In the first of three careers, Jeremy worked as a geologist with the oil industry, among other things researching oil source rocks funded by BP and Shell. Increasingly worried by global warming, he left to become an environmental campaigner with Greenpeace International (1989-1996). Coming to the view that successful green businesses were badly needed in the global fight to cut greenhouse-gas emissions, he set up Solarcentury, currently the UK's largest solar solutions company (1997-present). Solarcentury has won multiple awards for innovation and sustainability. It is the only renewable energy company in the Sunday Times 100 Best Small Companies to Work For list (2007).

Anton Milner is a native Englishman, nowadays better characterised as cosmopolitan. He is especially known for his career as co-founder and long-time CEO at the biggest European solar cell manufacturer Q-Cells. In the PV world he is highly acknowledged as a strong strategist and cool calculator. Now he is enthusiastic to be a first mover in the solar market of his home country. Vogt solar specialises in the development and realisation of photovoltaic (PV) power plants of every size: from site selection, to plant construction, and ongoing operational and maintenance support. The holding company vogt group is a pioneer of the established German photovoltaic (PV) industry with over 13 years experience in solar business.

Reza Shaybani has been managing private and public technology focused companies in the optical disc manufacturing equipment and semiconductor industries for the past 20 years. For the past 5 years Reza has been involved in the solar PV industry as founder and investor in a number of leading companies including, Scheuten Solar, Solar Technology Centre, Solarjobs.com, System Photonics, The Electric Roof Company and OTB Energy. In 2010, Reza and a group of companies with interest in the UK solar PV market formed the British Photovoltaic Association. As the voice of the industry, the BPVA is working to make solar PV a mainstream and significant energy source by expanding markets, removing market barriers, strengthening the industry and educating the public on the benefits of solar energy. Reza is currently the Chairman of the BPVA and Director General of International Renewable Energy Certification Organisation (IRECO).

Edwin Koot has been active in the Solar Energy business since 1994. Through his own companies Ekomation and Easysolar Edwin built up a lot of practical knowledge about the Dutch national situation and the international solar energy market.
With the foundation of his company Solarplaza in 2004, Edwin started building a broad information platform focused on the international solar energy market and the expansion of his large network of contacts and relations. By organizing international conferences and trade missions to production facilities; publishing in-depth market reports and supporting businesses in finding valuable contacts, Solarplaza has positioned itself as an important player in the PV industry.

Before joining the REA Ray Noble was the Associate Director of Building Engineering at Arup, developing Arup’s skills in BIPV until 1999. He then spent 7 years as the UK Manager of BP Solar developing and demonstrating BP Solar products on Buildings. During this time Ray formed a BP Solar / Romag Partnership to develop and manufacture BIPV products. He assisted in the creation of the NaREC PV Technology Laboratories in Northumberland and designed many of the large BIPV demonstration projects in both the UK and EuropeFrom 2006 onwards Ray set up Solar BIPV Ltd PV Consultancy providing technical support to customers in the use of BIPV.

 

Rachel leads work on Feed-in Tariffs within the Office for Renewable Deployment in DECC. The Office for Renewable Energy Deployment (ORED) has the job within Government of ensuring that it meets the targets for renewable energy. ORED works closely with delivery partners and stakeholders to help accelerate deployment. Prior to this she has worked in a variety of energy and environment roles within DECC and Defra, including taking the Climate Change Bill through Parliament, and has also spent a year on secondment to Tesco.

Thomas Chrometzka started his carreer as Programme Manager of the „European Master in Renewable Energy“ in Brussels in 2007. Later that year he changed to the German Solar Industry Association in Berlin where he took up this job as International Affairs Officer. At BSW-Solar, Thomas worked on European projects, solar policy analysis and global PV market development. In 2009, Thomas became Head of International Affairs at BSW-Solar, responsible for promoting the German Solar Industry abroad and contributing to creating favorable framework conditions for solar globally.

Ash Sharma is the Senior Research Director for IMS Research’s PV Research Group overseeing the entire group’s activities in this field and leading a team of analysts based in the UK, US and China. Ash has been involved in research for more than 10 years and joined IMS Research in 2004, being an active commentator on the industry since then. He was responsible for establishing IMS Research's PV Research Group in early 2006 and growing the team to 15 people currently. Whilst his initial expertise in PV was founded in the inverter market, by publishing the industry's first and leading intelligence report on this industry, he leads the group's efforts in researching every part of the PV supply chain. Ash is now a well-known speaker and industry expert within the PV field.

