Integration of Renewable Energies in the Building Sector. Challenges & Opportunities

Mr. Frank Wouters, Director, EU GCC Clean Energy Technology Network
Mr. Frank Wouters has been leading renewable energy projects, transactions, and technology development for over 25 years.He has played a lead role in development of renewable generation projects valued at over $4.5 billion. These range from small scale PV solar electrification in Uganda to the 100MW Shams I Concentrated Solar Plant (CSP) in the UAE, and strategic equity investment in the London Array, the world’s largest offshore wind project. His transactions have received multiple project finance “Deal of the Year” awards. As Deputy Director-General of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), the first global intergovernmental organisation dedicated to all renewables, he managed a US$350 million IRENA/Abu Dhabi Fund for Development project facility for RE. He appraised over 80 projects a year and recommended projects for funding, including solar PV projects in Africa. Furthermore, he coordinated with government ministers and other stakeholders to promote private sector investment for RE projects as part of the Africa Clean Energy Corridor Initiative.​Mr. Wouters has served on the board of several energy companies, including Torresol Energy (Spain and USA), WinWind (Finland and India), Masdar cvua (Netherlands), NICE (Netherlands and The Gambia) and Gorestreet Capital (UK). Qualified with a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Delft University, he is fluent in English, German and Dutch.

Dr. Maged K. Mahmoud, Acting Executive Director, Lead RE Expert, RCREEE
Dr. Maged Mahmoud is the Acting Executive Director and Technical Director of the Regional Center for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (RCREEE). He has over twenty-five years of professional multidisciplinary technical expertise and recognized achievements in the fields of sustainable energy (SE) transition in North African and West Asian Arab states. During his tenure at RCREEE, 17 Arab countries and many international organizations; such as IRENA, LAS, WB, UNDP, UNE, EU, AU, UfM, REN21, AREI, and others, acknowledged RCREEE as the regional partner to support introducing SE policies and implementation mechanisms focusing on public private partnerships and green/climate finance. Dr. Mahmoud assisted several Arab countries to develop programs and action plans, introducing business models and instruments for private investments, including utility scale developers and MSMEs. He has an active role in strengthening regional cooperation and is a lead author/contributor to shaping concrete regional initiatives such as the “The Arab Sustainable Energy Strategy - Action Plan”, “Arab RE Framework”, the “Guideline for RE Integration with National Grids” and others. Dr. Mahmoud has a special focus on the energy access issues and effective business models engaging local banks and communities, also addressing fragile situation in politically unrest and war affected countries. Further, he collaborated with global actors to provide tools to assess the socio-economic impacts of the decentralized SE solutions. Before RCREEE, Dr. Mahmoud served for about 15 years at the Egyptian New and Renewable Energy Authority (NREA). Among his achievements, Dr. Mahmoud deeply contributed to planning and contracting several hundreds megawatts of wind energy projects on the Red Sea coast amounting to more than USD 700 million.
He contributed significantly in setting the Egyptian RE 2022 strategy, and in the design of the “best-fit” measures for its implementation including feed-in tariffs, competitive bids and net metering. Further, he participated in developing the quality infrastructure for testing solar thermal and energy efficiency systems in Egypt. Dr. Mahmoud has managed and contributed to over 40 research projects and studies in the sustainable energy fields in collaboration with national and international organizations. He is a certified trainer and author/co-author of over 50 specialized publications and research articles. Dr. Mahmoud holds the “Egyptian Academy of Scientific Research Award for Development and Innovations in Renewable Energy” since 2001.

Ahmed Samir Elbermbali, Managing Director, Clean Energy Business Council
Ahmed Samir Elbermbali is currently acting as the Managing Director of the MENA Clean Energy Business Council (CEBC). Prior to that he was Strategy and Operations Manager at CEBC for 1.5 years. The CEBC is a membership non-profit organization. CEBC is the pre-eminent NGO representing the private sector involved in the clean energy & clean tech sector across the MENA region. At the CEBC, Ahmed is responsible for handling the day-to-day operations including the members communications, meetings, organizing events and conferences, etc. Ahmed holds MBA in Sustainable Mobility management from the Technical University of Berlin and a Bachelor of Aerospace Engineering from the University of Science and Technology at Zewail City, Egypt’s national project for scientific renaissance.

