Solar Energy: Supply Chain Challenges and Solutions

L. K. Verma is a highly accomplished individual with over 30 years of professional experience in various domains, including enterprise development, growth strategies, process improvements, and strategic supply chain management. For the past twelve years, he has been a first-generation entrepreneur and holds the position of Founder and Managing Director of Power n Sun. He is also a Chairman of the Dubai renewable energy business group, which works under the aegis of the Dubai Chamber of Commerce. Under his visionary leadership, Power n Sun has achieved significant success, establishing itself as a major player in the solar industry. The company's impressive annual turnover of $100 million is a testament to its prominence in providing solar solutions, supplies, and systems across multiple regions, including the Middle East, Central Asia, India, Africa, and Europe. With more than 1.5 GW of solar components shipments to the residential, industrial, and commercial sectors, Power n Sun has substantially contributed to solarisation efforts worldwide. One of L K Verma's core missions is to drive solar digitalisation, accelerate solar energy adoption, and reduce project turnaround time. By making solar energy more viable and accessible to consumers, he plays a pivotal role in promoting renewable energy solutions.

Maryam, the COO & Head of Operations at FREE energy, holds a Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, bringing extensive experience to her role. Since joining FREE energy in 2018, she has been been driving sustainable practices in the solar and energy sector in the Middle East, particularly through impactful projects in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Lebanon. Maryam's expertise spans diverse initiatives, showcasing her leadership in high-profile collaborations under projects such as the EU-funded REESTART and REFIT programs, the GIZ SUFA program, and other significant regional interventions. In addition, Maryam is a dedicated solar energy trainer, serving as a key instructor in the UNDP Youth Employability Program, delivering Solar PV training. Maryam holds certifications as a Certified Energy Manager (CEM®), Certified Energy Auditor (CEA®), Certified Performance Contracting and Funding Professional (PCF™), and Certified Measurement & Verification Professional (CMVP®).

Simay Akar is an entrepreneur with reputable corporate industrial background and experience in the energy industry. She specialized in photovoltaic manufacturing, battery storage for electric vehicles and renewable energy technologies and the clean energy market development. ​Akar is currently the Chief Commercial Officer & Co-Founder at Innoses. Her past roles include Sales & Marketing Director of EkoRE - Eko Renewable Energy and Marketing & Business Development Director of GoodWe Turkey, Head of Overseas Marketing at Talesun Solar Akar has worked in China and Turkey and mostly focused on international commercial activities and has been employed by CSUN Eurasia, Schneider Electric, Arcelik (BEKO), and Lucida Solar. In addition to her professional acclimates, she is an IEEE Senior member, acknowledged volunteer since 2007. Simay is a graduate of Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Turkey and she participated Energy Innovation and Emerging Technologies Program at Stanford University. ​ Simay is Certified Soft Skills Trainer since 2008. Additionally, She is METU Alumni Association Energy Commission Member, Turkish Women in Renewables North America Liaison & Sailing Team Member, KYSKD(Female Sailors Sports Club Association) member. She is Licensed Sailor Athlete at the Turkish Sailing Federation and also Swimmer. She participates open seas swimming races, marathons, and sailing cups across the world. ​ IEEE has important role in her life. She is also IEEE VOLT Graduate, IEEE Educational Activities TISP Champion, She has been serving several volunteer membership and leadership positions in different areas including mainly global committees of IEEE Humanitarian Technology Activities ( IEEE SIGHT -Special Interest Group on Humanitarian Technology and HAC), IEEE Power& Energy Society (Women in Power, Young Professionals, Solar and Wind Committee), IEEE Women in Engineering, IEEE Young Professionals, IEEE Social Implications of Technology Society (SSIT), IEEE Student Activities, IEEE Entrepreneurship Committee and other positions on Regional Boards of IEEE Region 8 (Europe Middle East and Africa) &10 (Asia Pacific). ​

Dr Radovan Kopecek received his diploma in physics from the University of Stuttgart in 1998 and studied as well at Portland State University (Oregon, USA), where he obtained a Master of Science degree already in 1995. In 2002, he completed his doctoral thesis in Konstanz in the field of crystalline thin-film photovoltaics. Until the end of 2006, he was group leader for n-type cell technology at the University of Konstanz. As one of the founders of ISC Konstanz, Dr Kopecek has been a full-time manager and researcher at the institute since 2007 and was managing director, CTO and head of the Advanced Solar Cells department until June 2023 and head of the Strategy and Education department since July 2023. He is the author of several books and more than 200 articles and holds several patents for the production of n-type PV technologies. He is the organizer of several workshops that he started in Konstanz, such as nPV, bifiPV, tandemPV and BCworkshop. Dr Kopecek was on the board of EUREC (Association of EU's R&D centers involved in renewables) from 2016 to 2021. In 2018, he co-founded ATAMOSTEC - a research and development center for desert modules and systems in Chile and has been on the board since 2022. In 2022, Dr Kopecek was also elected to the board of the ESMC (European Solar Manufacturing Council). Since May 2023, he has been one of the spokespersons for the PV Production Working Group of the BMWK (Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection).

Leo Wu is the director of the sales department(APEC) of DAH Solar, he has over 10 years of working experience in the PV market. Being the sales director, he knows deeply about the situation of the market needs and he knows well about the DAH Solar and its products.