CONCURRENT SESSION
Solar Energy

Adam Heller [Chair]

Current position:

Research Professor, McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin

Country:

United States

Career history:

1988-to date
The University of Texas Austin; Simultaneous appointments at TheraSense, Abbott Diabetes Care, SynAgile. (Electrical wiring of enzymes and the FreeStyleTM glucose monitoring systems for diabetes management)
1975-1988
Bell Laboratories (Electrochemical power and hydrogen generating solar cell research; management of high density silicon chip interconnection research)
1964-1975
GTE Laboratories. (The lithium-thionyl chloride battery; neodymium liquid lasers)
United States National Medal of Technology and Innovation(2008)
Fellow of American Academy of Arts & Sciences(2009)

Areas of expertise:

Medical devices; batteries; photoelectrochemical cells

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Martin Green

Current position:

Scientia Professor, University of New South Wales
Fellow of Royal Society (London)
Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science

Country:

Australia

Career history:

1974-present
University of New South Wales, Sydney
(Also serves as Honorary President, Guodian New Energy Research Institute, Beijing)
Director of the Australian Centre for Advanced Photovoltaics (ACAP) ) supported by the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA)
SolarWorld Einstein Award (2007), World Technology Award for Energy (2004), Right Livelihood Award (2002) (also known as Alternative Nobel Prize), Australia Prize (2000).

Areas of expertise:

Photovoltaic conversion of solar energy (Developed the world’s highest efficiency silicon solar cells, thin-film, polycrystalline-silicon-on-glass solar cell)

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Atsuhiko Hirano

Current position:

President and CEO, Representative Director, Solar Frontier K.K.

Country:

Japan

Career history:

2014
Appointed as President & CEO of Solar Frontier
2009-2013
Joined Solar Frontier, most recently serving as Director, EO Vice President in charge of global sales and marketing. Also served as Managing EO of Showa Shell Sekiyu during this period.
2006
Became a Director of Showa Shell Sekiyu following multiple sales and marketing positions
1985
Joined Showa Shell Sekiyu

Areas of expertise:

Mr. Hirano has worked with Solar Frontier since the company’s start of commercial operations, playing an integral role in its growth from its initial 20 MW manufacturing plant to becoming the world’s largest CIS solar energy solutions provider.

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Paolo Martini

Current position:

Director, Business Development, Archimede Solar Energy (ASE) ,
a Joint Venture of Angelantoni Industrie (Italy) , Chiyoda Corporation (Japan) and FAL Holding (Saudi)

Country:

Italy

Career history:

2009- Present:
Director, Business Development, Archimede Solar Energy.
Board Member at Italian Solar Thermal Energy Association.
Member of Advisory Board to Italian Council for Eco-Innovation.

Prior to joining ASE, Mr. Martini was Director of Business Development to a leading global investment banking and finance engineering company that provides a wide range of financial services to the energy market. This involved playing a key role in developing strategy, securing partnerships and evaluating emerging renewables technologies.

Areas of expertise:

More than a decade of experience in utility-scale solar and other renewable energy power plants.

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Vaclav Smil

Current position:

Distinguished Professor Emeritus, University of Manitoba

Country:

Canada

Career history:

1976-2014
Author of 35 books on energy environment and technical advances
2013
Member of the Order of Canada
1996
Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada (Science Academy)
1972-2011
Distinguished Professor, University of Manitoba
1966-1969
Consultant in energy and environmental affairs (Czech Republic)

Areas of expertise:

Interdisciplinary research in energy, environmental and population change, food production and nutrition, technical innovation, risk assessment and public policy

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