Dr. Mustapha Taoumi, Key Expert, EU GCC Clean Energy Technology Network
Dr. Taoumi has been leading Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency projects and technology deployment for over 30 years. He has worked with US AID, GIZ (Germany), JICA (Japan) and EU (DGXII) as Project and Programme Manager. He has conducted numerous feasibility and planning studies, building programs and has implemented projects on the ground. He assisted local institutions to develop strategic plans in sustainable energy. He managed numerous seminars and training workshops concerning the use of renewable energy and energy efficiency. Dr. Taoumi was also involved in several initiatives and projects with a regional scope particularly in MENA and Mediterranean regions including the Mediterranean Solar Plan (MSP). As a Regional Programme Officer for North Africa and the Middle East region (MENA) within the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), the first global intergovernmental organisation dedicated to all renewables, Dr. Taoumi managed several projects and initiatives across MENA region including Renewables Readiness Assessment (RRA), assessment of local manufacturing potential in the Arab region and recently the Pan Arab Clean Energy initiative (PACE). Dr. Taoumi held several key positions including Secretary General and Interim Executive Director within the National Renewable Energy Centre (CDER) in Morocco - now transformed on a National dedicated Agency (ADEREE) as well as Executive Secretary of the Mediterranean Association of the National Agencies for Energy Conservation (MEDENER- Network). Before joining IRENA in 2010, he was nominated by the Ministry of Energy in Morocco as IRENA’s focal point and member of the IRENA’s Headquarters Selection Committee. Among other positions, Dr. Taoumi is an active member on several organisations, conferences and networks around the world including the MENAREC Conference International Steering Committee. ​Dr. Taoumi holds a PhD in Electrochemistry from the Institut National Polytechnique de Grenoble (INPG) in France and master's degrees in Electrochemical Engineering and Management Science, he is fluent in English, French, Spanish as well as Arabic.

Eng. Sara Ibrahim Elhag, Head of Unit|SE Projects’ Implemetation & Private Investment Promotion, Regional Center for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (RCREEE)
Sara is a Senior Renewable Energy Expert heading the Sustainable Energy Projects’ Implementation and Private Investment Promotion Unit at the RCREEE in Cairo. Coming from the engineering field, Sara has a very competitive academic background as a former Chevening Scholar and a certified Project Manager (PMP) who holds two master degrees from The University of Leeds (UK) in Sustainable Energy Systems and another MSc in Electrical Engineering and both were awarded with distinctions. Sara’s career path extends over more than 16 years of engineering experience, working as a senior energy expert / engineer specializing in renewable energy systems working in both the governmental authorities, private consultancy sector and intergovernmental regional organizations. Sara is a mother of two lovely kids, a talented volleyball player who loves listening to music. 

Eng. Ahmad M. Alazemi, Ministry of Electricity and Water, KuwaitUndersecretary Sector, Private-Sector Projects Department 
Ahmad works in the Private Sector Projects Department (‘PSPD’) of the Ministry of Electricity and Water (MEW) having been there since its establishment in 2014. The Department manages Kuwait’s new PPP projects, the first of which (Az Zour North Phase 1 - 1540MW CCGT, 107MIGD - $1.7bn PPP project) will shortly commence its third year of commercial operation. Other CCGT projects (Az Zour 2 & 3 and Al khairan – 4500MW CCGT and 290 MIGD) are at EOI stage and are expected to come to market more materially at the end of 2019. On renewables projects, PSPD’s main focus is on the Shagaya Park project developments. Shagaya Phase 1 (70MW - 10MW wind, 10MW PV and 50MW CSP) is fully commissioned and will transfer to MEW in the near future and he is following the transfer process to MEW. On Shagaya Phase 2 (1500 MW PV Park – ‘Al Dibdibah’) Ahmad is a a member of the MEW technical team that is interacting with KNPC to ensure that the plant will be technically compliant with MEWs needs and contracted at a level which accords to international best practice. In this regard he is actively engaged in discussions with KNPC to finalize the PPA and other commercial/technical documentation for the project. On Phase 2 MEW will be the Buyer. For Shagaya Phase 3 (1500MW PV), Ahmad led the MEW team that interacted with the Kuwait Institute of Scientific Research (‘KISR’) and it’s appointed Consultant, reviewing and providing MEW inputs into the feasibility studies. He now has the responsibility to progress the project, in conjunction with KAPP, through the Kuwait PPP Processes and to the market for bidding. Ahmad is currently Kuwait’s coordinator with IRENA “International Renewable Energy Agency” for Roadmap and Readiness Report Assessment “RRA”, and a member of Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency Experts Committee at Arab League, member of AEE, and member of the State Higher Technical Renewable Energy Committee. He has represented MEW and the State of Kuwait (attendee & Speaker) at many events, conferences, and meetings such as, the annual meeting of executives of the Arab Atomic Energy Agency, which was organized with IAEA attendance. He also recently represented MEW at the World Water Day organized by the United Nations, presenting on how the energy sector manages its waste water and attended several conferences as a speaker on the behalf of MEW. His interests are in power projects, renewable energy and clean environment.

