GSC VIRTUAL FORUM 2021
Powering a bright future
with Solar PV
No one left behind in the global race to decarbonize: a focus on Africa
The Global Solar Council Virtual Forum is a two-day online event showcasing the enormous potential of solar power to bring about a clean, fair and sustainable future and enable quality employment in all regions of the world, from cities to rural communities.
Through a series of thematic and matchmaking sessions, International institutions, industry associations and other stakeholders of the solar sector cooperate to analyze the integrated actions needed to take up solar PV’s unique opportunity to power a green recovery, accelerate decarbonization trajectories and enable progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals.
The event has a special focus on Sub-Saharan Africa and the role solar power can play in addressing the issue of access to power, deploying clean energy at all scales, and providing a critical assist for more democratic development governance. This session is organised in cooperation with SolarPower Europe, and supported by GET.invest, a European programme which mobilises investments in decentralised renewable energy, supported by the European Union, Germany, Sweden, the Netherlands, and Austria.
Recorded GSC Virtual Forum videos
Here you can watch again the GSC Virtual Forum
DAY 1
Opening Session
Session ONE
Session TWO
DAY 2
Opening Session
Session ONE
Session TWO
Draft Agenda
All times are Central European Time - CET
DAY 1
10:00
AM
CEST
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
AM
CEST
MATCHMAKING SESSION
The matchmaking session is a quick and easy way to meet potential cooperation partners. 10 minutes run fast, but they are enough to build first connections before the meeting ends and the next talk starts.
SESSION ONE
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.
Moderated by Rodrigo Sauaia – Co-Chairman, GSC; Executive President, Brazilian Solar Photovoltaic Energy Association (ABSOLAR)
12:00
PM
CEST
Panel discussion: Political action towards 100% renewable energy and climate protection
• 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
PM
CEST
Q&A Session
1:15
PM
CEST
MATCHMAKING SESSION
The matchmaking session is a quick and easy way to meet potential cooperation partners. 10 minutes run fast, but they are enough to build first connections before the meeting ends and the next talk starts.
SESSION TWO
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?
3:00
PM
CEST
Panel discussion: Policy measures to address barriers and increase large-scale as well as distributed systems installations both in developed and developing countries
Moderator: 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
3:50
PM
CEST
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 Arvindbhai, Project Officer (Energy), Asian Development Bank (ADB)
• Antony Karembu – Principal Renewable Energy Specialist, African Development Bank
4:35
PM
CEST
Q&A Session
4:55
PM
CEST
Closing remarks
DAY 2
with support of 
10:00
AM
CEST
OPENING SESSION
Solar power in Sub-Saharan Africa: main challenges and key opportunities for development
Moderated by 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
AM
CEST
MATCHMAKING SESSION
The matchmaking session is a quick and easy way to meet potential cooperation partners. 10 minutes run fast, but they are enough to build first connections before the meeting ends and the next talk starts.
SESSION ONE
Policy development for solar PV deployment in Sub-Saharan Africa
12:00
PM
CEST
Presentations: Focus on remuneration schemes such as feed-in tariffs and net metering (speech)
Moderated by Máté Heisz – Co-chairman, GSC; Director of Global Affairs, SolarPower Europe
• Eder Semedo, 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
PM
CEST
Panel discussion with the speakers
1:30
PM
CEST
MATCHMAKING SESSION
The matchmaking session is a quick and easy way to meet potential cooperation partners. 10 minutes run fast, but they are enough to build first connections before the meeting ends and the next talk starts.
SESSION TWO
African country focus: regional cooperation and the role of the GSC Africa Task Force
Moderated by Niveshen Govender, Board Director, GSC; Chief Operations Officer, South African Photovoltaic Industry Association (SAPVIA)
3:00
PM
CEST
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
3:45
PM
CEST
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
4:50
PM
CEST
Final remarks and closing
• Gianni Chianetta – CEO, Global Solar Council
Meet the speakers
Click on the photo to see the bio and the presentations
Amanda Soler
Project & Communications Officer at the Alliance for Rural Electrification (ARE)
Hans-Josef Fell
President of the Energy Watch Group
Jose Donoso
Chairman of Global Solar Council and Director General of UNEF
Máté Heisz
Co-chairman, GSC; Director of Global Affairs, SolarPower Europe
Gianni Chianetta
CEO, Global Solar Council
Alejandro Labanda
Head of Regulation and Studies at UNEF, the Spanish PV Association
Eder Semedo
Sustainable Energy Expert, ECOWAS Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (ECREEE)
Bertha Dlamini
President of African Women in Energy and Power
Prosper Magali
Chairperson, TAREA – Tanzania Renewable Energy Association
Stephan Singer
Senior Climate Science and Global Energy Policy Advisor, Climate Action Network International (CAN)
Subrahmanyam Pulipaka
Chief Executive Officer of the National Solar Energy Federation of India
Alessandra Brioschi
Coordinator of the International working group and member of the BoD of Italia Solare
Nopenyo Dabla
Programme Officer, Sub-Saharan Africa, International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA)
Patrick Tonui
Head of Policy and Regional Strategy, GOGLA
Ricardo Costa Pereira
President, AMER – Associação Moçambicana de Energias Renováveis
Enoch Agyepong
Director, REAG – Renewable Energy Association of Ghana
Rodrigo Sauaia
Executive President, Brazilian Solar Photovoltaic Energy Association (ABSOLAR)
Paolo Frankl
Head of the Renewable Energy Division, International Energy Agency (IEA)
Ulrike Lehr
Head of the Policy Unit of International Renewable Energy Agency – IRENA
Geoffrey Kaila
Chairman of SIAZ – Solar Industry Association of Zambia
Silvia Piana
Head of Regulatory Affairs for the Africa, Asia and Oceania Area – Enel Green Power
Niveshen Govender
Chief Operations Officer, South African Photovoltaic Industry Association (SAPVIA)
Ajay Mathur
Director General of the International Solar Alliance
Alessandro Boschi
Head of Renewable Energy Division, European Investment Bank
Hadyr Koumakpai
General Manager Africa for JA Solar
Segun Adaju
President of REAN – Renewable Energy Association of Nigeria
Steve Blume
President, Smart Energy Council
Ilham Talab
Technical Advisor at GET.invest
Isaiah D Nyakusendwa
Chairman, REAZ – Renewable Energy Association of Zimbabwe
Francesco La Camera
Director-General of International Renewable Energy Agency IRENA
Antony Karembu
Principal Renewable Energy Specialist, African Development Bank
Sulaiman Shaari
Secretary-General, Asian Photovoltaic Industry Association (APVIA)
Arthouros Zervos
President of REN21
Allan Okello
Business Lead at Tukole Uganda
Jennifer McIntosh
Executive Secretary, International Solar Energy Society (ISES)
Michelle Hallack
Energy Specialist, Energy Division Infrastructure and Energy Sector, Inter-American Development Bank (IADB)
Pol Lezcano
Solar Analyst, BloombergNEF
Jigar Arvindbhai
Project Officer (Energy), Asian Development Bank (ADB)
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Supported by
Media partners
Networking and sponsorship opportunities
The event will be hosted within the B2match events platform.
See separate presentation for sponsorship opportunities.