Cooperation and as president of Chinese Renewable Energy Industries
Association. He is a member of Chinas National Energy Advisory Council, the Expert-Committee of National
High-tech Program, and Academy Committee of Chinas Environmental Protection Ministry.
Mr. Li has dedicated his 30-year career life to energy economy and energy environment studies. He was in
charge of the structure and drafting of Chinas Renewable Energy Law and Chinas Medium and Long-Term
Development Plan for Renewable Energy Development. He also participated in the research and drafting of
Chinas Medium and Long-Term Science-Technology Development Program Outline, the Draft of Chinas
Energy Law, Chinas National Climate Change Program, etc.
From 1999 to 2011, Mr. Li served as Deputy Director General of Energy Research Institute (ERI), National
Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) and as Chair of the Academic Committee of ERI.

Senzo Myeni

Renewable Technologies CoE Manager

Eskom Holdings SOC Ltd, South Africa
myenise@eskom.co.za
Senzo is a registered Professional Natural Scientist, a Godly family man, currently serving as a Renewables
Technologies Manager and a Chief Statistician in Research Testing and Development, Eskom Holdings SoC.
Ltd. He has over 9 leadership experience years in the fields of Academia, Finance and Energy. He holds a
PhD in Mathematics from University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) and further holds 2 MSc degrees: Applied
Mathematics (cum laude) from UKZN and Financial Mathematics from Edinburgh & Herriot-Watt Universities
in United Kingdom Scotland. His research interests lie in three main areas, videlicet: Symmetries in
Mathematical Modelling, Quantitative Risk Management and Energy Profile Modelling with applications in
Renewable Energy.

Ernesto Macias

President
Alliance for Rural Electrification, Belgium
ernie.macius@gmail.com
Ernesto Macias is a qualified expert in the field of rural electrification with over 14 years specific experience.
As founder and President of the Alliance for Rural Electrification for the last nine years, he has been
instrumental in promoting electrification projects for remote communities in Developing Countries in Africa,
Asia and Latin America.
He has experience in the management and implementation of over 50 electrification projects around the
world including remote islands. He is an independent consultant, Bureau Member of REN21 and former
President of EPIA, European Photovoltaic Industry Association (2003-2008). Mr. Macias has held key
positions in both industry, focusing on the market development of renewable energy technologies; Marketing
and Commercial General Director of Isofoton, pioneer leading PV cell and module manufacturer since 1.983
(2001 to 2009); and Electria Wind, medium size wind generators designer, from 2009 to 2011) and
international organisations.

Geoffrey Ronoh

Project Manager
Strathmore Energy Research Centre (SERC), Kenya
gronoh@strathmore.edu
Geoffrey Ronoh is a Renewable Energy Enthusiast. He holds MSc in Sustainable Energy from the University
of Nottingham, United Kingdom, and BSc in Electrical Engineering from University of Nairobi, Kenya.
Presently, he is the Project Manager of the Strathmore Energy Research Centre (SERC) and one of the
founding members of the Kenya Climate Innovation Centre hosted in Strathmore University. In Strathmore,
Geoffrey was involved in developing and realising the Strathmore University 600kW Solar PV project
commissioned in mid 2014.
Geoffrey is also the co-founder of Solar E-Cycles Kenya Limited, which has developed a 4-wheeled solar
powered vehicle designed with off the shelf parts. Apart from being a transportation device it is also a solar
power station for off-grid homes, businesses plus communities and can be used to generate income. The
product is accessible to households through a leasing arrangement with local financial institutions.

George Pergamalis

Head of Business Development Africa & Middle East

Enel Green Power, South Africa
georgios.pergamalis@enel.com
George is a longstanding executive of the business development function in Enel Green Power, one of the
largest renewable energy utilities in the world, and has worked in in a number of countries and renewable
technologies. He currently heads up the business development team for Africa & Middle East. He has
considerable experience of the South African renewable market and in particular the REIPPP (auction
scheme) as well as other markets in sub-Saharan Africa. George believes deeply in the potential of the
African renewable energy market and seeks to contribute his international experience and direct foreign
investor perspective to the sector. He is also a member of the South African Wind Energy Associations
(SAWEA) board of directors.