Rossano Scoccia, PhD, Politecnico di Milano, Department of Energy
Building engineer and PhD in energy and nuclear science from Politecnico di Milano. He is a researcher of the Department of Energy of Politecnico di Milano. He works from more than 10 years in the HVAC and renewable energy sources sectors. He is an expert of dynamic energy simulations. He is work package leader of the Heat4Cool H2020 project and project leader of other international and national research and innovation project. He was teaching assistant of many university courses dealing with building services and he is adjunct professor of Building Services Energy Modelling course at Politecnico di Milano.

Alexandre Besson, Director, Solar Business, Schneider Electric
Alexandre Besson is the Director for Solar Business Development at Schneider Electric. He has fifteen years of experience in the areas of renewable energy, transportation and energy efficiency. Alexandre manages Schneider Electric’s Solar PV and storage business across Europe, the Middle East and North Africa, overseeing the company’s key accounts and partner channels. Alexandre has a Bachelors in Industrial Economy and Management from Université Toulouse 1 Capitole and a Masters in Business and International Development from the KEDGE Business School.

Ir. Florentine Visser, Senior Advisor, Energy Team, International Development Department at the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO)
Florentine Visser (Msc.) is senior advisor in the Energy Team of the International Development Department at the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO). In the Energy Transition Facility, commissioned by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, she develops bilateral knowledge exchange with selected governments. Florentine has a longstanding experience in energy efficient building in the Netherlands and MENA region, ranging from design and construction to strategic policy advise. Graduate from the Building Engineering Faculty, at the Eindhoven University of Technology (NL) and award winner in competitions on water and energy efficient building.

Dr. Hend Farouh, Prof. of Environmental Design &Sustainable Urban Development, Housing & Building National Research Center, Egypt
Dr. Farouh is currently the national project manager of Grid Connected Small-Scale Solar Systems (Egypt – PV) implemented by the Industrial Modernization Centre (IMC) and the United Nation Development Program (UNDP). In addition, she is a Professor of Environment and Sustainable Design at Egypt’s Housing and Building National Research Center. She was the former executive director of the “Central Unit for Sustainable Cities and Renewable Energy” in the New Urban Communities Authority (NUCA) where she was responsible for supporting planning, designing, constructing and operating green sustainable urban communities focusing on renewable energy, energy and water efficiency, waste management, sustainable transport, and green construction systems. Dr. Farouh has graduated from Faculty of Engineering, Assiut University “Very Good with Honor Degree” and obtained her Master and PhD in environmental design, Faculty of Engineering, Cairo University. She is licensed  as a European Energy Manger (Eurem) and has completed a post doctorate studies in "Green Technologies for Environmental Planning & Design ", Politecnico di Torino, Italy. Dr. Farouh has more than 22 years of experience in sustainable design &urban development focusing on energy efficiency and renewable energy implementing sustainability strategy, and fostering community participation to support such endeavors. She is specialized in interdisciplinary development projects national& international and she is a team leader of Green Pyramid Rating System for sustainable community version and administrative and financial institution version as well and team member of energy efficiency building code and green building code. 

Rachid Hamida, Director - Performance and Technology, Enova
Rachid joined Enova in 2017 to lead the Technology & Performance department, which gathers the Energy, Hubgrade, Renewable Energy, and Asset Management functions under one umbrella. As part of Enova’s overall growth strategy, this department drives the company’s technology vision through digital transformation and leadership. Rachid previously worked for Veolia’s Tools & Methods department in France. Over the past 20 years, his career has seen him lead several projects focused on aligning digital strategy with business and commercial goals in France, the UK, North America, Eastern Europe, and Africa.

Riadh Bhar, Managing Consultant - Energy, Sustainability and Infrastucture, Guidehouse
M.Sc. / Dipl. Ing. Riadh Bhar studied architecture in Aachen, Germany and obtained his diploma in January 2004. Afterwards he worked as an architect in Cologne and simultaneously started graduate studies in resource management with an emphasis on renewable energies which terminated in his master’s degree in July 2007 at the University of Applied Science in Cologne. Since January 2006 he works for Guidehouse (former Ecofys and Navigant) in Cologne, where he is part of the Buildings unit. The main areas of his activities are cost-benefit analysis of innovative technologies for low energy buildings, policy instruments to promote sustainable buildings and energy-related topics in the MENA region.  Riadh Bhar was the project manager of several international projects with clients including both political institutions like the EU, the German Ministry of Environment, the GIZ and the private sector like McDonald’s Europe, Procter&Gamble and Solidere. He worked for more than 10 years on the MED-ENEC project (2006 – 2017) and is currently one of Technical Key Experts of the BUILD_ME project (https://www.buildings-mena.com/).