Speakers 2018

ACEF 2018 speakers represent a wide range of stakeholders and practitioners from the global clean energy arena.

CEO, Saral Urja Nepal

Kazuo

Aashish Chalise is the CEO of Saral Urja Nepal, an energy services company. He brings extensive experience in the design, development and management of distributed renewable energy projects.

Principal Consultant, Sun Business Development

The guest speaker has more than 15 years of technical experience developing, designing and constructing solar power plants (PV and CSP) as well as developing solar thermal and PV equipment.

Senior Energy Specialist in Energy Division of South Asia Regional Department (SAEN), Asian Development Bank

Aiming Zhou is a Senior Energy Specialist in the Sector Service Advisory Division of Sustainable Development and Climate Change Department at Asian Development Bank (ADB).

CEO, IT Power

Dr. Akanksha Chaurey is an expert on renewable energy technologies and markets and has led several projects dealing with technology assessment, market analysis, development of business models, capacity building

Associate Director for Energy & Sustainability, Ayala Property Management Corporation

Aldrin Calderon received his Ph.D. in Energy Engineering from University of the Philippines.

Associate Professional, International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA)

Alessandra Salgado is an Associate Professional at the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).

Head of APAC Technical Services, Jinko Solar

Dr. Li currently serves as Head of JinkoSolar’s Asia-Pacific Technical Service. In this capacity, Dr. Li is responsible for providing technical support and consultation for solar projects of all scales through delivering technical trainings

Senior Consultant, Clean Technology Centre, DNV GL

Alfredo has been working in the solar photovoltaic industry since 2010, focusing largely on the Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) of solar photovoltaic (PV) power plants.

Consultant, Asian Development Bank

Ali is a power systems engineer specializing in network planning and operations. His experience includes managing frequency regulation services for German Transmission System Operators. He is currently working as a consultant for ADB.

President, Philippine Energy Efficiency Alliance (PE2)

Over half of Alex’ 34-year professional career has been dedicated to accelerating energy efficiency (EE) markets across developing Asia.

Founder, PT Inovasi Dinamika Pratama

Andre Susanto is a consultant and practitioner in the clean energy sector including government policy advisory, private sector engagement, and rural electrification.

Director, Energy Division, Southeast Asia Regional Department, ADB

Mr. Jeffries is the Director of the Southeast Asia Energy Division at the Asian Development Bank.

Co-founder & CEO, Carbon Clean Solutions

Aniruddha Sharma is Chief Executive Officer of Carbon Clean Solutions Limited.

Managing Director, Gham Power

Anjal is an off grid solar expert at Gham Power, where he oversees company's R&D and product strategy - including business development, design and engineering.

Managing Director, Bangkok, Thailand, Asia Clean Innovation

Anthony has spent the past 15 years working at the forefront of sustainability. Adept at connecting dots and data to originate opportunities, he is an incorrigible glass half full eco-preneur.

Founder & CEO, Smart Joules Pvt. Ltd.

Arjun P. Gupta is on a mission to eliminate India’s need for fossil fuels.

Programme Officer, RE Project Development and Finance, IRENA

Arjun Guha is a Programme Officer in IRENA’s Knowledge, Policy and Finance Centre. Within the Finance Unit he is responsible for project development and project finance facilitation including developing upstream and downstream capabilities.

Consultant, Ajummery Bikash Foundation

Ashma is an independent consultant and an educator who specializes in renewable energy and natural resource management. She has over five years experience in renewable energy sector.

Chair, Energy Sector Committee Director, Energy Division Central and West Asia Department, Asian Development Bank

As Director of the Energy Division in the Central and West Asia Department (CWRD) of the Asian Development Bank (ADB)

Senior Fellow and Senior Director, Renewable Energy Technology Applications, TERI

Dr. Ashvini Kumar has recently joined TERI as Senior Fellow and Senior Director, Renewable Energy Technology Applications.

Climate Finance Director, Asia, Growald Family Fund

Athena has many years of leadership and management experience in environment, development and natural resource governance in developing countries with a particular focus on climate change

Vice-President (Knowledge Management and Sustainable Development), ADB

Dr. Bambang Susantono is the Vice-President for Knowledge Management and Sustainable Development of the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

Managing Director, Idam Infrastructure Advisory Private Limited

Balawant is a founder, promoter and Managing Director of Idam Infrastructure Advisory Private Limited.

President and CEO, Decision Point Global

Accomplished business executive, visionary, and innovation spokesperson with over 23 years of international experience with Fortune 100 companies, energy companies, and academia with annual sales up to $2B and assignments spanning.