Bruce has spent many years devoted to innovating both finance and energy products and services. Clients have included egg, E.ON and Lloyds TSB. Realising they could only take his ideas so far, he directed his energy into creating Zopa. Now he is channelling that energy and insight into Abundance, enabling people to use their money to build a secure, sustainable UK. He is a Visiting Research Fellow at the Bauman Institute, Leeds University and a Fellow of the Finance Innovation Lab – a joint venture between WWF and the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales. Bruce is responsible for managing Abundance's brand and marketing team.

Bill has been leading the expansion of Sundog Energy Limited as an investor and MD since January 2011. He has extensive experience in energy and environmental business development and was a founder director of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, reinvigorating long overdue nuclear clean-up in the UK. Prior to that Bill was setting up and developing power projects for very low income communities in emerging markets funded by the UK Government. Bill trained as a Chartered Accountant with Ernst & Young and drives one of the world’s most utilised electric vehicles – solar powered of course!

After graduating as a theoretical physicist, Graham spent the first 12 years of his career with British Petroleum in London, Aberdeen and North America. He then four years in the Mars Group, where he gained skills in multi-national supply chain management that he later employed in diverse roles that included Director, Supply Chain for Australia’s largest dairy company, and Head of Foods – International for Marks and Spencer. In 2010 Graham introduced Solar PV and other renewable technologies while modernising and rebranding an ailing Insulation company in South Wales, before establishing So Gecko Ltd, where he is Managing Director and a passionate advocate of the widespread deployment of Solar PV.

Philip Wolfe has been involved in the sector since the 1970s when he became the first Chief Executive of BP Solar. He later established his own photovoltaics company Intersolar Group, which until 2002 was the sole UK manufacturer of photovoltaic cells. He was Director General of the Renewable Energy Association, when it led the campaign for the introduction of feed-in tariffs. A Cambridge engineering graduate, Philip is a non-executive Director of Westmill Solar Cooperative and Renewable Energy Assurance Ltd, serves on the advisory board of the Climate Bonds Initiative and provides advisory services through WolfeWare Limited. His book on utility-scale solar power projects is to be published by Routledge in October.

James Donaldson has been with Investec Bank for 11 years and for the past 6 years has focused on providing finance to the power and waste sectors. During this time James worked on deals all levels of the capital structure from equity to senior debt both in the UK and many of the major Eurozone countries. James and colleagues have closed deals in the wind, solar, biomass, waste to energy, conventional power, hydro power and landfill gas sectors. Some examples of deals James has closed during this time are the provision of €34m to a subsidiary of Acciona Energia for a biomass project, the provision of €40m of corporate debt for AES Solar and €40m of mezzanine debt for Airtricity. Prior to focusing on the power sector, James worked as an advisor to private consortiums bidding for large PPP / PFI projects in the schools, hospitals and transport sectors both at Investec and prior to that at European Capital.

Giovanni is an energy finance specialist with over 12 years banking, advisory and private equity experience and over 8 years experience in energy and renewable energies. Giovanni has participated in the financing of over EUR8 billion of energy transactions globally. Previous responsibilities include: Investment Director for Foresight Group, taking leading roles in the project financing of the solar energy portfolio for the Foresight European Solar Fund; Director, Energy Group at Fortis Bank with a significant focus on renewable energies including establishing the bank competence centre in solar energy. Previously he worked at KMPG UK, PwC and at Italian Energy Research Centre ENEA. Giovanni has served as President of the Board of Directors on two Italian solar energy companies.

Nicholas Boyle is the CEO of Lightsource Renewable Energy, a leading UK solar developer, with full service capability from project development through to operation and maintenance. The company's vision is to use proven solar technology to meet rising renewable energy demand and production targets with a fleet of power plants on roof tops and redundant ground space providing clean, renewable electricity to consumers. Lightsource provides a fully funded solution for landlords and tenants wishing to install PV systems on their properties to utilise the electricity produced and benefit from the UK Feed in Tariff.