Extensive career in solar power spanning university, government and industrial positions across three continents. Managed the establishment and operation of five solar R&D facilities and developed software tools that are widely used for silicon photovoltaic solar cell characterization and manufacturing cost modeling. Advisor to federal, city, and university solar programs.

Mike has worked for 30 years designing policies and building consensus to advance clean energy technologies.

He specializes in finding innovative approaches to solving the unique problems of emerging, disruptive technologies that can transcend our current difficult political environment.

Working with U.S. industry leaders over the last 5 years, Mike launched and serves as Executive Director of the Solar Energy Manufacturers for America Coalition (SEMA). SEMA achieved an early policy win by developing, with allied interests in Congress, the 45X Advanced Manufacturing Production Tax Credit and the Domestic Content Bonus Incentive enacted into law in 2022. SEMA then continued to work to improve implementation guidance for the following 2 years and successfully defended the credit in the most recent tax bill passed in July of 2025. Under Mike’s leadership SEMA has built strong, bipartisan ties in Congress as well as the Administration, becoming a leading voice in continuing manufacturing reshoring efforts.

His federal government experience - spanning the U.S. Department of the Interior, the Senate Energy Committee, and the U.S. Department Energy - has been focused on creating policy incentives and frameworks to enable the U.S. clean energy industry to flourish and deliver its benefits both in affordable energy and quality jobs to Americans.

His most recent federal service was as the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy and the Senior Advisor to the Director of Energy Policy and Systems Analysis at the US Department of Energy from 2012 to 2015. He was a member of the leadership team advising the Secretary on clean energy policy, in addition to being a guiding force on the R&D and deployment agenda within EERE.

Prior to DOE, Mike served as Senior Counsel to the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources from 2004 to June 2012. In that influential role, he conceived of, drafted, and guided through Congress a number of incentive programs and laws that now direct major Department of Energy programs. Prominent examples include the Advanced Technology Vehicle Manufacturing Program (used by Tesla, Ford, and Nissan to significantly expand US manufacturing of cutting-edge vehicles), and the L-Prize (which helped catalyze the commercial introduction of consumer LED light bulbs). All of these policies enjoyed broad bipartisan support.

He holds a law degree, with a Certificate of Specialization in Environmental and Natural Resources Law, from Lewis and Clark College and a Bachelor's from the University of Colorado – Boulder.

Tim Crane is Senior Director of Supply Chain at Palmetto, where he leads sourcing, planning, and procurement across the company's hardware portfolio, with direct accountability for approved vendor and product management and compliance with FEOC, UFLPA, and Domestic Content requirements.
Tim brings two decades of solar procurement leadership to the panel, having built and directed sourcing organizations at Sunrun, Tesla/SolarCity, and Mainstream Energy (parent of REC Solar and AEE Solar). Across these roles he has led global hardware sourcing strategy covering modules, inverters, batteries, and mounting systems — consistently delivering material cost reductions while maintaining the service and quality standards that large residential and commercial portfolios demand.
Throughout his career, Tim has operated at the intersection of two competing imperatives that define serious procurement leadership: the relentless pressure to reduce cost of acquisition, and the equally real obligation to ensure that what gets specified and purchased will perform bankably over a 25-year asset life. His work has consistently required reconciling those demands while navigating supply chain traceability, ethical sourcing, and third-party quality assurance — the same issues now at the center of the U.S. manufacturing conversation.

Raymond de Munnik is a global executive and recognized expert in the semiconductor and photovoltaic industries, with over 20 years of experience in technology innovation, manufacturing, and commercialization. He has successfully led high-tech process and product development from concept through industrialization and market adoption. Raymond is known as an early pioneer in the implementation of passivated contact solar cell technology in mass production and continues to support the advancement of next-generation PV manufacturing through strategic leadership and industry collaboration.

Frank Faller is the Chief Technology Officer of ELITE Solar, where he leads the company’s technical strategy and innovation roadmap for utility-scale solar project development across Europe. 

With over three decades of experience in the solar PV industry, Dr. Faller brings deep expertise spanning R&D, manufacturing, system design, and technology commercialization. His career has bridged leading roles in both research institutions and industry, enabling him to drive technical excellence from lab to large-scale deployment. 