PhD Candidate/Power Systems Researcher, Power Systems Analysis and Control Laboratory - Seoul National University of Science and Technology

BenJeMar is a power systems researcher and has worked on projects involving multi-objective optimization, security-constrained economic dispatch, microgrids.

Director, Smart Villages Research Group

Oxford, UK Bernie Jones is Director of the Smart Villages Initiative, which has for more than 6 years been looking at options for off-grid rural energy access.

Sustainable Finance Specialist, Tempest Advisor

Managing Director, Saral Urja Nepal

Bishal Thapa currently serves as Managing Director of Saral Urja Nepal, an energy services company in Nepal.

President for India and MENA Region, EnerBlü

C. Robert Pedraza is President for India and MENA region for EnerBlü. He also serves as Chief Strategy office and oversees global strategy development of EnerBlü on an enterprise wide basis.

CEO, Sustainable Green Fuel Enterprise (SGFE)

Carlo Figà Talamanca is the CEO and owner of Sustainable Green Fuel Enterprise (SGFE), which is an international award winning company producing eco-friendly charcoal briquettes.

Deputy Assistant Administrator of the Bureau for Economic Growth, Education and Environment (E3), USAID

Carrie Thompson is the Deputy Assistant Administrator of the Bureau for Economic Growth, Education and Environment (E3). Ms. Thompson joined E3 in September 2015.

Head of the South East Asia Climate and Energy Network, British Government

Camilla Fenning works for the British Government as the Head of the South East Asia Climate and Energy Network.

Clean Energy Investment Specialist, Energy for All Initiative, Asian Development Bank

Coy is a shareholder in two electric vehicle companies in the Philippines, and an angel investor in a FinTech and online education startup.

Chief Technical Advisor, GIZ

Mr. Christian Liedtke has 6 years of international experience in working as an advisor and programme manager in the energy access sector on topics covering clean cooking, mini-grids, policy, governance, access to finance and productive use of energy.

Director of Climate, Children’s Investment Fund Foundation

Founder & CEO, EQuota Energy Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.

Charlotte is a serial entrepreneur and established EQuota Energy Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. in 2014, devoting to provide one-stop energy management solution with world-leading data monitoring, energy optimization, and carbon management.

Executive Director, Kigali Cooling Efficiency Program

Dan Hamza-Goodacre is the Executive Director of the Kigali Cooling Efficiency Program. Dan has over 20 years of experience working on climate change and sustainable development in the public and private sectors.

Manager, Transcendergy L.L.C.

Mr. Dan Millison is the Manager of Transcendergy L.L.C., a private consultancy established in 2008 to provide sustainable infrastructure solutions.

Managing Director, California Clean Energy Fund and Cofounder of Sungevity and Powerhouse

Danny Kennedy leads the California Clean Energy Fund, connecting entrepreneurs everywhere to capital to build an abundant clean energy economy that benefits all.

Global Vice President, JinkoSolar

Dany Qian is a Global Vice President of JinkoSolar, the world’s largest solar panel manufacturer.

Senior Energy Specialist, Asian Development Bank

David engages across a range of energy system technologies to support ADB’s investments in the energy sector.

Associate Director & Senior Fellow, The Energy and Resources Institute, India

Mr Debajit Palit is Associate Director & Senior Fellow at The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), India and is responsible for the Rural Energy and Livelihood Division in TERI.

Vice-President (Administration and Corporate Management), Asian Development Bank

Ms. Deborah Stokes is the Vice-President for Administration and Corporate Management of the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

Technical and Policy Advisor, GIZ Proklima

Denise Andres is a technical and policy advisor with the GIZ Proklima, focusing on climate-friendly and energy-efficient cooling frameworks and technologies.

Associate Programme Officer, IRENA

Diala has been working in the Policy Unit of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) since 2012.

Founder and Chairman, Bright Green Energy Foundation

In 1983, Dipal Chandra, together with Muhammad Yunus, founded the microfinance institution Grameen Bank and remained its Deputy Managing Director until December 2009.

Vice-President (Private Sector and Cofinancing Operations), Asian Development Bank

Diwakar Gupta is the Asian Development Bank's (ADB) Vice-President for Private Sector and Cofinancing Operations. He assumed office in August 2015.

Senior Energy Specialist, Islamic Development Bank (IsDB)

Dr. Khan is leading the formulation and implementation of IsDB’s Energy Sector Strategy for Bangladesh, Indonesia, Iran, Pakistan and Turkey, focusing primarily on the development of indigenous Renewable Energy resources as well as Energy Efficiency Enhancement initiatives.

