PANEL 1: Towards 100% Renewable Energy

Eloisa Fernandez is a graduate in International Relations from Universidade Paulista (UNIP) and an alumna of the Energy Fellowship of Latin American Experts at Saint Petersburg State University of Economics. She currently serves as the BRICS Relations Advisor at the Latin American Observatory of Energy Geopolitics (OLAGE) and as Speaker Outreach Leader for the Student Energy Summit 2026. Eloisa is also a member expert in the Business Energy Working Group of the BRICS Youth Energy Agency and part of the Executive Committee of the UNECE Youth Group on Resilient Energy Systems. Her work and research are driven by a commitment to energy efficiency, climate justice, and advancing investment in Brazilian industrialization.

Dr. Renné served as President of the International Solar Energy Society from 2010 - 2019.  From 1991 until his retirement in 2012 Dr. Renné managed the solar resource assessment activities at the U.S. National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL).  In 2012 he formed the consultancy Dave Renne Renewables.  He is dedicated to the concept of urgently achieving 100% renewable energy to meet all of our end use energy requirements as the best solution to the climate crisis.

Rodrigo Sauaia is the Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of the Brazilian Solar Photovoltaic Energy Association (ABSOLAR), the national entity representing companies and professionals across the solar PV value chain in Brazil. He is also a Co-founder and Board Member of the Global Solar Council (GSC), which unifies and represents the global solar power sector at the international level.

Rodrigo holds a Ph.D. with honours in Engineering and Materials Technology from the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul, with international collaboration at the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (Fraunhofer ISE) in Germany. He also earned an M.Sc. with honours in Renewable Energy from the EUREC Master Program, including academic work at ETH Zürich in Switzerland, and a B.Sc. with honours in Chemistry from the University of São Paulo. His career has been dedicated to advancing solar energy as a key pillar of sustainable development in Brazil and globally.