Naked Energy Appoints Ex-E.ON Executive Thomas Birr as Chair

Naked Energy has appointed Thomas Birr as its Non-Executive Chair, marking a strategic leadership move as the company accelerates its international expansion and focus on heat decarbonisation.

Birr, the former Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer at E.ON from 2019 to 2025, brings over three decades of experience across the global energy sector, including expertise in corporate strategy, innovation, venture investment, and scaling clean energy technologies.

Prior to his tenure at E.ON, Birr spent 16 years at RWE AG and its subsidiaries, where he served as Chief Strategy Officer. He later led the Innovation Hub of Innogy following its IPO in 2016, managing a portfolio of 80 startups before the company’s acquisition by E.ON. At E.ON, he also oversaw innovation initiatives, university collaborations, and the growth of the Future Energy Ventures fund to over €400 million.

His appointment comes as Naked Energy expands its presence across the Benelux region, Iberia, and the DACH markets, strengthening its position in renewable heat solutions for commercial and industrial sectors.

Naked Energy specializes in solar thermal and hybrid photovoltaic-thermal (PVT) technologies through its Virtu product range, which enables simultaneous generation of heat and power from a single collector. The company’s solutions are supported by its Clarity software platform, designed for system optimization and performance management.

The company has deployed its technology across more than 150 projects in 11 countries, including a major solar thermal installation at the British Library in London.

As Non-Executive Chair, Birr is expected to guide Naked Energy’s next phase of growth, supporting its strategic direction and efforts to address the critical challenge of decarbonising heat—one of the most complex and under-addressed aspects of the global energy transition.