Hasna Khan

President
Energy Systems, USA
Hasnajkhan@gmail.com
Hasna Khan conceptualized SHS micro-financing program that initiated solar activities that formed Grameen
Shakti in 1996. As consultants to the World Bank, her team developed institutional, technical, and business
model for Micro-Financing SHS for rural homes in Bangladesh. Her team designed and installed the first 100
kW solar mini of Bangladesh with DSM for a micro utility operational since 2010 and providing clean energy
training. Her past work in micro-enterprise development for women in renewable energy technology
applications has achieved Ashden award. Her recent activities include transformative technologies for rural
electrification in India.
Hasna Khan is CEO of Energy Systems, director of Prokaushali Sangsad Ltd. (PSL), with experience in
innovative renewable energy and rural energy access. Before joining PSL, she worked at the Brookhaven
National Laboratory, and a faculty of Mechanical Engineering at U of MD. She holds MS and Ph.D. degrees
in Nuclear Engineering, from University of Washington, Seattle.

Johan de Koker

Director
University of Johannesburg, South Africa
Johandk@uj.ac.za
Johan de Koker holds a Masters Diploma in Structural Engineering from the University of Johannesburg and
is an Honorary Fellow of the S A Institution of Civil Engineering as well as the Institute of Professional
Engineering Technologists. He was President of the S A Institution of Civil Engineering in 2008
He is Director of the Sustainable Energy Technology and Research Centre at the University of Johannesburg
where he previously was Head of Department of Civil Engineering Technology.
Johan has more than 30 years experience in engineering research, also construction, maintenance and
technical audit and he published about 60 mostly conference papers. He is internationally recognised as a
specialist in rail lubrication and maintenance

Jon Orn Jonsson

Country General Manager

Reykjavik Geothermal, Ethiopia
jon@rg.is
Mr Jon rn Jonsson is the Country General Manager in Ethiopia for Reykjavik Geothermal. Mr Jonsson
coordinates operations in Ethiopia and the East African region for Reykjavik Geothermal. He is experienced
in geothermal Greenfield development, project management, project planning and procurement. He has
managed geothermal projects in East Africa, India and the Middle East. Mr. Jonsson has a M.Sc. in
Sustainable Energy and Business from Reykjavik University and a Master in Project Management from the
University of Iceland.

Juliette Biao Koudenoukpo

Director & Regional Representative, Regional Office for Africa

United Nations Environment Programme, Kenya
juliette.biao@unep.org
Ms. Juliette Biao Koudenoukpo, UNEP Director and Regional Representative for Africa is a
national of Benin. Ms. Koudenoukpo has a wealth of experience in international development assistance and
24 years of experience in environmental projects and programmes management. She has worked with a
wide range of international organisations, including UNDP and IUCN and leading international institutions
working in the area of environment, addressing sustainable development and poverty reduction. She has
been involved in multi-country project design, development, management and resource mobilisation in
numerous countries within Western, Southern, Eastern, and Central Africa. From 2007 to 2008 she held the
position of Minister of Environment and Nature Protection for the Benin government. Before joining UNEP in
September 2015, Ms. Koudenoukpo, was with Canadian Crossroads International (CCI) where she was the
Director of Programmes, and with Canadian Renter for International Studies and Cooperation where she
was the Regional Director for Africa.
Ms. Koudenoukpo holds an MSc. degree in Forestry Economics, a PhD. degree in Public Policy and
Administration, and an expert diploma in Renewable Energy.

Mbulelo Ncetezo

Executive Manager
Electricity Regulation Division, South Africa
mbulelo.ncetezo@nersa.org.za
He holds the following degrees: BSc in Physics and Chemistry (Fort Hare University); Bachelor of Science in
Electrical Engineering (Marquette University, USA) and Master of Science in Electrical Engineering
(University of Minnesota, USA).
He gained experience in the Electricity Supply Industry (ESI) firstly from the then Transkei Electricity Supply
Corporation (TESCOR). In the early 90s he also got involved in the extensive electrification drive in the then
Transkei. This TESCOR did in collaboration with Eskom. Electrification levels then were around 5% and the
Transkei NMD was around 60MW.
In 1995 he moved to Eskom Distribution where he continued with maintenance issues and electrification
projects in informal settlements around Johannesburg. When he moved on to Eskom Transmission he
gained experience in utilisation of telecommunications in the ESI.
In 2000 he got his first exposure in regulation when joined the newly established Independent
Communications Authority of South Africa. He led the team that drafted the regulations on Infrastructure
sharing and Interconnection.
Currently he is with the National Energy Regulator as an Executive Manager in the Electricity Regulation
Division. During this period he led a team that dealt with Eskoms MYPD2 and MYPD3 applications. More
than 50 Renewable Energy Independent Power Producers were licensed, and about 2000MW of RE
capacity has been added to SAs energy mix.

