Page 132 - ISES SWC50

Bernard McNelis
Country: United Kingdom
Year joined industry: 1973
Company first worked for: Solar Power Corporation
Technology area: PV
Still active in the industry: Yes

Bernard joined Solar Power Corporation in 1973. At the same time, he became one of the founding members of the
UK Section of the International Solar Energy Society. After SPC folded, he worked at Solar Energy Developments
(SED), architects, and General Technology Systems (GTS), engineers. He worked on solar heating, long-term energy
storage and solar thermal power generation. 1978 when he went to Mali on an EC mission with Wolfgang Palz,
he visited the first PV pumps just installed in Africa, with EC money, and met the force behind them, Père Bernard
Verspieren. He saw first-hand the impact of clean water on poor people. That was the start of his obsession with
PV for developing countries. Bernard was one of the three founders of IT Power. With Anthony Derrick and Peter
Fraenkel, he started work for the World Bank on the Global Solar Pumping Programme in 1979, and incorporated
IT Power in 1981. The final output of this big (at the time) project was the “Solar Pumping Handbook”. Through IT
Power, Bernard was involved in PV projects across the globe undertaking work with probably every major donor
in the world. Meanwhile IT Power continued to expand and established offices in India, China and Australia. IT
Power received the Queen’s Award for Export Achievement in 1989. Bernard has been an active member of many
committees within various organisations including UK Section of -ISES, ISES, EPIA, IEC and was the driver behind
IEA-PVPS launching a task in 1999 that was focussed on PV in developing countries. IT Power was the operating
agent with Bernard as the chairperson. Over the last 45+ years Bernard has attended many conferences and been
on the organising committee of many of them.
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Heinrich Morf
Country: Switzerland
Year joined industry: 1979
Company first worked for: Solartec Indústria e Comércio Ltda., São
Paulo, Brazil
Technology area: Solar Thermal
Still active in the industry: No

Heinrih Morf started and operated the company Solartec Industria e Comércio Ltda., São Paulo, Brazil (2/1979-
10/1982). He was the owner of the company, developed its constitution. He successfully negotiated for financial
support from the government owned development banks BADESP (State of São Paulo) and BNDE (Brazil). He
developed a complete product line for solar water heating, including collectors, reservoirs, auxiliary heaters and
controls. Heinrich worked on many projects and implementation of large size solar water heating systems, including:
Nestle Ituiutaba (MG), 100 m ; Pirelli, Santo André (SP), 70 m ; and, IQR (Ciba-Geigy), Resende (RJ), 50 m2. The
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company reached a peak turnover of $400K (USD) with a staff of 15 people in 1980, but was deactivated in 1982
due to a total collapse of the market.

114 | ISES SWC50 - The Century of Solar-Stories and Visions