Access to Energy Specialist, ADB’s Energy for All Initiative

Ms. Fely Arriola works as an Access to Energy Specialist for ADB’s Energy for All Initiative and supports efforts to scale up energy access investments in ADB’s developing member countries.

Analyst for RE Technology, Standards and Markets, IRENA

Mr. Francisco Boshell is an Analyst in markets and standards for renewable energy technologies at the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).

Director, Asia Europe Clean Energy (Solar) Advisory Co. Ltd.

Frank Haugwitz, Asia Europe Clean Energy (Solar) Advisory Co. Ltd. (AECEA), is based in Beijing / China since 2002.

Head of Sustainable Finance, Green Investment Group

Gavin leads GIG's international green bank advisory activity, which works with governments globally in setting up national green finance institutions.

International Engagements Manager, China Energy Storage Alliance

George manages international engagements at the China Energy Storage Alliance (CNESA), China’s first non-profit association dedicated to promoting the energy storage industry.

Head - Energy Efficiency and Climate Change, ICF consulting India Private Limited

Gokul is a leading energy efficiency and climate change specialist with over 13 years of experience in supporting clients ranging

President, J.E. Access Ltd.

Hans is a long-term resident of Japan and engaged in the “greening” of the Japanese power landscape. He operates a joint venture for floating solar and low-cost energy storage projects in Chennai, Tamil Nadu for projects in South and SE Asia.

Consultant, Customized Energy Solutions India Pvt. Ltd.

Harsh is Sr. Consultant with CES and leads MICRO, the Microgrid Initiative for Campus and Rural Opportunities. MICRO has set a goal of driving down cost of energy for microgrids by 30-50% by 2020.

Chairman and Founder, Arctic Green Energy

Haukur Hardarson is the founder and majority shareholder of Arctic Green Energy.

Senior Director – Advisory Services (GPS-IDP Practice), Ernst & Young LLP

Hemant is Energy, Climate Change and Sustainable Development expert, working as Senior Director – Advisory Services of Ernst & Young LLP, Manila, Philippines.

Executive Vice President, TEPCO Power Grid, Inc.

Dr. Okamoto has been working for Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) on management of transmission technologies, renewable energy integration, smart grid and regulatory affairs of electricity market reform for over twenty years.

Director, PwC-Japan

Mr. Hiroshi Tomita is a Director with PwC Japan focused on Japanese and international Energy / Power Industry and Climate Change issues in the PPP&I team, PwC-Japan.

Director, Energy Division, United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP)

Mr. Hongpeng Liu, Director, Energy Division, United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP).

Head of Energy Department, Factor

Head of the Energy Department at Factor. He has 19 years of experience in the private sector, the government and multilateral institutions

General Manager, China General Certification Center

2007-2012 Doctoral Researcher, Delft University of Technology.

Country Manager, Practical Action Consulting

Ishrat Shabnam, a civil engineer by education, throughout a career span of over 12 years, has been working on energy projects focusing investment promotions, innovative technology for energy efficiency and waste to energy.

Head of Frontier Power, Bloomberg New Energy Finance

Itamar leads BNEF’s Frontier Power research team, covering innovative ways to achieve energy autonomy and use distributed resources where the power supply is inadequate or inefficient.

Energy Access Leader, GHE

Jaideep Bansal is the Energy Access Leader for Global Himalayan Expedition (GHE) and is working to electrify the remote mountainous communities using Solar DC Micro Grids.

Chief of Transport Sector Group, Asian Development Bank

JAMIE LEATHER is the Chief of the Transport Sector Group at the Asian Development Bank. Mr. Leather has 30 years of experience in transport, and over 25 years of experience working internationally, primarily covering the Asian region.

Clean Energy Specialist, USAID Office Of Global Climate Change

Dr. Jennifer Leisch manages the USAID-NREL Partnership, overseeing a portfolio of clean energy integration projects and technical tools.

Senior Operations Officer and the Director of International Development Cooperation, Institute of New Structural Economics at Peking University

Dr. Jia YU, Senior Operations Officer and the Director of International Development Cooperation at the Institute of New Structural Economics at Peking University

Technical and Research Team Lead, SunAsia Energy Inc. Philippines

John leads the technical and research team of SunAsia Energy and its subsidiary focusing on energy storage applications for both the distribution and transmission grid.

