Event Agenda
Day 1 -
8th July 2021
10.00 - 11.00
Opening Session
- Introduction & Moderation: José Donoso – Chairman, Global Solar Council
- Video message from Francesco La Camera – Director-General, International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA)
- Ulrike Lehr – Head of the Policy (Socioeconomics) Unit, International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA)
- Ajay Mathur – Director General, International Solar Alliance (ISA)
- Paolo Frankl – Head of Renewable Energy Division, International Energy Agency (IEA)
- Hans-Josef Fell – President, Energy Watch Group
11.00 - 12.00
Matchmaking - Part 1
12.00 - 13.15Session 1: Powering a bright future: how solar PV is making a green recovery a reality and enabling opportunities for sustainable development
Solar PV offers a unique opportunity to power a green recovery, accelerate decarbonization trajectories and enable much-needed progress towards the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Locally and globally - from single households and small businesses all the way up to industrial sectors – investing in solar brings benefits for People, Prosperity and the Planet thanks to a “ripple effect” that fans out to employment, health, gender equality and poverty alleviation, vital aspects for a just transition in developing countries. This is why solar power is a key technology for making sure no one is left behind in the global race to decarbonize – no one community, no single country or continent.
Moderation: Rodrigo Sauaia – Co-Chairman, GSC; Executive President, Brazilian Solar Photovoltaic Energy Association (ABSOLAR)
- Stephan Singer – Senior Climate Science and Global Energy Policy Advisor, Climate Action Network International (CAN)
- Sulaiman Shaari – Secretary-General, Asian Photovoltaic Industry Association (APVIA)
- Steve Blume – President, Smart Energy Council, Australia
- Jennifer McIntosh – Executive Secretary, International Solar Energy Society (ISES)
- Michele Governatori – Coordinator of the Scientific Committee of Worldwide Carbon Price
- (12.55 - 13.15)
Q&A
13.15 - 15.00
Matchmaking - Part 2
15.00 - 17.00
Session 2: Warp-speed solar: pricing, permitting and policies for a global decarbonization sprint
If solar is the cleanest and cheapest source of energy available at scale on the Earth today, we need to unleash a transformational effort to increase large-scale as well as distributed systems installations both in developed and developing countries, that most often have the best environmental conditions for solar PV deployment. What will it take to achieve a level playing field with fossil fuels? What are the best practices in terms of financing mechanisms? What’s the role of auctions? How can we re-think permitting processes and how can digitalization help in that? And how to find win-win solutions between PV and agriculture?
- (15.00 - 15.50)
Panel discussion: Policy measures to address barriers and increase large-scale as well as distributed systems installations both in developed and developing countries
- Moderation: Marcelo Alvarez – Secretary, GSC; President, Camara Argentina de Energia Renovable (CADER)
- Alejandro Labanda – Head of Regulation and Studies, UNEF
- Subrahmanyam Pulipaka – CEO, National Solar Energy Federation of India
- Alessandra Brioschi – Board Member, GSC; International Affairs, ItaliaSolare
- (15.50 - 16.35)
Panel discussion: Best practices in financing mechanisms and achieving a level playing field with fossil fuels
- Introduction & Moderation: Pol Lezcano – Solar Analyst, BloombergNEF
- Alessandro Boschi – Head of Renewable Energy Division, European Investment Bank
- Michelle Hallack – Energy Specialist, Energy Division Infrastructure and Energy Sector, Inter-American Development Bank (IADB)
- Jigar Bhatt – Senior Project Officer - Energy, Asian Development Bank (ADB)
- Antony Karembu – Principal Renewable Energy Specialist, African Development Bank
- (16.35 - 16.55)
Q&A
- (16.55 - 17.00)
Closing Remarks
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Day 2 - 9th July 2021
Abstract: The provision of higher energy independence and the possibility of implementing off-grid solutions are aspects that are particularly relevant in the sun-rich African context, where issues of access to power remain major challenges. Considering the large region’s potential, massive investments in solar energy are expected in the African continent in the coming years and this makes for a unique opportunity for the deployment of clean energy at all scales in a cost-effective manner. Solar power can also provide a critical assist for a more democratic development governance. This event will explore the current state of the solar market in Sub-Saharan Africa, including the competitiveness with fossil fuels and the related policy framework, and discuss the barriers that pose a challenge to its deployment, drawing on the experience GSC has gained on the subject through its Africa Task Force. Among the speakers, there will be numerous representatives of African associations, industries and institutions.
During the second day of the GSC Forum, matchmaking will be a key aspect to put into connection local stakeholders of the Sub-Saharan African context with international solution providers, industry associations and institutions and stimulate a high-level discourse on how to unlock the huge potential of solar PV in the African Continent, and especially in the Sub-Sharan region, fostering the origination of projects and the development of plans to direct the extensive solar investments upcoming to the Region. One-to-one matchmaking sessions will be open for the entire duration of the event potentially together with virtual booths where attendees can get in contact with solution providers, industry associations and institutions directly.
10.00 - 11.00
Opening Session
Solar power in Sub-Saharan Africa: main challenges and key opportunities for development
- Moderation: Gianni Chianetta – CEO, Global Solar Council
- Nopenyo Dabla – Programme Officer, Sub-Saharan Africa, International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA)
- Arthouros Zervos – President, REN21
- Bertha Dlamini – President, African Women in Electricity and Power
11.00 - 12.00
Matchmaking - Part 1
12.00 - 13.30
Session 1: Policy development for solar PV deployment in Sub-Saharan Africa
- (12.00 – 12.40)
Focus on remuneration schemes such as feed-in tariffs and net metering
- Presentations: Focus on remuneration schemes such as feed-in tariffs and net metering
- Eder Semendo – Sustainable Energy Expert, ECOWAS Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (ECREEE)
- Segun Adaju – President, REAN - Renewable Energy Association of Nigeria
- Silvia Piana – Head of Regulatory Affairs - Africa, Asia and Oceania, Enel Green Power
- Hadyr Koumakpai – GM Africa, JA Solar
- (12.40 – 13.30)
Panel discussion with the speakers - Moderated by Máté Heisz – Co-chairman, GSC; Director of Global Affairs, SolarPower Europe
13.30 - 15.00
Matchmaking - Part 2
15.00 - 17.00
Session 2: African country focus: regional cooperation and the role of the GSC Africa Task Force
- Moderation: Niveshen Govender, Board Director, GSC; Chief Operations Officer, South African Photovoltaic Industry Association (SAPVIA)
- (15.00 - 15.45)
Presentations: Off-grid solar energy for remote communities
- Amanda Soler – Project & Communications Officer, Alliance for Rural Electrification (ARE)
- Patrick Tonui – Head of Policy and Regional Strategy, GOGLA The Voice of the Off-Grid Solar Energy Industry
- Ilham Talab – Technical Advisor, GET.invest
- (15.45 – 16.50)
Panel discussion: Sub-Saharan Africa solar market outlook and country markets briefing - Isaiah D Nyakusendwa – Chairman, REAZ - Renewable Energy Association of Zimbabwe
- Ricardo Costa Pereira – President, AMER - Associação Moçambicana de Energias Renováveis
- Geoffrey Kaila – Chairman, SIAZ - Solar Industry Association of Zambia
- Allan Okello – UNREEEA - Uganda National Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency Alliance
- Enoch Agyepong – Director, REAG - Renewable Energy Association of Ghana
- Prosper Magali – Chairperson, TAREA - Tanzania Renewable Energy Association
- (16.50 - 17.00)
Closing Remarks
- Gianni Chianetta – CEO, Global Solar Council
