Major European Markets: What's Needed to Create the Next Solar Momentum in Europe

Vegard Vollset is Vice President and is leading the EMEA part of Rystad Energy's Renewable & Power Research team, with more than a decade of experience working within the energy industry. He has broad experience in energy modeling, M&A, and strategy work, and has worked closely with clients spanning the entire energy sector, from renewable energy companies and service companies to governmental organizations, investors, and NGOs. Prior to joining Rystad Energy, Vegard worked in Engie, Total Energies, and Equinor. He holds an MSc degree from the Norwegian University of Science & Technology (NTNU) in Trondheim and an MSc degree from the University of Stavanger.

Wijnand van Hooff is Managing Director of Holland Solar, the industry association of the solar energy sector in the Netherlands. Wijnand has more than 20 years of experience in the European solar energy sector including the management of (collaborative) EU technology development projects, the coordination of solar energy related public-private innovation programs in the Netherlands, and representing all organizations that are professionally active in the solar energy sector in the Netherlands.

Electrical engineer. Founder and current President of ITALIA SOLARE association, the main Italian PV association with more than 800 members. A pioneer of photovoltaics since the early 1990s, in 2001 he founded Enerpoint, one of the leading companies in the sector active in asset management, projects development, distribution and EPC.

José Donoso is an economist and has been linked to the renewable energy sector for more than 30 years. Currently he is CEO of the Spanish Photovoltaic Union (UNEF), an association that brings together more than 800 companies of the sector in Spain. He is also President of the Spanish Photovoltaic R&D Platform (Fotoplat) and member of the Advisory Council of the Electricity Market Organization (OMEL). Internationally, he is a member of the Board of Directors of the Global Solar Council (GSC), the global photovoltaic energy association; representative of national and European associations on the SolarPower Europe Board (SPE) and member of Task 1 of the International Energy Agency (IEA).

Josefin Berg, associate director in the Clean Energy Technology group at S&P Global Commodity Insights, analyzes the trends and strategies in the downstream photovoltaic (PV) market. Her focus areas include PV demand and forecasts, company strategies (developers and engineering, procurement and construction providers), mergers and acquisitions, costs and the integration of PV in the power generation mix. She has been following the ever-changing PV market since 2010, starting with Europe and now leading a team of analysts around the world. Berg authors reports on PV markets and trends, and she regularly speaks at industry events. She holds a Master of Science in environmental engineering from Uppsala University, Sweden. She speaks English, French, Spanish and Swedish and is based in Barcelona, Spain.

Miguel Lopes is global Sr. Asset Leader for BTM Solar and batteries in McKinsey. He has counseled utilities, pure solar behind-the-meter players, IPPs, distributors and private capital in the space across the world. He has supported clients develop their go-to-market strategies, building businesses from scratch or Hyperscaling and implementing operational excellence in established players. He is responsible for McKinsey's BTM solar and batteries forecasts, as well for several operational excellence assets.

Molly Morgan is a Senior Research Analyst of the solar PV sector at CRU. Her areas of focus include tracking and forecasting evolution in solar module efficiency and architecture. She also undertakes analysis of solar manufacturing capacity, production, and financial data which - alongside end demand through installations forecasting - forms the basis of CRU's coverage of the solar market.

Xavier Daval holds a Master's Degree in Electronics, Electrotechnics, and Automatism from the University of Lyon. As the Founder of KiloWattsol, he established France's first Solar Technical Advisory firm in 2007, specializing in all technical aspects of the solar value chain from manufacturing to development and finance of PV projects. Prior to this, Xavier served as Director for a NY Stock Listed Company, overseeing EMEA for the supply of tools for the electronic industry. Xavier Daval is not only a seasoned professional but also actively contributes to academia. He serves as an Associate Teacher at Lyon-1 University and ENTPE Engineering School, sharing his wealth of knowledge in electronic engineering. Furthermore, he is a Guest Lecturer for Entrepreneurship at EM-Lyon, one of Europe's top 10 business schools. His commitment to advancing the global solar industry is underscored by a proven track record of leadership and innovation. Beyond his entrepreneurial ventures, Xavier holds influential positions in the renewable energy sector. He is recognized as one of the leading voices of Solar in France, regularly delivering keynote speeches that shape industry perspectives. Frequently quoted by the press, Xavier provides insightful commentary on solar technology, industry trends, and policy developments.