Mini Grid Interconnection Expert, Aleternative Energy Promotion Center

Jiwan Kumar Mallik received his Engineering Degree in Electrical from the Institute of Engineering, Nepal in 2006 and M.Tech. in Power Systems from IIT Delhi in 2011.

Vice President, Gridwiz

JuneWoo is the Vice President of Gridwiz and a co-founder of the company. Gridwiz is a start-up providing a suite of smart grid solutions.

Vice President, Alliance for Rural Electrification

Katarina is Vice President of the Alliance for Rural Electrification. She is also a founder of Enrupt and is on a mission to create partnerships between energy startups and corporations where new ideas thrive and get executed.

Nepal Market Manager, Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves

Karuna Bajracharya is the Nepal Market Manager at the Global Alliance for Clean cookstoves.

Professor Emeritus, Kyoto University

He served as Professor of Graduate School of Global Environmental Studies (Global Environmental Policy), Kyoto University, between 2001 to 2013.

Associate Director, Programmes & Innovation, Carbon Trust

Kevin is an Associate Director in the Carbon Trust's Programmes and Innovation team, which focuses on developing programmes and providing advice to companies

Advisor, International Solar Alliance (ISA)

Mr. K. K. Sharma is an advisor in International Solar Alliance (ISA).

Country Coordinator, Philippines, Entrepreneurs du Monde

Khristin has more than 15 years of experience working for NGOs focusing on extreme poverty, both on the field level and as a program funder. She currently oversees Entrepreneurs du Monde’s programs in the Philippines.

Sr. Associate, CLASP India Office

PVN Kishore Kumar joined CLASP’s India team as a Senior Associate in 2017. Kishore serve as a technical, and program resource for CLASP, India and providing day to day analytical support to Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), India under Standards & labelling (S&L) program.

Advisory Practice, International Consultant

Krishna Amancherla is an evangelist for emerging technologies that tackle climate change and reduce the carbon foot print in the infrastructure, energy and utility sector.

General Manager, Salleri Chialsa Electricity Co. Ltd. (SCECO)

An Electrical Engineer, graduated (Bachelor and Master) from Tribhuvan University, Institute of Engineering (IOE) Nepal

Clean Energy Coordinator, Energy Division, Office for Economic Growth, Education and Environment, USAID/Washington D.C.

Kristen Madler leads the Energy Utility Partnership Program with the United States Energy Association (USEA)

COO & Co-Founder, SunSource EnergyY

As Co-Founder and President of SunSource Energy, Mr. Kushagra Nandan has guided company strategy, project execution, technology, and engineering

Partner, Ulupono Foundation

As general partner, Kyle is responsible for developing Ulupono Initiative’s partnerships with stakeholders, policy makers and community organizations.

Chief Economist, International Energy Agency (IEA)

Laszlo Varro, who has worked at the IEA since 2011, became the Agency's Chief Economist at the start of 2016, succeeding Fatih Birol, who took over as IEA Executive Director on 1 September 2015.

Founder and CEO, Solar Philippines

Leandro Leviste founded Solar Philippines while only as a sophomore at Yale University. With his youth energizing him, he propelled the company into having 300 MW in projects, employing 600 employees, and providing renewable power to more households.

Analyst, International Energy Agency

Leonardo works in the Transport team of the Energy Technology Perspectives division at the International Energy Agency. Leonardo contributed to the Nordic Electric Vehicle Outlook and co-authored the latest Global Electric Vehicle Outlook

Chief of Energy Policy Division, Lao PDR Ministry of Energy and Mines – Department of Energy Policy and Planning

Mr. Litthanoulok Laspho leads the Energy Policy Division within the Department of Energy Policy and Planning at the Lao PDR Ministry of Energy and Mines (MEM).

Director, International Business Department (Professional Engineer), Zonergy Company Limited (ZTE) China

Mr. Ma Yu, Director International Business Department (Professional Engineer), Zonergy Company Limited (ZTE) China having almost 10 years of professional career in energy sector.

Deputy Director (Technical), Bangladesh Rural Electrification Board (BREB)

Mr. Md. Sakil Ibne Sayeed is the Deputy Director (Technical) of Bangladesh Rural Electrification Board (BREB).

Ozone Secretariat, UN Environment

Megumi Seki is the Deputy Executive Secretary of the Ozone Secretariat, United Nations Environment Programme, and the Secretariat's focal point for the Pacific Island Countries.

Senior Program Manager, Energy Efficiency in Emerging Economies, International Energy Agency

Melanie has spent more than twenty-five years in energy efficiency policy development and implementation in many parts of the world.