Mokshanand Sunil Dowarkasing

Senior Portfolio Manager Greenpeace International

Greenpeace INT, Amsterdam
mdowarka@greenpeace.org
Presently working as Senior Portfolio Manager for Greenpeace International with a main focus on driving the
renewable initiative in Africa.
Prior to this job i have been Member of Parliament for Mauritius between 2000 and 2010 and serving as MP
for the Pan-African Parliament between 2005 and 2010. I have been the senior adviser of the Prime Minister
of Mauritius between 2010 to 2014 on Environmental matters.
I hold an MSC in Environmental Management as well as a diploma on Environmental laws.

Segomoco Scheppers

Senior General Manager

Eskom Holdings SOC, South Africa
segomoco.scheppers@eskom.co.za
Segomoco is the head of Eskoms Southern African Energy operating unit, which focuses on Eskom
international electricity trading and business development primarily in the SADC region.
His career in Eskom includes transmission operations & maintenance, project management, transmission
system planning and investment analysis, as well as executive management. He is a member of the Eskom
Management Operations Committee, and serves on the Boards of the Southern African Power Pool (SAPP),
Eskom Uganda Ltd (EUL), Trans Africa Projects (TAP) as well as IHA (International Hydropower
Association).
Segomoco is a Professional Engineer, and his qualifications include a BSc Elec. Eng. (Heavy Current) and
an MBA, both from Wits University, Johannesburg.

Tomas Kberger

Executive Board Chairman

Japan Renewable Energy Foundation, Japan
t.kaberger@jref.or.jp
Tomas Kberger is professor of Industrial Energy Policy at Chalmers University of Technology and Executive
board Chairman of Japan Renewable Energy Foundation.
Professor Kberger has held several leading positions in companies working with bioenergy, windpower,
solar energy as well as sustainable automotive fuels, and since 2015 he is a member of the board of
Vattenfall. He has served on the boards of the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation as well as the
European Environmental Bureau. He was a member of the Government Energy Commission in 1995 before
the electricity market re-regulation introducing competition. From 2008-2011 he served as Director General
of the Swedish Energy Agency.

Vera Rodenhoff

Head of Division International Environment and Energy and Urban Development

Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety, Germany
vera.rodenhoff@bmub.bund.de
Dr. Vera Rodenhoff, LL.M. is Head of Division of International Affairs for Environment and Energy and
Environment, Building and Urban Development, OECD and Cooperation with OECD Countries in the
German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation Building and Nuclear Safety. Prior to this
she held positions as the Head of Division of International Affairs and Protocol in the Ministers staff, as the
Head of Cabinet to the Federal Minister of Environment and as Personal Secretary to the Federal Minister of
Environment. Earlier she worked in the International Legal Affairs Division of the Ministry.
Before entering the Ministry Dr. Vera Rodenhoff worked inter alia as a as a lawyer in an international law
firm, as a consultant for UNESCO in Paris and as a research assistant specialising in International and
European Environmental Law at the Humboldt University in Berlin.

Carl Pendragon

Co-Founder
Carbon Wealth, Sweden
carl.pendragon@carbonwealth.com
Born 1965. Inventor and philosopher with extensive experience in energy markets, in particular the electricity
markets, since 1990. First major work in renewable energy was in South America, helping to fund and
develop an ethanol production project based on sweet sorghum. During this process studied energy crops
economics, and then went on to develop the worlds first mass scalable Carbon Negative Fuel project. Our
current project combines biology and new technology to convert atmospheric CO2 almost directly into a
clean, renewable fuel that can replace oil, gas, coal and charcoal. The technology is proven on an industrial
scale and creates a fossil fuel substitute for less than 50% of current oil prices.
Uniquely, our company can offer corporation, individuals, organisations and governments Carbon Dioxide
Removal (CDR) contracts that generate annual profits instead of costing money; i.e. we make it profitable to
reverse climate change.

