PVPS Executive Committee & Task Members

Co Founder and Chair, Solar Analytics and Professor at UNSW, School of PV and Renewable Energy Engineering. 

Renate is the Australian Representative on the Executive Committee (ExCo) for the PV Power Systems program. The ExCo meets bi-annually with the Operating Agents for each IEA Task. As Australian ExCo, Renate co-ordinates all of Australia’s participation in the IEA PVPS program. 

She has 25 years industry experience in module manufacturing, technology development and innovation, and was Chair of the APVI from 2014 to 2019.  Linkedin

A lawyer with 20 years experience working at the intersection of law, finance and energy markets, Olivia is SEforALL’s technical lead for energy finance and clean cooking, and oversees the multi-year Energizing Finance research series and overall clean cooking strategy. Previously she was Director, Sustainable Finance at REEEP and an independent consultant advising governments, DFIs and investors (including ADB, ARENA, CEFC and UNDP) on energy policy, regulation and project finance.

Olivia was Investment Director and a founding team member of the Australian Solar Institute (ASI), the Australian Government’s lead solar energy agency from 2009-2012, and led investment operations in ASI’s creation of a $450m portfolio of strategic, collaborative solar RD&D projects. Prior to this Olivia advised on structured trade and project finance transactions at Australia’s export credit agency, Export Finance Australia, and in legal practice worked with Baker McKenzie in Sydney and Hong Kong and Latham & Watkins in New York.

Jose Bilbao is a Lecturer at UNSW, School of PV and Renewable Energy Engineering.

Jose is the Deputy Operating Agent (OA) and the Australian Representative for IEA/PVPS Task 12 – PV Sustainability. Task 12 meets bi-annually with more than 20 representatives from all over the world. As the Australian representative, Jose coordinate local efforts and activities in PV sustainability with a growing network of researchers and companies interested in this area. Jose has been involved in Task 12 activities since 2017.

Jose has more than 15 years of combined industry and academic experience. He’s an expert on the electrical and thermal modelling of photovoltaic (PV) modules and photovoltaic/thermal (PVT) modules, with particular interest in the performance modelling, degradation, recycling, and life cycle assessment of PV modules and systems.

John is currently Professor of Environmental Mathematics and Director of the Centre for Industrial and Applied Mathematics at the University of South Australia

John’s research covers a wide range of areas in what can be termed environmental mathematics, from water resource management to renewable energy utilisation to the mathematics and statistical analysis of energy efficient house design to environmental accounting.  One of the tools he and his team has constructed, the Boland-Ridley-Lauret diffuse radiation model, is used by the Bureau of Meteorology to construct gridded solar data for the whole of Australia, and thus is used for the evaluation of solar projects throughout the country. It is also used in the Meteonorm software for similar work throughout the world.  

His work on short term solar forecasting resulted in his being part of the International Energy Agency Task 46 on solar forecasting, comprised of the foremost experts in the field.  He is also a member of IEA Task 16, focusing on Solar Resource for High Penetration Photovoltaic usage. He is presently a member of a consortium working on improving the forecasting of five-minute output from solar farms, funded by ARENA.  He has been Director of Resource Assessment and Climate for the International Solar Energy Society, and past Editor for Energy Meteorology for Renewable Energy journal.  He is a Fellow of the Modelling and Simulation Society of Australia and New Zealand, and of the Australian Institute of Energy.  

Chris is the Director of Operations and Engineering at Global Sustainable Energy Solutions (GSES) Pty Ltd, a global leader in Solar PV Training, Design, Capacity Building and Procurement services.  GSES is based in Sydney, Australia and has delivered its service offering in over 41 countries. Many of these services relate specifically to off-grid and remote area power system design and installation and it is this experience that has led to Chris’ involvement with Task 18.

Dr Anna Bruce is a senior lecturer in the school of Photovoltaics and Renewable Energy Engineering at UNSW, and Research Coordinator (Engineering) at the Collaboration on Energy and Environmental Markets (CEEM) at UNSW Sydney. She leads CEEM’s research theme in Distributed energy systems including ‘smart grids’ and ‘smart’ homes, distributed generation and demand-side participation. Her research focuses on modelling, analysis and integration of renewable energy and distributed energy resources into electricity industries; energy access in developing countries; and energy policy and regulation.

Anna is an Australian expert on the International Energy Agency’s PV Power Systems programme Task 18 (Off Grid Access to Energy), Task 14 (High Penetration PV), is funded to contribute to Australia’s participation in Mission Innovation Challenge 2 on Off-Grid Access to Electricity, and leads the Australian PV Institute’s Solar Mapping project.

