Antonia Sônia Alves Cardoso Diniz is an Associate Professor with the Graduate Program of Mechanical Engineering, at Pontifical Catholic University of Minas Gerais (PUC/MG), Belo Horizonte, Brazil.  She worked at Energetic Company of Minas Gerais (CEMIG) as Specialist Engineer from 1984 to 2010. She received her B.S.C in Physics in 1980 from Federal University of Minas Gerais, the B.S.E.E. in Electrical Engineering in 1981 from Catholic University of Minas Gerais, and her Ph.D. degree in Materials Science and Engineering in 1995 from the University of Liverpool, U.K.   She has more than 40 years of technical experience, with her research activities focused on solar materials and devices, photovoltaics, energy management, electrical distribution and generation with renewable energy, distribution engineering using renewables, sustainability energy issues and research management. Dr. Cardoso Diniz has published more than 100 journal and conference papers with more than 30 invited presentations at national and international conferences, workshops, and seminars. She is active in the World Renewable Energy Network, the international board of IEEE-World Photovoltaic Congress, Minas Gerais Society of Engineering, and the Brazilian Solar Energy Society.