Daniel-Alexander Schroth

SE4All Africa Hub Coordinator

African Development Bank, Cote dIvoire
d.schroth@afdb.org
Dr. Schroth is the coordinator of the Sustainable Energy for All (SE4All) Africa Hub hosted by the AfDB in the
Energy, Environment and Climate Change Department in partnership with the AU, NEPAD and UNDP. Daniel
also coordinates inter alia the Africa Climate Technology and Finance Centre project, the Banks engagement
in the EU-Africa Infrastructure Trust Fund and the Secretariat to the African Energy Leaders Group. Daniel
has extensive experience in energy policy. Prior to joining the AfDB, he worked for several years for the
European Commission in both headquarters and the field, for the European Bank for Reconstruction and
Development (EBRD) and in the private sector. Daniel holds a Ph.D. and Masters in International Relations
with a focus on international energy policy from the University of Cambridge, and business degrees from
Reims Management School and the European School of Business Reutlingen.

Douglas Arent

Executive Director, Joint Institute for Strategic Energy Analysis

National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), USA
Doug.Arent@nrel.gov
Doug Arent is Executive Director of the Joint Institute for Strategic Energy Analysis at the National
Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). Arent is Sr. Visiting Fellow at the Center forStrategic and
International Studies, serves on the American Academy of Arts and Sciences Steering Committee on Social
Science and the Alternative Energy Future, is a member of the National Research Council Committee to
Advise to U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP), is a Member of the Keystone Energy Board,
and is Associate Editor for the journal Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews. Arent is a member of
the International Advisory Board for the journal Energy Policy.
His research interests are centered in energy and sustainability, where he has been active for more than 30
years. Arent has a Ph.D. from Princeton University, an MBA from Regis University, and a bachelors of
science from Harvey Mudd College in California.

Gadi Hareli

Executive Chairman
World Wind Energy Conference WWEC2015, Israel
GadHareli@gmail.com
Gadi Hareli, Chairman of the Israeli Wind Energy Association, Executive Chairman of the World Wind Energy
Conference- WWEC2015, is an entrepreneur and expert in the development of wind and renewable energy
technologies, including wind turbines and wind energy related technologies. Mr. Hareli participated as
representative to the International Energy Agency IEA-Wind, The IEC Technical committee TC-88 for
wind energy technologies amongst others. Mr. Hareli is a lecturer on wind energy and other renewable
energy technologies, and inventor and leading the B100 initiative for 100% renewable energy and beyond.
Mr. Hareli is chairman of WINGO energy Ltd. Providing Wind energy and integrated powering solutions using
renewable energy.
Mr. Hareli is also the owner of Enter-Tech Cleantech Solutions, providing consultancy services and holdings
for innovative initiatives in the field of renewable energy.

Carel Snyman

Senior Manager
SANEDI, South Africa
carels@sanedi.org.za
Carels involvement in energy started in 1988, when he joined the National Energy Council (NEC) an
energy agency funding related research and assisting government with the developing of policy.
Here he was responsible for the alternative transport energy portfolio.
When the NEC closed their doors in 1992, Carel continued his career at Eskom where he was responsible
for the Electric Transport Programme.
Carel joined the South African National Energy Development Institute (SANEDI) in June 2013, where he is
currently responsible for Green Transport.

Jan van Ravenswaay

Energy Specialist
North-West University, South Africa
jvr@raventechcorp.com
Jan is an experienced mechanical engineer and program manager focusing on business and project
development and strategy in the energy and energy efficiency sectors as well as related technology
development, commercialisation and localisation.
He works closely with North-West University on new technology development projects such as hydrogen
production, thermal desalination, concentrating solar thermal energy for power and process heat
applications, energy storage and micro grids as well as liquid fuel energy efficiency applications.
He was part of the PBMR process heat team, consisting of representatives of various international
companies, performing techno-economic investigating and concept designs for process heat applications of
PBMR reactors that included hydrogen production, oil sands exploration and desalination.
He is the National Coordinator for South Africa of the SolarPACES (Solar Power And Chemical Energy
Systems) Task II (Solar Fuels) aiming to couple solar thermal energy and chemical processes to produce
liquid fuels, chemical and material commodities.

Johan van den Berg

CEO
SAWEA, South Africa
admin@sawea.co.za
Johan van den Berg is the CEO of the South African Wind Energy Association, the Chair of the South African
Renewable Energy Council and the African Private Sector Focal Point for the Africa-EU Energy Partnership.
A barrister, he has spent eighteen years in dispute resolution; environmental mediation; climate change
avoidance/emissions trading; and efforts to deploy renewable energy in Southern Africa. He is a member of
the Ministerial Advisory Committee on Energy and was awarded the 2015 Global Sustainable Leadership
Award by the World CSR congress in Mumbai, India.