Chief Operating officer of the Australian Centre for Advanced Photovoltaics; Advisor to the Indian National Centre for Photovoltaics Research and Education; an Editor for the IEEE Journal of Photovoltaics; and a Senior Lecturer at the UNSW School of Photovoltaics and Renewable Energy Engineering. He was the Head of the School from 2003 until 2013.

Richard supports the Australian Representative for Task 12: PV Environmental Health & Safety, occasionally standing in for meetings.

His current research activities are life cycle assessment of photovoltaics technologies and photovoltaics recycling. He has supervised the projects of over 200 students, including for the UNSWERV project, educating through practice while bringing light and power to remote villages in Vanuatu.

Linda has more than 20 years’ experience in the energy industry covering a broad range of areas across the entire value chain. Her most recent role is Head of Corporate Partnerships for EnergyLab, a not for profit accelerator organisation for clean energy start-ups. Previously she was Head of Partnerships for Origin Energy in the Future Energy division focused on seeking out new opportunities for technology adoption and collaborative research. Prior to these roles, Linda was Director of Strategic Development at UNSW’s solar research group where she set up industry collaborations and worked on strengthening alumni relations.

Her other roles include; Director Strategic Sales for Meyer Burger/Roth & Rau, VP Business Development for BT Imaging, Business Development Manager for Amonix Inc, and Product development engineer for Astropower Inc. Linda is also currently Director of the APVI, on the board of advisors of Tractile P/L and the Task 1 member for Australia on the IEA PVPS committee. Linda holds a PhD in Electrical Engineering from the UNSW’s solar research group, an MBA from the AGSM and is a graduate of the Australian Institute for Company Directors.  Linkedin

Dr Iain MacGill is an Associate Professor in the School of Electrical Engineering and Telecommunications at UNSW Australia, and Joint Director (Engineering) for the University’s Collaboration on Energy and Environmental Markets (CEEM). CEEM undertakes interdisciplinary, collaborative, research in the monitoring, analysis and design of energy markets and their associated policy frameworks, with a particular focus on the Australian National Electricity Market. It brings together UNSW researchers from the Faculties of Engineering, Business, Science, Law and Arts and Social Sciences.

Iain leads work in two of CEEM’s three research areas, Sustainable Energy Transformation, including energy futures modelling and renewable energy integration; and Distributed Energy Systems including distributed generation, energy efficiency and demand-side participation. He leads Australian participation in PVPS Task 14 on high PV penetrations in the grid.

Marina Lunardi is an expert in the Life Cycle Assessment methodology and recycling processes of PV modules. She finished her PhD at UNSW in March 2019 and has been working as a postdoctoral researcher at UNSW since then. She contributes to IEA-PVPS Task 12 with an innovative view on sustainable processes for recycling PV modules.

David has a background in Physics and Computer Science with an applied focus and works in cross-disciplinary applications. While his initial interests were in silicon nanomaterials and photovoltaic devices, he has shifted to focus more on PV systems measurement and reliability. As part of this research work, he contributes actively to IEA PVPS Task 13 on Performance and Reliability of PV systems. His teaching focuses on Renewable Energy Engineering and Industrial Computer Systems Engineering and their performance and reliability on a larger scale.

David is the Learning and Teaching Lead in Engineering at Murdoch and aims to improve the student experience through engaging practices. He is also a qualified RPAS (Drone) pilot and leads drone operations at Murdoch as Chief Remote Pilot.

Mark Snow has over 15 years expertise in Building integrated PV (BIPV) applications and building energy solutions and is co-author of the international publication “Designing with Solar Power”. He has worked on numerous International Energy Agency (IEA) task activities on solar energy and buildings as an Australian expert and is currently participating in Task 63 (Solar Neighbourhood Planning) and supports input to Task 15 (Enabling Framework for the Development of Building-Integrated PV).

Mark currently operates out of Canberra as a research consultant following over 10 years as a Research Fellow at the School of PV and Renewable Energy Engineering (SPREE) at UNSW.

Julia has 12 years’ experience in the energy industry with a background in power systems and renewable energy engineering, specialising in renewable energy integration projects in the Pacific region. Julia’s experience spans projects of all scales in the Pacific region and in Australia, ranging from 5 MW solar farms to off-grid solar systems for remote communities in the Pacific. Recent major projects include development of an energy sector Master Plan for the Federated States of Micronesia, design of island hybrid systems for Tuvalu and the Cook Islands, and high-penetration renewable energy integration including a floating solar system for the Marshall Islands.

