Solarplaza Summit | Net-Zero Buildings

Paolo Bertoldi is a senior expert in sustainable energy, climate change and energy efficiency at the European Commission. Some of his key areas of expertise include Energy Service Companies, market-based instruments, governance, environmental leadership, and ICT energy consumption. Experienced Editor-in-chief with a demonstrated history of working in the international affairs industry. Bertoldi is also skilled in sustainable energy, Corporate Social Responsibility, International Relations, and data centre, and is in charge of policy analysis for energy efficiency at the European Commission where he has served as Energy Efficiency Expert and Senior Expert for a total of 26 years. He has an engineering degree focused on energy systems and electrical systems from the University of Padova, Italy.

Electromechanical Engineer from the Université Libre de Bruxelles in Belgium, Gaëtan Masson is the Director and co-founder of the Becquerel Institute. After over 10 years in the financial and IT sectors, he moved to the PV industry and developed the Business Intelligence section of EPIA, the European PV Industry Association (now SolarPower Europe). Since 2013, he is acting as Operating Agent of the Task 1 of the PV Programme of the International Energy Agency (IEA PVPS). He is a recognized expert in PV market and industry development, offering strategy consultancy for energy giants, PV companies and organisations. He is an experienced speaker with more 200 participations in conferences on all continents. He is co-chairman of the European Solar Manufacturing Council and the vice-Chairman of the European PV technology & Innovation Platform.

Dr. Pierluigi is a seasoned expert in Building Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV) with over 15 years of experience in research, education, and project management. Currently, he leads the Innovative Envelope/BIPV Team at the University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland (SUPSI). Holding an M.Sc.Eng. and Ph.D. in Building Engineering/Architecture, Dr. Pierluigi combines technical expertise with a deep passion for the intersection of technological innovation, energy, and architectural quality. He has been an integral part of the Swiss BIPV Research team at SUPSI for nearly a decade, spearheading R&D initiatives, pilot constructions, and sensitization projects on solar architecture both within Switzerland and internationally. Dr. Pierluigi’s career includes contributions to over 100 published papers on BIPV and related topics, leadership roles in innovation projects, and active involvement in international standardization committees such as CENELEC and IEC. As a member of Task 15 IEA-PVPS and other expert groups, he plays a pivotal role in advancing solar architecture research and education globally. Beyond academia, Dr. Pierluigi has a strong professional background as an architect and project manager, with notable projects. His dedication to multidisciplinary collaboration has led to innovative developments in solar architecture and advanced training initiatives. He’s co-founder of Sun Appeal, an innovation unit for strategy consulting. With a proven track record in competitive research and innovation management, Dr. Pierluigi continues to drive progress in BIPV technologies and sustainable building practices, bridging the gap between engineering, architecture, and energy solutions.

Angèle Reinders is a full professor of 'Design of Sustainable Energy Systems' at the Department of Mechanical Engineering in Eindhoven University of Technology. She aims at an optimal use and integration of sustainable energy technologies in products, buildings and local infrastructures. In this design-driven research theme improved designs of sustainable energy systems are explored and also developed by means of simulation, prototyping and testing. A strong interest exists in optimized applications of solar energy technologies in the context of buildings and mobility and affiliated energy technologies that support storage, enhanced user interactions and flexibility of sustainable energy.

Paul de Ruiter is a Dutch architect and entrepreneur known for his belief that buildings should produce energy rather than consume it. In 1994, he founded Paul de Ruiter Architects in Amsterdam and gradually became an established voice in the national and international sustainability discourse. With his firm, Paul is deeply involved in BREEAM, and since 2017 he has been a member of the executive board of the Dutch Green Building Council. His architecture combines technical energy efficiency with human values such as happiness and inspiration, in order to create intelligent and sustainable buildings.

Dr. Bruno Bueno has been a scientist at Fraunhofer ISE since 2012, where he leads national and international research projects in energy-efficient buildings as the Subject Manager and Group Leader for Solar Building Envelopes. Before joining Fraunhofer ISE, Dr. Bueno completed a PhD at MIT, specializing in Architectural and Building Sciences/Technology, further cementing his expertise at the intersection of architecture and sustainable energy solutions. His work focuses on facade technologies, especially in the area of Building-Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV)

Philip is a self-taught engineer with a background in business strategy. Originally from New York City, Philip came to the Netherlands in 2012 to pursue an entrepreneurial expedition focused on sustainable development. Philip is one of the co-founders and a board member of Metabolic, an organization which works with governments, NGOs, and corporations to tackle complex sustainability challenges. While working with Metabolic, Philip was responsible for the realization of projects like De Ceuvel - an office community which has become a globally visible showcase for the circular economy. In 2015, Philip founded Metabolic’s first commercial spin-off: Spectral, a system integration and smart energy services company based in Amsterdam. After two years of rapid development, Spectral is now preparing to scale up and to take the next steps on its mission to accelerate the transition towards 100% renewable, clean energy supply.

Sander Hoek has over 25 years of experience in operations, IT and program management and believe that the best solutions should be simple and effective. As CTO of Madaster, he focuses on developing a platform that supports circular construction and minimizing environmental impact in the construction sector with the right tools and insights. With a background in IT consulting, government and real estate, Sander is used to converting complex issues into clear, practical solutions. His approach combines strategic thinking with hands-on problem solving to create technology that truly makes an impact.

Paul is a specialist in the energy transition for buildings and industrial estates, with a passion for sustainable energy generation, smart energy sharing, and innovative business models. He is the provider of BIPV Click-&-Go mounting technology for Energy-Plus and Nearly Zero Energy (BENG) buildings through the BIPV.world online platform. Paul is also the initiator of the Solar Valley Collective, a group of property owners dedicated to advancing solar energy. Solar Valley is the largest regional collective for certified rooftop solar energy production, significantly contributing to the Regional Energy Transition Strategy (RES) in the Brabant region.

Kevin Verpaalen has been with Kameleon Solar since 2015 and played a key role in the transformation of the company by introducing color to the product line. This shifted the focus entirely to customized, colored Building-Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV) solutions, making Kameleon Solar a leading player in aesthetic solar energy integration. Since his appointment as CEO in 2022, Kevin has further accelerated the innovation and growth of the company, including the recent acquisition of Solar Visuals. Recently, Kameleon Solar expanded its mission: in addition to beautifying solar panels on the outside, the company is now committed to a more responsible use of materials. By reducing the ecological footprint and sourcing materials exclusively from ethically responsible sources, Kameleon Solar is working towards a more beautiful and sustainable future for solar energy. In addition to his work at Kameleon Solar, Kevin is a board member at BIPV Nederland, where he focuses on communication and raising awareness around BIPV. He played an important role in setting up the first BIPV Award, an initiative to reward and stimulate innovation and excellence within the sector. With his broad expertise in sustainable architecture, aesthetic solar energy solutions , printing and circular design, Kevin contributes as an advisor to the Solarplaza Summit Net-Zero Buildings.

Dee Yon Chng (pronounced Dion) is a project manager for Solarplaza spearheading the following events in chronological order: Agri-PV 2023, Floating-PV 2023, Energy Storage Spain 2023, Romania 2024, France 2024. Prior to Solarplaza she helped co-found a "floating" coaching company, and worked as sustainability consultant. She is a strong believer in knowledge sharing around sustainability topics, with 10 years of chairman experience in facilitating a collaborative and fruitful discussion.