Karn Breytenbach

Head of the IPP Office

IPP Office, South Africa
karen.breytenbach@ipp-projects.co.za
KARN BREYTENBACH was previously with the National Treasury, Public Private Partnership Unit and is
currently in the IPP Office, a partnership between the Department of Energy, National Treasury and the
Development Bank of Southern Africa. Karn has extensive experience in the procurement of large scale
infrastructure projects. As Head of the IPP Office, Karn has been instrumental in the procurement of the
internationally recognised Renewable Energy IPP Procurement Programme and is also heading the team
procuring the new coal base load and co-generation IPP Programmes. The IPP office is currently also
procuring a gas to power IPP programme, which will include, inter alia, natural gas, syngas and LNG.

Karen Surridge-Talbot

RECORD Centre Manager

SANEDI, South Africa
karenst@sanedi.org.za
Dr Surridge-Talbot was born in New Zealand and educated in South Africa. Coming from a background of
research and entrepreneurship, Dr Surridge-Talbot has worked extensively in the energy sector since 2003.
From November 2011 to present, Dr Surridge-Talbot was engaged as Centre Manager for the Renewable
Energy Centre of Research and Development (RECORD) at the South African National Energy Development
Institute (SANEDI). This centre is mandated, through the government act (National Energy Act 2008, no. 34)
that established SANEDI, to coordinate renewable energy research and development in South Africa. This
centre focusses on developing collaboration and co-ordination across the renewable energy sector, and
promoting knowledge sharing and skills development to service the growing South African renewable energy
community.

Kumi Naidoo

International Executive Director

Greenpeace International
kumi.naidoo@greenpeace.org

Dr. Naidoo is the Executive Director of Greenpeace International. In addition to leading the organisation to
critical campaign victories and augmenting its influence in international political negotiations, Naidoo has
been responsible for promoting considerable growth and activity by Greenpeace in the Global South. He has
also been influential in fostering further cooperation between Greenpeace and many diverse parts of civil
society in the fight to avert catastrophic climate change and promote environmental justice. Born in South
Africa, Naidoo became involved in the countrys liberation struggle at the age of 15. From 1998 to 2008,
Naidoo was the Secretary General of CIVICUS. Naidoo has also served as a board member of the
Association for Womens Rights in Development (AWID), the worlds largest gender justice network. In 2010,
Naidoo wrote Boiling Point: Can Citizen Action Save the World, which gestured towards the possibility of the
Arab Spring and the Occupy Movement.

Mark Tiepelt

MD
SABIA, South Africa
mark@biogassa.co.za
Mark Tiepelt is a qualified civil engineer with 25 years experience in construction, alternative building, and
sustainable energy technologies. Mark started BiogasSA in 2009, initially focusing on the smaller domestic
size digester of which over 100 has been installed in SA to date. Over the past four years BiogasSA has
however focused more on the commercial biogas sector and is currently commissioning a 400kW biogas
plant at an abattoir in Johannesburg. BiogasSA also held the first biogas workshop in SA in 2012, assisted in
organising the 2 National Biogas Conferences held in 2013 and 2015 with the Department of Energy.
BiogasSA also played an instrumental role in the establishment of the SA Biogas Industry Association
(SABIA). Mark was elected as the first chairman of SABIA and is currently serving his second term in this
position.

Mike Enskat

Head of Section for Energy, Water and Mobility

giz Deutsche Gesellschaft fr internationaole Zusammenarbeit, Germany
mike.enskat@giz.de
Dr. Mike Enskat is Head of Section for Energy, Water and Mobility (Global Programmes) at GIZ. In his
position, he provides overall leadership to GIZs global engagement in the field. He is closely associated with
various multilateral initiatives in infrastructure.
The multi-donor funded EUEI PDF (European Union Energy Initiative Partnership Dialogue Facility), for
which the Management Unit is provided by GIZ, was established in 2005 and is still operating under his
overall managerial responsibility.
In 2003-2004 Dr Enskat was a member of the Conference Secretariat for the International Renewable
Energy Conference held in Bonn in 2004. Out of this engagement emerged the International Renewable
Energy Policy Network for the 21st Century (REN21) and the IREC (International Renewable Energy
Conferences) series with follow-up conferences in Beijing, Washington, New Delhi, Abu Dhabi and Cape
Town.
Dr Enskat leads a team of 80 international professionals in the field of energy, water and mobility.

