The speakers of Solar Energy Conference 2025

He earned his PhD in Applied Physics from the University of Milan, where he specialized in nanomaterials for energy applications.

From 2012 to 2022, he worked at the European Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC), specifically within the European Solar Test Installation (ESTI). In this role, he designed and conducted experiments to evaluate the performance of thin-film PV devices, ranging from single cells to large-area modules. His work focused on estimating long-term lifetime and degradation rates through accelerated stress tests, both in indoor and outdoor environments.

In October 2023, he joined TÜV Rheinland as a Global Manager in the PV sector. His responsibilities include ensuring the highest quality standards in PV module testing and inspection services, with a focus on updating and developing innovative measurement procedures.

Since 2023, he has been an official member of the IEC Technical Committee 82, actively contributing to the activities of Working Group 2.

Reinhard Bier has been with TÜV Rheinland for over 11 years, specializing in supply chain auditing. He began his career in sales, later taking on roles in project management for customer programs and strategic business development projects. Since 2021, he has been responsible for TÜV Rheinland's global supplier audit services.

Since then, Reinhard has focused extensively on legislative topics, including Germany's Supply Chain Act and the EU's Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD).

In addition to his expertise in supply chain auditing, he is a certified airline pilot, has over a decade of experience as a sales expert in the finance industry, and holds a degree in Business Administration with a focus on Marketing.

Felix Brombach, as an OT Security Specialist at TÜV Rheinland, supports his clients in implementing national and international cybersecurity regulatory requirements, such as the Cyber Resilience Act, NIS2, and industry-specific guidelines, as well as analyzing and developing information and cybersecurity management systems according to IEC 62443 and ISO 27001.

Andreas Fladung is a qualified electrical engineer and has been working in the PV industry since 1990, including project planning, installation of PV systems and O&M management.

Over the past 15 years, his work has focussed in particular on the inspection and evaluation of PV systems using visual images, thermography, electroluminescence and electrical measurements.

Since the founding of Aerial PV Inspection GmbH in 2017, he has been responsible for hardware development and measurement operations.

Daniel is a respected global marketing leader with 14+ years of expertise in brand development, international marketing strategy, and public relations. He has a proven track record of 450+ successful B2B marketing, communication, and event management projects across the USA, Europe, the Middle East, and Latin America, showcasing strong intercultural competence and innovative problem-solving. Well-connected in the global solar and energy storage industries, Daniel has facilitated expansions for numerous companies across all segments in specific regions.

Cosimo Gerardi is Chief Technology Officer of Enel Green Power 3SUN PV Gigafactory. He has about 30 years of experience in semiconductors and photovoltaic technologies. He has been a scientific researcher then he has served STMicroelectronics for 15 years as R&D manager in the field of CMOS and nanoelectronic technology. In 2011 he joined 3SUN/ENEL as Head of R&D. He leads the technology design and module development of the Gigafactory. He has more than 200 published works including patents and technical papers.

Stefan Goi works as Local Field Manager at TÜV Rheinland with focus on safety related automotive products as well as battery management systems for different domains.

He has more than 25 years of experience in the field of complex safety-relevant systems and was member of several standardization committees. Besides his Local Field Manager role, he is still involved in the operational business, implementing assessments, audits and trainings.

Ringo Koepge successfully studied materials science at the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg. Since 2010, he has been working as a scientist at Fraunhofer CSP, initially in the field of strength analysis of silicon wafers, later in AI-based data evaluation for process optimization. Since January 2022, he has been in charge of module production for PV prototypes and semi-finished products, focusing on ECA compounds, sustainable materials and PV activation of building facades.

Philipp Laufs studied mechanical engineering in his bachelor's and master's degree. In his master's degree, he specialized in product development. He wrote his Master's thesis in March 2022 at TÜV Rheinland in the Solar & Commercial department about the communication between EV and EVSE. Afterwards, he started as an expert in photovoltaic components at TÜV Rheinland. PV components include PV cables, PV connectors, PV junction boxes, PV string fuses and PV Backsheets. He also works on charging infrastructure topics, in particular charging plugs and sockets (CCS2 / CCS1).