COO, Vireo

Manu is a senior climate policy expert with 15+ years of experience working on climate change & renewable energy policy development, including public climate finance and sustainable development advisor.

Founder & Director, Costa Rica Limpia

Born in Costa Rica, Monica has worked on sustainability issues for over 20 years with a focus on Latin America.

Assistant Director/Ms., Department of External Resources

Menaka Rajaguru is an Assistant Director of the Department of External Resources in Sri Lanka

Activity Manager, USAID CEADIR

Mikell O’Mealy manages the Climate and Economic Analysis for Development, Investment and Resilience (CEADIR) Activity, funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)

Fellow, The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI)

Mini GOVINDAN holds a PhD in Development Studies from Institute for Social and Economic Change (ISEC), Bangalore. In the capacity of a ‘Fellow’ a middle-level position at The Energy and Resource Institute, she has been associated with ‘Social Transformation Division’.

Principal Consultant and Networks & Innovation Team Lead, TNEI Services Limited

Energy, Environmental Technology and Economics. He is currently serving as Team Leader for a 2-year EIB capacity development project for the Power Sector in Bangladesh.

Technical Officer, ASEAN Centre for Energy

Ms. Nadhilah Shani is one of the Technical Officer of Policy, Research, and Analytics Programme in ASEAN Center for Energy (ACE).

Head of Investment Facilitation, PFAN

Nagaraja Rao has been with PFAN since 2008. As Head of Investment Facilitation, he provides focused support and assistance to the projects as well as PFAN network members in transaction structuring

Secretary General, ASEF

Mr. Sakai experienced in Asian Development Bank as an expert of organizer at energy related project over 17 years.

Dean, ADBI

Naoyuki Yoshino is Dean of the Asian Development Bank Institute; Professor Emeritus of Keio University, in Tokyo, Japan

Vice President, Pascal Resources Energy Inc.

Nathaniel Q. Camat is a Vice President for Corporate Strategy, Planning and Business Development of Pascal Resources Energy Inc.

Geographer, Reiner Lemoine Institut

Paul is a researcher at the Reiner Lemoine Institut in Berlin, Germany. In 2017 he has been awarded with a PhD scholarship

Co-chair, Asia Clean Energy Forum 2018

Peter du Pont is based in Bangkok and has more than 30 years’ experience developing sustainable energy and climate programs in the U.S. and Asia.

Project Manager, GIZ Proklima

Philipp Munzinger is a project manager with the GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH) Proklima.

Managing Director and Co-Founder, Yamog Renewable Energy Development Group, Inc.

Porferio R. Jabla, Jr. comes from Mindanao, the second largest island in the Philippines, where most people in rural areas are still living below the poverty line.

President, Innovative Wind Energy, Inc.

Pramod Jain is the President of Innovative Wind Energy, Inc. He is a leading expert in Wind Power. He is a consultant to private developers, ADB, USAID, Inter-American Development Bank, UNDP and others.

Principal Energy Specialist, Asian Development Bank

Pradeep Perera ( Principal Energy Specialist South Asian Department) is responsible for coordinating ADB’s Energy sector lending operations in India.

Director, Energy Division, South Asia Regional Department, ADB

Priyantha D C Wijayatunga holds a degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Moratuwa Sri Lanka and a Doctorate in Power Economics from Imperial College London where he was a Beit Scientific Research Fellow.

Executive Director, Centre for Advanced Research in Building Science and Energy, CEPT University, India

Rajan Rawal is a faculty member at CEPT University. He teaches energy efficient built habitat, energy modelling, energy policy at postgraduate level.

Executive Secretary, Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21st Century (REN 21)

Rana Adib is the Executive Secretary of REN21, the Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21st Century.

India Energy Storage Alliance, Founder and Executive Director

Rahul is a founder and executive director of India Energy Storage Alliance.

Director of Power Programme, European Climate Foundation

Principal, ENEA Consulting

Recca has more than 13 years of experience in the energy and infrastructure industries. He has been a strategic adviser and long-term partner for the public and private sectors.

President, India Smart Grid Forum, CBIP Building,
Malcha Marg

Reji is the President of India Smart Grid Forum (www.indiasmartgrid.org), a public-private partnership initiative of Government of India

Vice President, First Gen Corporation

Mr. Reman Chua leads the business development projects for solar and wind, most notable of which is the 150 MW Burgos Wind Project in the Philippines.

Executive Chairman, Edge Electrons

Richard is a recognised leader in the Asia-Pacific energy region, having been CEO of Energy Australia from 2006 to 2014.