Martin Hiller

Director General
REEEP, Austria
martin.hiller@reeep.org
Martin Hiller has been Director General of REEEP since December 2011. He has over 20 years of
experience in environmental issues and sustainability, policy, specialised policy communications and
campaigns, and in-depth knowledge of climate change and energy policy. Under his leadership, REEEP has
sharpened its focus as a catalyst for up-scaling clean energy business models.
Prior to joining REEEP, Martin had a distinguished career with the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) where
he led campaigns and communications in the global climate and energy programme. Earlier, he established
the first EU-specific campaign operation for any environmental NGO in Brussels, developed WWFs
European communications operations, and created the first EU-specific policy campaigns. Until 2013, Martin
was also founding President of the Board of the Gold Standard Foundation, the worlds prime quality carbon
offset provider, and was until 2014 a member of the Board.

Cdric Philibert

Senior Analyst
International Energy Agency, France
cedric.philibert@iea.org
A former science journalist, Cdric Philibert, born in 1954, advised the French environment minister 1988
1990. In 1990 he published two books on climate change and on renewable energies. From 1992 to 1998 he
advised the CEO of the French Agency for the Environment and Energy Efficiency, then joined UNEP and, in
2000, the International Energy Agency
In charge of the evolution of climate policy, he co-authored the IEA books Beyond Kyoto (with J. Pershing,
2002) and Act Locally Trade Globally (with R. Baron, 2005). In April 2009 he moved into the renewable
energy division. He wrote and published the IEA publication Solar Energy Perspectives (2011), and the IEA
Technology Roadmaps on hydropower (2012), wind power (2013), solar thermal electricity (2014) and
photovoltaic energy (2014).
Qualified in political sciences, he studied economics and published numerous papers in peer-reviewed and
other journals.

Pradeep Monga

Director of Energy Branch

United Nations Industrial Development Organisation, Austria
p.monga@unido.org
An energy expert with over 30 years of working experience in the field of energy policy, strategic planning
and clean energy technologies, Dr. Pradeep Monga is presently working as Director of Energy Branch at
United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), Vienna.
His primary responsibility is to provide strategic policy advice to member states on sustainable energy and
industrial issues, and lead an inter-disciplinary team of energy experts, planners and networks of
international energy technology centres at UNIDO to promote technical cooperation projects and
partnerships in the field of energy efficiency, renewable energy and low carbon technologies in developing
countries and countries in transition.

Rainer Hinrichs-Rahlwes

Vice-President
European Renewable Energies Federation, Belgium
rainer.hinrichs@bee-ev.de

Rainer Hinrichs-Rahlwes is an experienced Renewable Energy expert. He is as a Vice-President of the

European Renewable Energies Federation, after being the federations president from 2010 to 2014. He also
was the President of the European Renewable Energy Council, the umbrella organisation of Renewables in
Europe, until it had to be dissolved. Rainer is also a Board Member of the German Renewable Energy
Federation.
From 1998 to 2005, he was a Director General in the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature
Conservation and Nuclear Safety, in charge of i.a. renewable energies and climate protection.

Richard M Taylor

Chief Executive
International Hydropower Association
rmt@hydropower.org
Richard M Taylor has been involved in the hydroelectric sector since 1985. He has served as the CEO of the
International Hydropower Association (IHA) in since 2001. His interests span energy, water, climate and
sustainability. He is graduate in earth science/water resources, with postgraduate studies in civil- and
environmental engineering and renewable energy, and is a Fellow of the Energy Institute (UK). He has
written and edited numerous technical papers and periodicals on water and energy, and has been engaged
in the work of the United Nations, the World Bank and various international water and energy agencies
throughout his career.

Rudy de la Cruz

Client Office Manager Hydro and Pumped Storage Schemes

Eskom, South Africa
DelacruR@eskom.co.za

Rudy is currently the Client Office Manager Hydro and Pumped Storage Schemes at Eskoms Peaking
Generation Unit in South Africa. He is a qualified engineering technologist and is currently completing his
MBA at the University of Stellenbosch. He has been a Project Management Professional (PMP) since 2006.
He worked in the construction industry for a number of years before moving to Eskom and working as a
project team member for Eskoms projects in Africa. He has been with Peaking Generation for the last 10
years, specialising in programme and project management and leading numerous projects in the hydro
environment. He is currently working on the Ingula Pumped Storage Scheme in Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa
a 1332MW new build station as the interface between the construction and the operating divisions.