Prior to joining ELITE Solar, Dr. Faller held senior positions across the global solar sector, overseeing advancements in solar cell and module technologies, scaling production lines, and improving system performance. His work has played a pivotal role in shaping efficient, bankable solutions for large-scale PV projects. 

Dr. Faller earned his Ph.D. from the University of Freiburg, in collaboration with the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (ISE)—a globally renowned center for solar research and innovation. 

Mr. Rob Foree is a Project Manager with over 12 years of energy industry experience and lead's Black & Veatch's independent assessment and bankability practice for new and novel energy generating technologies with the goal of providing insight and detailed review of the product’s design, performance, reliability, manufacturing and quality.  Mr. Foree specializes in independent technical assessments and due diligence for solar PV modules (PERC, TOPCon, HJT, and Perovskites), all types of solar racking systems (fixed, single-axis tracker, rooftop, floating, and dual-axis), and various battery energy storage (BESS) technologies.  He has led and performed numerous assessments for well known PV module, racking, and battery providers across the globe and is knowlegable about the best practices and risks assocciated with these technologies.

Charles F. Gay, Ph.D., is a pioneer and global leader in solar technology with more than 50 years in the field. He earned his B.S. in Chemistry (1968) and Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry (1978) from UC Riverside. He has led world-first manufacturing milestones at ARCO Solar, Siemens Solar, ASE Americas, and Applied Materials, and served as Director of the U.S. Department of Energy's Solar Energy Technologies Office (2016–2019) and Director of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (1994–1997). He was elected to the U.S. National Academy of Engineering in 2013 and is an inventor on more than 15 issued U.S. patents.

Kevin has 18 years of solar deployment experience across a range of sectors and geographies, including 15 years of engineering management. He cut his teeth in the industry at REC Solar, Prospect Solar, and Direct Energy Solar / Centrica Business Solutions. In his 7 years at Oriden, he has overseen the engineering team supporting projects in all stages of development and procurement of modules, BESS, EPC services, and long lead HV equipment. Kevin has an M.S. in Engineering Management from Robert Morris University and a B.S. in Engineering Science from Pennsylvania State University. When he's not procuring for clean energy projects, Kevin might be playing with his kids, cycling, playing ice hockey, practicing yoga, or taking on projects around the house.

Scott Graybeal is the Chief Executive Officer of Caelux, a company that is commercializing perovskite solar technology that enables high density Double Power Layer modules. Caelux is headquartered in California with operations in Taiwan and India.

Scott has spent nearly two decades in solar, with hands-on leadership across the full value chain — from process equipment to project development to module manufacturing. He previously led the Energy Solutions Segment at Flex Ltd (NASDAQ: FLEX), a $2B division serving the solar, energy storage, and LED lighting markets, where under his leadership Flex Energy became the third largest producer of PV modules outside of mainland China and patented several key solar manufacturing innovations. He led Flex’s acquisition of Nextracker (NXT on Nasdaq). Scott’s broader career spans construction tech and semiconductors. Before joining Caelux, he was COO of Veev Group and CEO of Veev Build, and he has held key leadership roles at Intevac, Amonix, Oerlikon Solar, Veeco Instruments, Applied Materials, and General Electric.

Scott has guest lectured on renewables and entrepreneurship at Carnegie Mellon and Georgetown. He served with distinction as a nuclear submarine officer and is a certified nuclear engineering officer by the Departments of the Navy and Energy. Scott earned his MBA from Thunderbird School of Global Management and his BS in Chemistry from UC San Diego.

Dr. Henry Hieslmair joined DNV in 2017 and has been focused on various module topics including photovoltaic system degradation, PV module useful life assessments, PV module waste volume, toxicity and circularity (Nature Physics 19.10 (2023)), module O&M modeling, utility plant construction automation, and emerging module technologies. Henry Hieslmair has worked in the PV solar industry since 1993 when he began his PV career at Siemens Solar Industries in Camarillo CA (previously ARCO Solar). Subsequently, he pursued his graduate and post-graduate work at U.C. Berkeley and Lawrence Berkeley Laboratories where he focused on process improvements for multi and monocrystalline PV silicon. After his studies, he cofounded a start-up where he designed and developed a thin multicrystalline interdigitated-back-contact PV cell and module. In 2010, as an early employee at another start-up, he helped pioneer the first high productivity (>3000 wafer per hour) ion implantation tools for the PV industry for phosphorous and boron doping (was utilized for early TOPCon manufacturing). Subsequently, at SunEdison, he worked to commercialize their Continuous Czochralski silicon growth method, performed cell-to-module loss analyses, developed module testing procedures, and performed extensive analysis on boron-oxygen light induced degradation. Over the course of his career, Henry has also consulted for many firms involved in silicon PV including DOE Sunshot program, Solexel, Kleiner Perkins, and Crystal Solar. He has 7 patents and has authored or co-authored over 50 conference and journal articles on PV materials science, device operation, and manufacturing.