Analyst, GTM Research

Rishab Shrestha is an Analyst for GTM Research primarily covering global downstream PV markets. Prior to joining GTM in 2018, he worked for MAKE Consulting researching on key global solar markets and solar supply chain.

General Manager, Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd.

Having more than 35 years of research/teaching experience in the relevant field dealing with environmental and social issues of hydro/transmission projects, Sustainabilty Reporting, CDM etc.

Chief Sector Officer, Sustainable Development and Climate Change Department, Asian Development Bank

Dr Robert Guild is Chief Sector Officer in the Sustainable Development and Climate Change Department of the Asian Development Bank.

Chairman, Clean Vehicle Solutions (Asia) Limited

Robin Hughes, a UK Citizen, is an economics graduate and the founder of Clean Vehicle Solutions (Asia) Ltd.

Founder and CEO, Oorjan

Roli is the Founder and CEO of Oorjan Cleantech, an award-winning consumer solar startup which uses a combination of innovative solar technology

APAC Bid Manager, SAFT

Romain Gouttefangeas, APAC Bid Manager for on & off-grid application. From project structuring to design of storage solutions or hybrid systems

Senior Risk Analyst, Munich Re

Ronald is part of Green Tech Solutions within the Munich Re Group insuring long-term risks for suppliers and project developers of green technologies.

Vice President, South Asia, International Institute for Energy Conservation (IIEC)

Sanjay Dube is working as Vice President for the International Institute for Energy Conservation (IIEC).

Photographer and Canon Ambassador

Sara Black was born and raised in Manila, Philippines. Upon finishing her Communication Arts degree at Ateneo de Manila University, she jumped into her first job working at a photography studio as an assistant.

IEEFA Energy Finance Analyst, Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis

Sara Jane Ahmed is an IEEFA energy finance analyst and former investment advisor specializing in originating and structuring energy opportunities in emerging markets.

Manager, Deloitte Touché Tohmatsu India LLP

Satish having 13 years of experience in Power Sector. He is a Sr. Manager with Deloitte Touché Tohmatsu India LLP and is currently associated with USAID in implementing innovative pilots under Greening the Grid.

Managing Director, SOLshare

Dr. Groh is a 2013 Stanford Ignite Fellow from Stanford Graduate School of Business (USA) and holds a PhD from Aalborg University (Denmark) and the Postgraduate School Microenergy Systems at the Technische Universität Berlin.

Vice General Manager, Head of Independent Engineering Asia |, Solar/ Fuelcell Technology Greater China

Sebastian Petretschek holds a degree in Technology Management from the University of Stuttgart, Germany and has spent parts of his studies at Tsinghua University in Beijing, China.

Energy Specialist

Shannon Cowlin is an Energy Specialist with ADB currently leading initiatives the Philippines, Viet Nam, and Indonesia on renewable energy, electric mobility, and carbon capture and storage.

General Manager, Chittagong Rural Electric Cooperative 3

Shah Zulfiqar Haider is a Registered Professional Engineer (PEng) and Certified Energy Auditor from USA. He has 35 years of experience in Energy, Climate Change & Military Engineering Services.

President and General Manager of Asia Pacific Project Business Unit (APBU), Trina Solar

Mr. Simon Li is the President and General Manager of Asia Pacific Project Business Unit (APBU) of Trina Solar, oversees Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Power Plant project development.

Head, Efficiency Promotion and Development Section, Appliance Efficiency Improvement Department, Demand Side Implementation Division, Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand

Principal Energy Specialist, Asian Development Bank

Sohail is a firm believer that the solution to climate change lies in new technology, and has applied new technology to many ADB projects.

Director, Energy Division, East Asia Regional Department, Asian Development Bank

Ms. Sujata Gupta is the Energy Director of the East Asia Department of the Asian Development Bank (ADB)

Board Member, Alliance for Rural Electrification

Renewable Energy Policy Specialist ,USAID Clean Power Asia

Ms. Supawan Saelim is currently the Renewable Energy Policy Specialist for USAID Clean Power Asia program

India Country Representative, Global Alliance for Clean Cookstove

Supriya Kumar is the India Country Representative for the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves.

Principal Consultant and Networks & Innovation Team Lead, TNEI Services Limited

Stephanie Hay is a Principal Consultant and Networks & Innovation Team Lead for TNEI’s Scottish office in Glasgow.