Steve Sawyer

Secretary General
Global Wind Energy Council, Belgium
steve.sawyer@gwec.net
Steve Sawyer joined the Global Wind Energy Council as its first Secretary General in April 2007. The Global
Wind Energy Council represents the major wind energy associations as well as the major companies
involved in the global wind industry. See http://www.gwec.net
Steve has worked in the energy and environment field since 1978, with a particular focus on climate change
and renewable energy since 1988. He spent many years at Greenpeace, representing the organisation at
intergovernmental and industry fora primarily on energy and climate issues. At GWEC he is focussed on
intergovernmental organisations such as the UNFCCC, IPCC, IRENA, IEA, IFC and ADB; and with opening
up new markets for the industry in Latin America, Africa and Asia.
Steve is also a founding member of both REN21 and the IEAs Renewable Industry Advisory Board. He
advised the Chinese government on the formulation of its renewable energy legislation, as is as well an
expert reviewer for the IPCCs Working Group III.

Jose Angel Prez

Vice-President Spain & Africa Renewable Energy Consortium

Head of Gestamp Solar South Africa, South Africa
joseangel.perez@gestampren.com
Jose Angel Perez is the Head of Gestamp Solar South Africa since 2011 and the Vice-President of the Spain
& Africa Renewable Energy Consortium. The Consortium is a non-profit organisation that promotes the
Spanish Renewable Energy industry in Africa and Middle East and group the most of the main Spanish
companies in the sector. Jos Angel has been involved in the REIPPPP since the beginning and he has
been involved in two PV projects awarded in the Round 1 REIPPPP. He has experience in the development,
funding and managements of Solar PV Projects in South Africa. He has managed the development of
150MW in Greenfield projects in South Africa and he is pursuing development and investment opportunities
in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Prior to joining Gestamp Solar, Jose Angel was involved in the Energy and Oil&Gas industry as Strategic
Development Manager for a Spanish multinational. Jose Angel Perez holds an Executive MBA from the IE
Business School and a B.Sc. Degree in Economics from the Complutense University of Madrid.

Wolsey Otto Barnard

Acting Director-General
Department of Energy, South Africa
Dineo.moraile@energy.gov.za
Dr Barnard holds a PhD from the University of Pretoria. Prior to re-joining the Department of the Energy in
2011, he was an energy consultant for 10 years. He also served at the National Energy Regulator as
Executive Manager, following his position as Director for Electricity and Gas supply at the then Department
of Minerals and Energy. In his career he was a Senior Lecturer at the University of Pretoria for 11 years, as
well as holding a position as a Senior Researcher at the CSIR.
Currently he is the Acting Director-General for Department of Energy as from August 2014. In this capacity
he has to oversee the development of broad-based energy policies, legislations, and implementation
strategies, that are ranging from the Electricity Supply Industry maters, Renewable Energy IPP Programme,
new build IPPs, Energy efficiency, Demand side Management and Energy Switching, Access to Energy, Gas
policies and utilisation, Petroleum products including Bio Fuels and the Petroleum Fuels Industry, Nuclear
programme and all energy aspects that are currently under discussion related to South African energy
security

David Renne

President
International Solar Energy Society, USA
drenne@mac.com
Since 1991, Dr. Renn developed and managed programs on renewable energy resource assessment and
analysis, and the integration of resource data into GIS at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory
(NREL). He retired from NREL in 2012 and now holds an Emeritus position there. His consulting firm, Dave
Renne Renewables, provides support to both the public and private sector in planning and developing
domestic and international renewable energy programs.
Dr. Renne has been President of the International Solar Energy Society since 2010. He continues to serve
as an Associate Editor of the Solar Energy Journal in the field of solar resource assessment.
Dr. Renns other current professional activities include a Senior Consultant to Clean Power Research, a
small U.S. Company that develops resource assessment and analytical software tools to support large-scale
grid connected solar energy systems, and a Consultant to the World Banks Energy Sector Management
Assistance Programs (ESMAP)s Resource Mapping Project.