Hamza Maaroufi, an experienced electrical engineer, coordinates the power plant team at TÜV Rheinland Solar GmbH. With eight years of dedicated service to the company, his journey began with the characterization of PV modules and the investigation of degradation mechanisms. Over time, he evolved within the company and deepened his expertise in the field of power plants, delving deep into the analysis of PV power plants and investigating the instances of degradation.

Florian Meyer-Delpho is an accomplished entrepreneur and expert in the field of renewable energy. He lives in Cologne, as a father of three, and has founded several successful companies, including Installion, a digital B2B installation company specializing in the construction and project management of photovoltaic systems, wall boxes, and storage solutions. In 2023, Installion was acquired by the Hamburg-based energy provider Lichtblick SE.

Before founding Installion, Florian co-founded pvXchange, the world’s largest online B2B marketplace for photovoltaic components. He also founded Greenergetic GmbH, which was sold to Innogy SE in 2019. With his extensive experience and network among the industry, he acts as an active early-stage investor in energy startups.

Florian’s personal ambition is to transform Cologne into a leading hub for European energy startups, fostering innovation and progress in the renewable energy sector.

Fabian Neu grew up on a family farm, gaining deep knowledge of farming practices and crop rotations. After earning a university degree in Agricultural Science and Economics from Bonn and Göttingen, he completed an internship in Australia on a large-scale farm. He worked at the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture for over two years on innovation and digitalization. Active in Agri-PV for 4+ years, he joined RWE Renewables in 2023 as Senior Expert for Agri-PV, supporting global market development and effectively capitalizes on the synergies between the agricultural and energy industries.

Michael Öttinger specializes in all areas of product-related environmental law. This includes the regulation of electrical and electronic equipment, batteries, packaging and end-of-life vehicles. His advice also focuses on the rapidly increasing sustainability requirements, for example through the EU Battery Regulation and the EU Packaging Regulation. Another focus of his advice is on national and European requirements for human rights and environmental due diligence in the supply chain.

Ian is CEO of MCS, a profit for purpose organisation operating at the heart of the UK’s adoption of renewable energy sources for our homes and small businesses. MCS is responsible for the national Standards that cover low carbon products and their installation, used to produce electricity and heat from renewable sources. Ian is leading MCS through a period of transformational change as the organisation strives to inspire a next generation of home-grown energy, fit for the needs of every UK home and community.

He started his career in telecommunications with British Telecom (BT), culminating in leading BT’s offshore operations in India. Over the last 15 years he has held leadership roles focused on organisational turnaround and restructuring, including for the UK Environment Agency’s National Laboratory Service and for the Canadian Standards Association’s UK operations as a world leader in explosion safety and environmental product certification. His career underpins his passion for quality and the role that standards play in protecting consumers.

Ian is a member of the UK government’s Green Jobs Delivery Group, Solar Industry Taskforce and the Electrification of Heat Taskforce.

Thomas Timke has been working in the field of Li-ion batteries since 2007, first for cell manufacturers and then at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology. He has been a Senior Battery Expert at SOLARWATT since 2016. From the very beginning, one of his main focuses was on placing safe lithium-ion batteries on the market, including documentation and testing. He has contributed to key standards such as IEC 62619, heads the DKE working groups for the upcoming EU battery regulation and for the VDE application rule VDE-AR-E 2510-50 (Static energy storage systems with Li batteries - safety requirements) and is a member of international committees (including CLC TC 21x).

After completing his degree, Guido Volberg worked for TÜV Rheinland as an expert and certifier for more than 25 years. Through his active participation in national and international committees, particularly in the field of photovoltaics, he was involved in and also responsible for the creation of various standards. In 2017, Guido received the IEC 1906 Award for his standardization work. He has been continuing his successful standardization work at Stäubli Electrical Connectors AG since 2020.

Büşra Yılmaz is the Chief Technology Officer at Kameleon Solar, the Netherlands' oldest PV manufacturer focused on building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV). With a background in chemical engineering and sustainable energetics, she began her career in microalgal energy technologies, later moving into BIPV solutions. Since 2017, she has worked to enhance the aesthetics and design of BIPV products in the building sector.

At Kameleon Solar, her role involves developing aesthetic BIPV solutions, managing supply chains, overseeing certifications, and optimizing production. An advocate for aesthetic photovoltaic technology, she promotes urban renewable solutions, collaborates with industry and research, and supports policymakers in advancing BIPV standards.