Chairman, Institute for Policy, Advocacy, and Governance (IPAG)

Syed Munir Khasru, an MBA from the Wharton School of Business, University of Pennsylvania, US heads the international think tank, the Institute for Policy, Advocacy, and Governance (IPAG)

President and Chairperson, Board of Directors, Asian Development Bank

Takehiko Nakao is the President of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Chairperson of ADB’s Board of Directors.

Clean Energy Professional, Myanmar Energy Project

Tanat Sangarasri is an entrepreneur and renewable energy expert with 13 years experience in clean energy sector. He is well versed in all aspects of renewable energy development, from inception to realization.

Principal Climate Change Specialist, Asian Development Bank

Toru joined ADB in 2004 as the organisation's first full-time climate change staff. He designed and established ADB’s Carbon Market Program including one of the world's first post-Kyoto carbon funds

Design Engineer, Lanka Electricity Company Private Limited

Tharindu de Silva is working as a planning and development engineer at Lanka Electricity Company Private Limited.

President, SunAsia Energy Philippines

Tetchi Capellan has over fifteen (15) years of management experience, serving as senior official in the Philippine Department of Agriculture as its youngest and first female Assistant Secretary from 1990 to 1992, and 1999; then as Undersecretary for the period covering 2002 to 2005.

Chairman, EPS Capital Corp

Mr. Dreessen is a globally-recognized energy efficiency finance and ESCO expert with over 35 years of experience in developing, financing and implementing savings-based energy efficiency projects at large industrial, commercial and institutional facilities.

Senior Lecturer, University of Moratuwa

Dr. Thusitha Sugathapala is a Senior Lecturer in Mechanical Engineering of the University of Moratuwa; and a Chartered Engineer.

Lead Application Engineer, Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories

Tim Watkins graduated with an MSA from Central Michigan in Leadership in 2010 and at the top of his class in a masters level Telecommunications and Systems Engineer Course from Fort Gordon in 2004.

Director Renewable Energy, Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH

Thomas Chrometzka strongly committed to contribute to transforming the energy sector globally. He currently works with the Thai Ministry of Energy and other governments in Southeast Asia.

Professor, Heriot-Watt University

Toby Peters is a Senior Research Fellow in Transformational Innovation for Sustainability at Heriot-Watt University (Scotland, Malaysia and Dubai) and the Professor in Cold Economy at the University of Birmingham.

Chairman and CEO, Joi Scientific Operations Pte. Ltd.

Traver Kennedy is a technology and social entrepreneur widely recognized for his pioneering role in architecting what is now today’s pervasive cloud computing model.

Chief Operating Officer, EESL

Venkatesh is the Chief Operating Officer of Energy Efficiency Services Limited, India. He has been the first project manager of EESL’s flagship scheme UJALA as well as the SLNP Program.

Senior Group Vice President, Power Grids Division, South Asia, Middle East and Africa, ABB

Venu Nuguri is the President of ABB’s Power Grids Division, responsible for South Asia, Middle East and Africa.

Ambassador of IEC for Mini-Grids, IEC

Vimal Mahendru is the President of Legrand-India, a subsidiary of the French multi-national Legrand. In his present role, he guides strategic initiatives of the company, especially forays into new and emerging markets.

Director, Clean Energy Research Centre, UBC

Walter works at the at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada. He is the director of the Clean Energy Research Centre, and the Associate Dean of Research and Industrial Partnerships for the Faculty of Applied Science.

Vice President (Operations 1), Asian Development Bank

Mr. Wencai Zhang is the Vice-President (Operations 1) of the Asian Development Bank (ADB). He joined ADB in December 2013.

Co-founder & COO, Energo Labs

Prior to founding Energo Labs in 2016, Kaikai Yang worked at Tencent WeStart, an incubator working on early stage start-up investment. As COO of Energo Labs, she is responsible for the strategic layout and global expansion of the company, as well as tracking the overall execution and innovation of the business.

Energy Studies Institute, National University of Singapore

Dr. Liu Yang is a Senior Research Fellow in Energy Studies Institute, National University of Singapore. His research interests include energy efficiency, smart energy systems and climate finance.

Technical Director, Danish Energy Efficiency Partners

Yogaanandh Tanggaraju is the Technical Director/Chief Technical Officerof Danish Energy Efficiency Partners Sdn Bhd.

Vice President, Business Development - Emerging Technologies, ABB

Yogendra Patwardhan is currently Vice President at ABB India Ltd., responsible for Business Development of Emerging Technologies like Digital Substation, Mesh Communication, SmartCities and Cyber Security in India.

Programme Officer – Sustainable Urban Energy, IRENA’s Innovation and Technology Center (IITC)

Mr. Chen is a Programme Officer at the International Renewable Energy Agency’s (IRENA) Innovation and Technology Centre (IITC) in Bonn, Germany.