Jannie Retief

CEO
AIIM Group of Companies, South Africa
jannie.retief@cookhousewind.co.za
Dr. Jannie Retief was born in Pretoria (South Africa) in 1951 and has over 30 years of experience in start -up
companies and company turn-arounds in South Africa, the UK, Canada, the USA and Germany.
The previous 11 years he spent working in the energy sector, specialising in Renewable Energy since 2004.
Renewable energy experience relates to on-shore wind (5 projects), solar PV (5 projects), wave energy (1
project) and land fill gas (2 projects).
His areas of involvement and responsibility include strategy, due diligence and evaluation of projects. He was
actively involved in the development of potential wind and solar farms to fully permitted stage including
logistics, engineering, construction, commissioning, testing, operations and management.
He is a former Executive Board Member of the British Energy Association and also co-founder of a
Renewable Energy Company listed in London. Currently he works as CEO of AIIM Group of Companies,
managing Facility Operations, Finance and Community Operations of the Groups Renewable Facilities
(Wind and Solar).

Ina de Visser

Project Manager
RECP, EUEI PDF
neeltje.de-visser@euei-pdf.org

Ina de Visser leads the Africa-EU Renewable Energy Cooperation Programme (RECP) within the
Partnership Dialogue Facility of the EU Energy Initiative (EUEI PDF). She joined the EUEI PDF in 2011 and
took over responsibility for the RECP in 2014, leading the operationalisation and further strategic
development of the programme, aiming at market development for renewable energy in Africa.
Ina has been active in the energy sector, specifically in or related to Africa, for nearly ten years. Previous
working experience includes several private companies in the energy sector, both in Africa and Europe, as
well as the Energy and Climate unit of the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Ina is a Dutch national and holds
an MSc from Eindhoven University of Technology.

Stefan Gsaenger

Secretary General
World Wind Energy Association WWEA, Germany
sg@wwindea.org
Stefan Gsnger has managed the World Wind Energy Association since its foundation in 2001. Under his
direction, WWEA has become the voice of the wind sector worldwide, with members in more than 100
countries. WWEA attained Special Consultative Status at the UN.
Mr Gsnger is member of the managing committee of the International Renewable Energy Alliance, the
executive committee of the Global 100% Renewable Energies campaign and the international steering
committee of REN21. He is adviser to governments and international organisations.
Mr Gsnger co-chaired 14 World Wind Energy Conferences, and has been an invited speaker in 40
countries. He published numerous articles, is editor of the yearbook Wind Energy International, the WWEA
Quarterly Bulletin and the Small Wind World Report.
In 2011, Mr Gsnger received the International Community Power Award of the Ontario Sustainable Energy
Association.

Marietta Sander

Executive Director
International Geothermal Association (IGA)
Germany
IGA@hs-bochum.de
Marietta Sander is the Executive Director of the International Geothermal Association (IGA). In her function
for the IGA Marietta Sander manages the IGA headquarters, provides technical expertise on geothermal
energy and networking opportunities to practitioners, international organisations, civil society and others.
Prior to her work for the IGA Marietta Sander managed an international technical assistance project with a
focus on promoting the use of geothermal energy in countries along the East African rift system. She is a
certified Project Manager Renewable Energies and has extensive work experience in East and southern
Africa, Latin America and South-East Asia. Through her previous work in international development
cooperation she has extensive experience in advising decision-makers, government representatives,
scientists, industry representatives as well as civil society.

Sean Thomas

Chief Executive Officer

Bio2Watt, South Africa
sean@bio2watt.com
Sean Thomas, is the Chief Executive Officer of Bio2Watt a waste to energy company, he holds an
engineering degree in Fluid Mechanics and has held various positions in the energy sector over the last 15
years.
In 2007 he left the corporate sector to start Bio2Watt, which owns and developed the Bronkhorstspruit
Biogas Plant which is now the first commercial scale biogas plant in South Africa outside of the REIPPP, the
plant will be selling power privately to BMW SA in Rosslyn, Pretoria.
The Bronkhorstspruit Biogas Plant recently won both the 2015 SANEA (South African National Energy
Association) and CESA (Consulting Engineers of South Africa) Awards.
Based on the success of the Bronkhorstspruit Project, Sean via Bio2Watt is now replicating the model of
making use of organic waste and biomass to generate power and produce energy in other large South
African and African cities.