Ryan joined pv magazine in 2021, bringing experience from a top residential solar installer, and a U.S.-based inverter manufacturer. He holds a degree in Management with a certification in Sustainable Business Practices from the Isenberg School of Management at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and is currently pursuing a Master of Energy and Environmental Management degree at the University of Connecticut.

Ms. Jester is one of the world’s longest tenured solar engineering and operations executives. Ms. Jester has been focused on solar PV for the last 45+ years. She recently retired after serving as Managing Director of North American operations for Kiwa PI Berlin, a leading risk management and quality assurance service provider for solar power plant equipment. She has held executive management positions at several solar manufacturing companies and other renewable energy industries around the globe-including board positions with numerous companies, particularly with Highland Materials where she serves as Chairman of the Board, and Next Energies Technologies where she serves as an Independent Director. She has been awarded the Women in Solar Energy Award from the American Solar Energy Society (ASES) and the Technology Pioneer Award from the World Economic Forum at Davos.

Tomas Leijtens is CTO and Co-Founder of Swift Solar, a leading developer of perovskite tandem solar technology. A globally recognized expert in perovskite photovoltaics, Leijtens has spent more than a decade advancing next-generation solar cells, with a particular focus on improving stability, efficiency, and commercial scalability. Prior to co-founding Swift Solar, he served as a research scientist at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and conducted research at Stanford University and the University of Oxford. His work includes pioneering contributions to the development of the first perovskite-silicon and all-perovskite tandem solar cells, helping lay the foundation for the emerging tandem solar industry. Leijtens holds a Ph.D. in Physics from Oxford and a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Stanford University. He has authored hundreds of scientific publications and patents and has been recognized as a Forbes 30 Under 30 Fellow and a Clarivate Highly Cited Researcher.

Mr. Nicholson has over 20 years of experience in the power and energy industry, with a focus in independent engineering and execution of EPC portfolios in both the renewable power and oil and gas industry. His background includes direct leadership and management of over $1.5 billion in power and energy infrastructure projects comprising of major utility-scale EPC contracts, PV module and other equipment supply agreements as well as managing the full project life cycle from feasibility through commissioning and operations. Prior to joining Luminate, Mr. Nicholson held leadership positions in project development, supply chain management and project management of PV solar, BESS and other energy infrastructure that have included concept development, interconnection management, EPC contracting and negotiation, and managing large multi-discipline project teams.

Nate Picarsic is the founder of Horizon Advisory, a leading supply chain and geopolitical risk data firm. He holds affiliations as a Senior Fellow at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies and a Visiting Senior Fellow at the Krach Institute. His commentaries on supply chains, investment, and technology have been published in outlets ranging from Bloomberg to TechCrunch. He holds a BA from Harvard College and has completed executive education at Harvard Business School and the Defense Acquisition University.

Xavier Quinet is a procurement executive with over 25 years of experience in industrial and renewable energy sectors. He currently serves as VP of Procurement at Treaty Oak Clean Energy in Austin, Texas and leads strategic sourcing for utility-scale solar and BESS projects. Previously, he held senior roles at BayWa r.e. Americas and ENGIE Solar, overseeing procurement and EPC construction of hundreds of megawatts across North America and internationally.

