Managing Active Solar requires a deep knowledge of the technologies and the specifics of the photovoltaic value chain.
Active Solar is managed by Active Niche Funds SA.
The company was founded in 2007 by two brothers, Pascal and Philippe Rochat, who are the only shareholders.
Active Niche Funds holds a license granted by FINMA in order to manage collective investment schemes.
Since 2008, Active Solar is managed by the same team who developed an expertise on the worldwide solar market.
“I was convinced very early that solar was going to revolutionize the world energy sector and this is happening today!”
Pascal Rochat, CEO – fund manager
- Pascal founded Active Niche Funds in 2007.
- Pascal co-manages Active Solar together with Arnaud Chambaud.
- Prior to founding ANF, Pascal was Chief Risk Officer at Energie Ouest Suisse (EOS, now Alpiq) in Lausanne. Pascal first worked at Arthur Andersen (then Ernst & Young) in Geneva as auditor and financial and economic consultant.
- Pascal holds a Ph.D. in Law of the University of Lausanne and a Postgraduate Management Certificate of HEC Lausanne.
“There are various businesses within the photovoltaic value chain. I developed valuation models that take into account the specifics of each company.”
Arnaud Chambaud, Analyst – fund manager
- Arnaud is in charge of analysis for the companies of the solar sector.
- Arnaud co-manages Active Solar together with Pascal Rochat.
- Formerly, Arnaud worked as a financial analyst with several companies in Paris: IT Asset Management, Groupe BPCE, banque Volkswagen.
- Arnaud holds a Master in Finance of ESLSCA in Paris.
Prof. Christophe Ballif is bringing a scientific and technological expertise to the managers of Active Solar.
Prof. Christophe Ballif — The science and technology expert
- Prof. Christophe Ballif is director of the Photovoltaics and Thin-Film Electronics Laboratory at EPFL.
- Since 2013, he has also been the Director of the PV-Center at CSEM, Neuchâtel, which specializes in industrial research and technology transfer along the value chain of photovoltaics.
- Christophe and his teams at EPFL and CSEM have contributed to numerous innovations, products and start-up in the field of photovoltaics (PV) and collaborate with close to 40 companies in Switzerland and worldwide.
- His current research and industrialization interests include materials and manufacturing processes for PV, high-efficiency crystalline and perovskite solar cells, module technology and reliability, specialty PV products for building integration or mobility , as well as all aspects linked to storage and management of energy systems.
- He is author or co-author of more than 500 scientific papers and of numerous patents.
- In 2016, he received the prestigious Becquerel award for his contribution to the field of Photovoltaics and he is an elected member of the Swiss Academy of Engineering Sciences.
Active Solar was crowned best thematic sustainable fund at the Swiss Sustainable Funds Awards 2020 and 2021.
We are available for a presentation of Active Solar and the worldwide solar sector.
Active Solar invests in various companies within the photovoltaic value chain, from polysilicon producers to cells and modules manufacturers, together with installers, equipment producers and solar farms.
Solar photovoltaic belongs to the global sector of electricity generation; it is key to understand the developments and the issues of the sector.