Chief of Energy Sector Group, ADB

Dr. Yongping Zhai has been working on energy development in Asia and Africa for more than 25 years.

Director General, Global Project Division, Korea Energy Agency

Mr. Yong-Man Woo has over 20 years of professional experience in energy efficiency, renewable energy, and climate change. He is currently Director General of Global Project Division of Korea Energy Agency (KEA).

Battery R&D, Demonstration and International Standard (IEA, ISO) Expert, Korea Battery Industry Association

YT Kim is battery R&D, demonstration and international standard (IEA, ISO) expert. He is a member of Energy Storage policy maker in MOTIE and KEA.

Professor, Solar Energy Research Institute, Yunnan Normal University, China

Aug 1986 to now, Solar Energy Research Institute, Yunnan Normal University, China, professor, former Vice Director of the Institute.

Speakers 2018

ACEF 2018 speakers represent a wide range of stakeholders and practitioners from the global clean energy arena.

Aashish Chalise

CEO, Saral Urja Nepal

Agostinho Miguel Garcia

Principal Consultant, Sun Business Development

Aiming Zhou

Senior Energy Specialist in Energy Division of South Asia Regional Department (SAEN), Asian Development Bank

Akanksha Chaurey

CEO, IT Power

Aldrin Calderon

Associate Director for Energy & Sustainability, Ayala Property Management Corporation

Alessandra Salgado

Associate Professional, International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA)

Alex Li

Head of APAC Technical Services, Jinko Solar

Alfredo Jakub

Senior Consultant, Clean Technology Centre, DNV GL

Ali Zain Banatwala

Consultant, Asian Development Bank

Alexander Ablaza

President, Philippine Energy Efficiency Alliance (PE2)

Andre Susanto

Founder, PT Inovasi Dinamika Pratama

Andrew Jeffries

Director, Energy Division, Southeast Asia Regional Department, ADB

Aniruddha Sharma

Co-founder & CEO, Carbon Clean Solutions

Anjal Niraula

Managing Director, Gham Power

Anthony M. Watanabe

Managing Director, Bangkok, Thailand, Asia Clean Innovation

Arjun Gupta

Founder & CEO, Smart Joules Pvt. Ltd.

Arjun Guha

Programme Officer, RE Project Development and Finance, IRENA

Ashma Vaidya

Consultant, Ajummery Bikash Foundation

Ashok Bhargava

Chair, Energy Sector Committee Director, Energy Division Central and West Asia Department, Asian Development Bank

Ashvini Kumar

Senior Fellow and Senior Director, Renewable Energy Technology Applications, TERI

Athena Ronquillo Ballesteros

Climate Finance Director, Asia, Growald Family Fund

Bambang Susantono

Vice-President (Knowledge Management and Sustainable Development), ADB

Balawant Joshi

Managing Director, Idam Infrastructure Advisory Private Limited

Bartosz Wojszczyk

President and CEO, Decision Point Global

BenJeMar-Hope Flores

PhD Candidate/Power Systems Researcher, Power Systems Analysis and Control Laboratory - Seoul National University of Science and Technology

Bernie Jones

Director, Smart Villages Research Group

Bill Weil​

Sustainable Finance Specialist, Tempest Advisor

Bishal Thapa

Managing Director, Saral Urja Nepal

C. Roberts Pedraza

President for India and MENA Region, EnerBlü

Carlo Figà Talamanca

CEO, Sustainable Green Fuel Enterprise (SGFE)

Carrie Thompson

Deputy Assistant Administrator of the Bureau for Economic Growth, Education and Environment (E3), USAID

Camilla Fenning

Head of the South East Asia Climate and Energy Network, British Government

Charles Navarro

Clean Energy Investment Specialist, Energy for All Initiative, Asian Development Bank

Christian Liedtke

Chief Technical Advisor, GIZ

Christie Ulman

​​Director of Climate, Children’s Investment Fund Foundation

Chunguang (Charlotte) Wang

​​Founder & CEO, EQuota Energy Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.

Dan Hamza-Goodacre

Executive Director, Kigali Cooling Efficiency Program

Dan Millison

Manager, Transcendergy L.L.C.

Danny Kennedy

Managing Director, California Clean Energy Fund and Cofounder of Sungevity and Powerhouse

Bill Weil

Director of Climate, Children’s Investment Fund Foundation

Founder & CEO, EQuota Energy Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.

Itamar Orlandi