Jochen Rentsch holds a PhD in physics from Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg and worked at Fraunhofer ISE from 2001 to 2026, focusing on silicon solar cell and production technology development. Over this period, he led both research and large-scale industrial transfer projects, building strong links between cutting-edge R&D and industry implementation. At Fraunhofer ISE, he headed a group and later a department dedicated to advancing silicon solar cell technologies and their manufacturing processes. In the last five years of his tenure, he served as Head of Technology Transfer, driving the commercialization of research results and supporting industry partners in adopting innovative renewable energy solutions. In early 2026, he became co-founder and CEO of Nexus GreenTech, a company specializing in business consultancy for renewable energy technologies. Nexus GreenTech supports companies and investors in developing, scaling, and industrializing sustainable energy technologies and value chains. 

Dr. Romero is a Senior Managing Director of Black & Veatch Management Consulting. He leads the Bankability and Technology Advisory practice. Dr. Romero specializes in the assessment of risks of new technologies and the development of strategies to mitigate the risks. His team performs bankability studies of new technologies and provides technology advisory services tailored to meet clients’ needs in areas of technology validation, design, performance, reliability, manufacturing, and others. Dr. Romero is a renowned photovoltaics specialist.

Juan Carlos currently leads the procurement of PV modules and other equipment categories in the U.S. for Lightsource bp. Previously, Juan Carlos held a similar position at RWE and also sold wind turbines at Goldwind. Prior to that, Juan Carlos obtained his Master's degree in Industrial Technology and Management from the Illinois Institute of Technology and a Bacherlor's of Science in Electromechanical Engineering from the Universidad Politecnica de Madrid.

Angad has been with Apex Clean Energy for four years leading PV technology review and module procurement for its solar project pipeline. He draws on 12 years of industry experience in solar resource assessment and design, with previous roles at Avangrid and Borrego (now New Leaf Energy).

Laureen is CCO of CubicPV, which is creating a solar future defined by more powerful perovskite tandem solar modules. She is a renewable energy executive with nearly 25 years’ of experience in business development, corporate strategy, and marketing and communications. 

John Smirnow has over three decades of international trade experience, specializing in solar and storage supply chain issues. John established Smirnow Law in 2015 to represent U.S. companies on international trade issues. John expanded the firm’s services to include government affairs and regulatory guidance upon reestablishing the firm in 2023.

Prior to Smirnow Law, John served as General Counsel and Senior Vice President of Supply Chain and Sustainability at the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA). While at SEIA , John led the association’s international trade and domestic manufacturing advocacy. John shaped federal clean energy manufacturing incentives and helped the U.S. solar industry navigate an increasingly complex trade policy landscape.

John also served as Chairman of the U.S. Department of Commerce Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Advisory Committee and Member of the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative Trade and Environment Policy Advisory Committee.

Prior to SEIA, John served as Legal Advisor to the Chairman of the U.S. International Trade Commission, Law Clerk to Judge R. Kenton Musgrave at the U.S. Court of International Trade, and an associate and counsel at two leading international trade and customs law firms.

Adam Tesanovich brings over two decades of expertise in entrepreneurship, operations management, supply chain efficiency, financial management, regulatory compliance, risk management, and commercial strategy. Mr. Tesanovich is Co-Founder and CEO of TALON PV, a Texas based manufacture of 4.8 GW of TOPCon Solar Cells. Mr. Tesanovich leads the the company's strategy growth and operational excellence. His decorated career spans two decades in management, business development, marketing, supply chain, product development, operations, and strategy. His big picture vision and strategic implementation has expanded Eagle Group to over a billion-dollar revenue business operating globally. Mr. Tesanovich has helped lead Eagle Group to award winning success being three times awarded to the Inc. 5000 Fastest Growing Private Companies in America, Houston Business Journals Fastest 50 Middle Market Companies, Inc. 5000 Best Places to Work among additional awards.

Jim Wood is the President and Chief Executive Officer of SEG Solar Inc., a Houston, Texas–based, 100% U.S.-owned solar module manufacturer headquartered in Houston, widely recognized as the energy capital of the United States, where he resides. He is a co-founder of the company and is responsible for overall corporate strategy, operations, and commercial activities.

Mr. Wood has over 20 years of experience in the solar industry. Prior to founding SEG Solar, he held senior sales and commercial leadership roles at two Tier 1 solar module manufacturers, with experience spanning utility-scale, commercial, and distributed generation markets. He began his career on the installation side of the industry and was previously a NABCEP-certified solar installer, providing practical experience across both project development and manufacturing.