Solarplaza Summit Agri-PV Europe

The Industry Advisory Board empowering the event

The combined wealth of knowledge, years of experience, and high-level network of our expert advisory board members help shape our program and enhance our event. Featuring top developers, policymakers, researchers, innovators and farmers, our board represents the myriad of stakeholders that must collaborate in order to scale up Agri-PV.

Emilien Simonot

Head of Agrivoltaics, Europe

Lightsource bp

With a degree in forestry engineering, Emilien has over 15 years of experience in climate-tech and renewables industries. He has been active in the field of agrivoltaics since 2015, he has contributed to bringing several sites to operation as well as collaborating on entrepreneurial projects across Europe, LATAM y APAC. Emilien joined Lightsource bp in 2023 as Head of Agrivoltaics EMEA and leads the activities of the company to further progress the integration of agricultural initiatives alongside energy production.

James MacDonald

Global Coordinator of Agri-PV innovation

ENGIE

Since 2021, James coordinates global agrivoltaics innovation and projects for the ENGIE group via their R&D&I center Laborelec in Belgium. Interacting with project developers, farmers, engineers, equipment manufacturers, public authorities, civil associations, researchers, and other stakeholders in multiple languages, James assists ENGIE’s various teams develop national + regional strategies while steering agri-PV projects from early development to operations. James has worked in the PV and agri industries on 3 continents since 2005. In 2023, he completed a PhD on agrivoltaics + ecovoltaics at the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, building on prior postgrad studies in renewables grid integration, controlled environment agriculture, as well as a graduate diploma in linguistics.

Theresa Kärtner

Policy Advisor Renewable Energy and Social Policy

Deutscher Bauernverband E.V.

David Lecoufle

Farmer

Ecolieu Lacampagne

An environmental Engineer, David Lecoufle spent 20 years as project manager to plan and implement PV and Hybrid Power plants in Sub Saharan Africa. In 2021, David converted to being a farmer in organic Agroforestry on a 12ha farm in Southwest France. Since that time, David also develops AgriPV systems from a farmer perspective both for continental Europe and Sub Saharan Africa. David is convinced that AgriPV is a real solution to bring a number of benefits to agriculture in particular with respect to climate change.

Matthew Berwind

Team Leader PV System Simulations PV Power Plants

Fraunhofer

Since 2020, Dr. Matthew Berwind has been a scientist at the Fraunhofer ISE leading public and private projects in the Agrivoltaics and Solar Power Plants groups as the subject manager for photovoltaic simulations. His thematic focal points at the Fraunhofer ISE are the maximization of dual-yield in tracked agrivoltaic systems, leading two public projects in this direction, as well as the digitalization of and data analytics for integrated PV power plants.

Antanas Karbauskas

Policy Officer

European Commission

Antanas is a policy officer at the European Commission, DG AGRI, the unit responsible for economic sustainability of the EU CAP (Common Agricultural Policy). He holds a master’s degree in agricultural economics and policy from Wageningen University, the Netherlands. He has 6 years’ experience working on the implementation of the CAP at National level and 6 years – in developing the policy at the European level. His expertise covers the eligibility conditions for farmers to receive CAP income support, among which for the agricultural areas with Agri-PVs.

Program Overview

Session 1

Market Growth and Regulatory Overview

Session 2

Bridging the Gap – From Innovation to Implementation

Session 3

Meaningful Collaboration: Leading European Agri-PV Projects

Session 4

Growing a Shared Future – Building a Resilient Food System

Speakers

Even Kvelland

Co-founder and COO

Even Kvelland

Co-founder and COO

Glint Solar

Even Kvelland is the co-founder and COO of Glint Solar, a Norwegian software company whose platform helps leading solar developers quickly identify and analyze greenfield solar projects for both ground and floating PV. Prior to Glint, Even worked in a number of energy-related functions spanning consulting, business intelligence and diplomacy in Europe, Africa and the US. Even studied energy, economics and international affairs at Macalester College and Columbia University, respectively.

Emilien Simonot

Head of Agrivoltaics, Europe

Emilien Simonot

Head of Agrivoltaics, Europe

Lightsource bp

Theresa Kärtner

Policy Advisor Renewable Energy and Social Policy

Theresa Kärtner

Policy Advisor Renewable Energy and Social Policy

Deutscher Bauernverband E.V.

David Lecoufle

Farmer

David Lecoufle

Farmer

Ecolieu Lacampagne

James MacDonald

Global Coordinator of Agri-PV innovation

James MacDonald

Global Coordinator of Agri-PV innovation

ENGIE

Paz Díaz Bauluz

Partner

Paz Díaz Bauluz

Partner

Demeter Investment Managers

Paz Díaz Bauluz is a Partner in the infrastructure team at Demeter Investment Managers, which she joined in April 2024. She brings over 14 years of international experience across the energy and infrastructure sectors, spanning investment, development, and procurement. She began her career at Acciona as a Procurement Manager before transitioning to project finance, holding roles at IDB Invest and IFC (World Bank Group), where she focused on infrastructure and energy investments across Latin America and other emerging markets. In 2020, she joined Matrix Renewables, a renewable energy investment platform backed by global alternative asset manager TPG. Paz holds the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation and earned an MBA from IE Business School. She also holds a Master’s degree in Engineering in the Management and Treatment of Water, Soil, and Waste from AgroParisTech, and a Master’s in Industrial Engineering from ICAI – Comillas Pontifical University.