Julia holds a Masters in Power Systems Engineering from the University of Wollongong and a Bachelor of Engineering/Bachelor of Arts from the Australian National University. She currently is an Australian representative on the International Energy Agency (IEA)’s Task 17 PV-electric vehicle working group. She has been involved in the electric vehicle industry since 2008 and drives an electric classic Volkswagen Beetle. She is on the board of the Electric Vehicle Council and ran the Canberra International Electric Vehicle Festival from 2009 to 2015.

Nicholas Ekins-Daukes (Ned) specialises in developing high-efficiency solar cells and their application in terrestrial and space power systems. He holds a PhD and MSc from Imperial College and MSci in Physics & Electronics from the University of St Andrews and is currently an Associate Professor at UNSW.

Ned is an Australian expert on IEA Task 17, PV and Transport.

Dow is an electrical engineer with broad experience in all aspects of PV-diesel and battery hybrid power system development. He has technical and project management expertise in renewable energy generation, energy storage product development, tender development and Northern Territory government procurement.

With current interests including micro-grids / stand alone least cost power system design, energy storage technology, power system modelling, renewable energy generation & smart grid technology, Dow is an Australian expert on IEA Task 18 Off Grid Access to Energy.

Merlinde is currently a senior lecturer within the School of Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy Engineering. She has over 15 years experience in various aspects of atmospheric/environmental science, weather forecasting and modelling. Her recent area of expertise is in the Energy Meteorology space. She has also worked as a weather risk analyst in the private sector for Weather Risk Management Services (WRMS). This position involved preparing meteorological forecasts with a specific focus on precise and accurate predictions of temperature and wind conditions for the energy sector, as well as preparing corporate reports and seasonal forecasts.

Merlinde is currently working on Task 16: Solar Resource for High Penetration and Large Scale Applications.

Managing Director and Principal Consultant at Ekistica, Lyndon is a leader in the field of remote and regional infrastructure development and deployment, policy and financing. A chartered electrical engineer, Lyndon has led advisory, engineering design and project delivery activities for clients including government agencies, regulatory bodies, utilities, regional development agencies, community organisations and commercial and private investment firms across Australia, South-Asia, the Pacific and in Africa. He has also provided critical input and leadership into some of the largest public and privately financed renewable energy projects and programs in Australia; provides technical and program development assistance to a range of public and private entities.

Lyndon has established knowledge partnerships with CSIRO, Google, NREL, the UNDP, AEMO and is an Australian expert for the IEA Task 13 Performance and Reliability of Photovoltaic Systems.

Lachlan is a mechanical engineering and commerce graduate (Corporate Finance and Investment Finance) with experience across the energy, finance and mining sectors in Australia, the UK and the US. He has worked in various roles for Macquarie Capital, London, Fortescue Metals Group, Australia, and as a research analyst for a renewable energy consulting and investment company in New York.

Currently at Ekistica, Lachlan is involved in a range of small to large energy development projects in regional and remote areas; applying an evidence-based approach and critical analytical processes to the complex challenges of remote area infrastructure development. Utilising this expertise, Lachlan is an Australian expert in Task 18, Off Grid Access to Energy.

Rebecca is the leader of Solar Energy Application Lab (SEAL) at RMIT University. She is a building and construction scholar working in the subfield of distributed renewable energy. She is particularly known for her research on solar building envelope applications and solar mapping. Rebecca actively represents Australia as an Expert in the International Energy Agency (IEA) collaborative programs: She is the Australian lead in the Photovoltaic Power Systems Programme (PVPS) Task 15 Enabling Framework for the Development of Building Integrated PV (BIPV) and the Solar Heating and Cooling Programme (SHC) Task 66 Solar Energy Buildings. She is also a member of the National Mirror Committee for International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) TC 82 Solar photovoltaic energy systems by Standards Australia, represents Australia to the development of an international standard on BIPV.  Linkedin

An atmospheric physicist, Jing is the Principal Scientist at Solcast and was formally a senior research scientist at CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere.

Jing has been an Australian expert in the IEA SHC Task 46 “Solar Resource Assessment and Forecasting” (2012-2016) and is a current expert on the IEA PVPS Task 16 “Solar resource for high penetration and large scale applications” (2017-2023). Jing’s expertise and research interests focus on solar and wind resource modelling and renewable energy integration.

Chris is the Director of Operations and Engineering at Global Sustainable Energy Solutions (GSES) Pty Ltd, a global leader in Solar PV Training, Design, Capacity Building and Procurement services.  GSES is based in Sydney, Australia and has delivered its service offering in over 41 countries. Many of these services relate specifically to off-grid and remote area power system design and installation and it is this experience that has led to Chris’ involvement with Task 18.