The Road Ahead for Residential and Commercial Solar

DATE: Monday, 19 October 2020

TIME: 2:00pm – 3:15pm AEDT

Sponsored by:

Recent changes in the market, where the current demands are and innovative system designs.

Chair: Jenny Paradiso, Managing Director, Suntrix

Speakers:

Solar Victoria - The Road Ahead

Stan Krpan, CEO, Solar Victoria

Key lessons learnt for planning and installing code-compliant commercial PV-Systems

Geza Anderson, Manager of Engineering Services, Clenergy

When should commercial solar projects transition to the carbon market?

Raf Wood, Managing Director, Market Advisory Group 

Jenny Paradiso

Managing Director, Suntrix

Named 2016 Australian Telstra Business Woman Entrepreneur of the Year and one of AFR’s 100 Women of Influence in 2019, Jenny Paradiso is co-founder and Managing Director of the national solar and battery storage company, Suntrix.

Having started her career as a librarian, Jenny established the business in 2009 and has grown Suntrix from the kitchen table to a multi-million dollar company.  Over the last 11 years, the company has evolved from a residential solar company to a predominantly commercial solar and battery storage business, servicing SMEs and all levels of Government in South Australia, Victoria and NSW. 

Jenny has been listed amongst Smart Company’s top 30 female entrepreneurs in 2014, 2015 and 2016.  She is a board member of the South Australian Entrepreneurship Advisory Board and the national Clean Energy Council.  Jenny has also been a member of the Premier’s Climate Change Council in South Australia and sits on the Women in Water Leadership Committee for the Victorian Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning.

Stan Krpan

CEO, Solar Victoria

Stan Krpan is the CEO of Solar Victoria (Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning) which is responsible for delivering the Victorian Government’s flagship $1.3 billion Solar Homes Program. Stan has led significant Victorian Government policy and reform agendas. He was CEO of Sustainability Victoria from 2012-19, where he led a significant agency expansion and grew the organisation’s footprint and impact in the areas of climate change, renewables, energy efficiency and waste, and recycling. Stan has a track record of delivering high-profile government programs with extensive experience in executive roles and leading reforms in law, health and safety, and environment regulation and sustainability.

In 2017, Stan was the inaugural CEO of the Victorian Cladding Taskforce, commissioned by the Victorian Minister for Planning to respond to non-compliant use of cladding. In 2010, he undertook an independent review of Victoria’s Environmental Protection Authority compliance and enforcement activity. Most recently, Stan was appointed as Co-Chair of Building Victoria’s Recovery Taskforce by the Victorian Treasurer and Victorian Minister for Planning to advise on economic recovery in the building and construction industry and planning reforms. He is Chair of Infoxchange Australia/New Zealand and Connecting up, a member of the Advisory Board of the Melbourne Sustainable Society Institute, a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and the Institute of Public Administration, and an Alumnus of the Williamson Community Leadership Program.

Geza Anderson

Manager of Engineering Services, Clenergy

Geza Anderson has been working in the solar industry for the last 10 years in different positions such as Product and Product Marketing Manager and Manager of Engineering Services at Clenergy. He studied mechanical engineering, engineering management and marketing in Germany and Hungary. Through the evolution of the solar market in Australia and through the management of the Clenergy mounting system product portfolio during this time he was involved in numerous structural compliance related tasks and took key part in establishing the certification portfolio for the company. Furthermore he contributed to many commercial solar projects which required customised solutions and therefore project specific structural engineering.

Raf Wood

Managing Director, Market Advisory Group 

Raf has had a varied career, driven by the need to make a difference. Starting his career as a mining Geologist, he moved to become a commodities trader, stockbroker and investment advisor. After a conversation with his kids about the future of their world, Raf moved to work in government where he was instrumental in designing and implementing some of the Australian Government’s key market mechanisms including the Renewable Energy Target, Carbon Pricing Mechanism and the Emissions Reduction Fund. Raf also worked with Australia’s largest carbon project developer as Head of Environmental Markets. Raf’s knowledge about financial markets, government policy and project development places him as one of the most uniquely qualified environmental market advisors in Australia. Raf founded the Market Advisory Group in 2018 to provide independent, impartial expert advice to the industry. Since then he has been providing bespoke advice to dozens of high-profile national and international firms.