Who We Are

SunPower Afrique was founded in 2008 by Kira Costanza with the support of many, including her father, Jon Costanza and friend and engineer Ron Celentano, both of whom possess nearly 40 years of solar experience. SunPower Afrique’s personnel combine these years of solar experience, ingenuity and a passion for microfinance and development in Togo, West Africa.

In Togo, SunPower Afrique works with FECECAV, an MFI based in Kpalimé, Togo. FECECAV serves over 10,000 clients in Southern Togo and is an active and rapidly growing member of Togo’s microfinance community. We will also work with Togo’s National Microfinance Committee and Professional Association of MFIs to promote national strategies, which include ambitious information technology goals.

SunPower Afrique also works with our indispensable team of Togolese electrical technicians and trained solar installers, initially chosen for their knowledge and focus on renewable energy.

Kira Costanza, SunPower Afrique’s founder and Executive Director, maintains networks and contacts in both the solar and microfinance communities. Having worked with an MFI in Togo in 2008, she has experience with local and national microfinance initiatives in Togo as well as daily MFI operations. Kira also works as Director of External Relations at SunPower Builders, a solar design-build firm outside of Philadelphia, PA.

Jon Costanza is SunPower Afrique’s Solar Energy Consultant and Chair of the Board of Directors.  Jon is also the Founder and President of Sunpower Builders, where he has been designing and installing solar systems since 1972.  Jon is dedicated to the profound common thread between the art of historic restoration and energy conservation, and will never stop promoting in his vision of “Massive Change”, in which humans can learn to consume and renew, responsibly and simply.

Ashley Lewis has been working as the Director of Operations for SunPower Afrique since August 2010 and is currently serving as a small enterprise consultant with the U.S. Peace Corps Volunteer in Kpalimé, Togo.  Ashley is originally from the Bay Area of California and received a Bachelors of Science in Finance from Morgan State University in Baltimore, Maryland.  Prior to joining the Sunpower Afrique team Ashley specialized in short term duration fixed income investing at Goldman Sachs in Chicago.  She hopes to use her business and finance experience to further SunPower Afrique's mission in Togo.

From navigating the customs regulations at the Port of Lome, managing maintenance contracts and budgeting, to damage control and organizing Kira’s requests from afar, Ashley is an essential piece of the SunPower Afrique team.  Over the past year, Ashley has been largely responsible for our ability to expand operations.

Ron Celentano is a solar energy industry consultant with Celentano Energy Services (CES).  He started in solar over 30 years ago, with the last 15 years focused on solar PV.  Generally, his experience covers technical and policy related fields, including installer/code official training, curriculum development, system design, commissioning, testing, performance monitoring; rebate program administration; he been involved with helping shape all of PA’s legislative laws and regulations in solar energy over the last 13 years, including net metering, interconnection, PA’s solar share requirement, and many other policy related issues.  Currently, he is President of Pennsylvania Solar Energy Industries Assoc. (PASEIA) and V.P. of Mid-Atlantic Solar Energy Industries Assoc. (MSEIA) for Pennsylvania, and he holds a BS in Physics and MS in the field of Mechanical Engineering.

Board of Directors

Thank you to our pro-bono legal counsel and all of the talented and motivated individuals who have contributed to SunPower Afrique in any capacity, and on both sides of the ocean.
        
Merci a nos avocats benevoles et a tous les gens doués et motivés qui ont contribué a SunPower Afrique en tous des capacités, et à deux côtés de la mer.

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