What's Hot in Solar Technology - Latest Product Trends in Rooftop and Utility-Scale PV Systems

Ussama Rai is a senior engineering and business development leader with over two decades of multidisciplinary experience shaping the global energy transition. As Chief Technology Officer within the Global Key Accounts Department at Huawei, he operates at the intersection of innovation and large-scale deployment, driving the advancement of resilient, low-carbon power systems. His career spans established European markets and rapidly expanding regions across the Middle East, Far East, and South America, equipping him with a distinctive global perspective that combines technical depth with strategic execution. His expertise ranges from advanced CHP systems to utility-scale Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) and Photovoltaics, where he focuses on enabling renewable integration and enhancing grid stability in increasingly complex energy networks.Recognized as both a technical authority and strategic advisor, Ussama is frequently consulted on BESS market dynamics, grid integration, and utility-scale energy solutions, supporting organizations in optimizing performance, reliability, and sustainability. His professional credentials include Chartered Fellow of Engineers Australia, Chartered Engineer with the Institution of Engineering and Technology, and Chartered Member of the Chartered Management Institute and various other prestigious Engineering organisations. He holds a first-class degree in Mechatronics Engineering and a Master's in Electrical Engineering and has recently submitted his PhD thesis at Imperial College London, UK. Beyond his professional work, he maintains a strong interest in history, geopolitics, and emerging technologies, and is an avid traveler who speaks four languages.

Over 20 years of experience across the full PV value chain at Goldbeck Solar, with a strong focus on driving automation and digitalization in large-scale solar construction and advancing industrialized project execution.

Dr. Markus Fischer is Vice President R&D Operation at Hanwha QCells GmbH, Germany. He has 30 years of experience in the semiconductor and crystalline Silicon Photo Voltaic industry. He joined QCells in 2007 after working in different engineering and management positions with Siemens, Infineon, Philips, and NXP.As Vice President R&D Operation, he is responsible for the Q Cells cell pilot line to support global cell technology development activities as well as for supporting the implementation of new process technologies and new production equipment for current and future c-Si solar cell concepts at Hanwha Q Cells production sites.Since 2010, Dr. Fischer has been co-chairman of the International Technology Roadmap for Photovoltaic (ITRPV). In this function, he has been leading the publication of the ITRPV annual reports and spreading the results at international conferences and workshops.Dr. Fischer studied solid-state physics at the Dresden University of Technology and received a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering in 1997 from the University of Stuttgart.

Dr. Alex Li serves as the Senior Director of Global Product Planning and Marketing at LONGi. Holding a Ph.D. in Photovoltaics and Solar Energy Engineering from the University of New South Wales (UNSW), he brings extensive technical knowledge to his leadership role, seamlessly translating advanced engineering innovations into market-leading solutions. By bridging the gap between technical innovation and commercial application, Dr. Li is dedicated to driving product excellence and delivering high-performance solar solutions to the global renewable market.

Dr. Harry Wirth, born in 1968, studied physics at the University of Freiburg, Germany, and at the University of Massachusetts, USA. He earned his PhD from the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL) and from Fraunhofer ISE. From January 1999 he headed the R&D department of a specialty insulating glazing manufacturer. In 2005, he returned to Fraunhofer ISE to establish the group 'Photovoltaic Modules' and to conduct the setup of the PV Module Technology Center. Since April 2023, he is director of the division 'Power Solutions' Harry Wirth is author of the report 'Recent Facts about Photovoltaics in Germany' constantly renewed since 2011, author of the book 'Photovoltaic Module Technology' and inventor of more than 20 patents related to solar energy.

Philipp Kunze is Vice President of Business Development and Sales Europe at Nextpower, a global provider of advanced solar tracking solutions. In this role, he is responsible for driving the adoption of tracker technology across Europe, with a particular focus on markets where trackers are still underpenetrated. Additionally he is Member of the Board of Directors of SolarPower Europe. Prior to joining Nextpower, Philipp served as Vice President Strategy for Renewables at Uniper, one of Germany's largest gas and power utilities. He also held the position of Managing Director at BayWa r.e. Projects Greece, where he led the company's project development and execution activities across wind, solar, hybrid, and energy storage projects. Earlier at BayWa r.e., he was responsible for the global coordination of hybrid and energy storage activities.