Page 199 - ISES SWC50

Stefan Larsson-Mastonstråle
Country: Sweden
Year joined industry: 1986
Company first worked for: Lartec Thermal Solar AB
Technology area: PV/Solar thermal/Biofuels etc
Still active in the industry: Yes

Stefan Larsson-Mastonstråle has been working in the renewable energy sector since 1986. He is an expert at
designing, managing, and operating small to large scale solar power plants. Stefan has been at the forefront of
creating new technologies and the implementation of a number of those in the renewable energy market. He is an
accomplished inventor and many patents have been commercialized through the years such as a few of the first
solar collectors that were in operation in +25 years in real calendar time; hot water storage systems in small and
large scale; early solar heating and cooling heat pumps; some of the early products in PVT technology for high
temperatures; and early system designs of solar fuels systems. Stefan has studied computer science, mechanical
engineering, electrotechnology, and project management, and served as researcher and project manager at the
Dalarna University, at the School of Industrial management and Engineering, and the European Solar Engineering
School, ESES, and the Solar Energy Research Center, SERC. He has served as senior research project manager at
the Vattenfall power utility company in renewable energy (including solar PV, PVT and CSP), department of Power
and Chemical Processes and Distributed Energy in 1998 – 2010. A part of the work in research management
was also done as R&D programme secretary for the Swedish Energy Agency 2001-2004, managing the national
development and technology demonstration FUD-programmes including their respective national funding budgets.
Stefan is board member of the Lumicum Laboratory and the foundation for research in concentrating solar energy at
the Mid Sweden University. Stefan have been member of the International Solar Energy Association, ISES, for many
years, and has published a number of peer-reviewed scientific articles in solar energy, is an author and contributor
of educational literature, engineering courses and presentations/lectures in renewable energy.

Gaspar Makale (Circa 1960-2007)

Country: Tanzania Year joined industry: late 80’s
Company first worked for: His own company and also Karadea Solar
Training Facility
Technology area: PV Still active in the industry: No

Gaspar Makale was one of the pioneers of solar electrification in the African Great Lakes. During the 1990s, he
was the Chief Solar Technician at the KARADEA Solar Training Facility (KSTF) in Karagwe district, Kagera region
in Northern Tanzania, situated between Lake Victoria and Rwanda. From 1993 to the mid 2000’s KSTF gave
regular three-week-long training courses which were attended by people from all over the African Great Lakes
region (Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda), as well as from further afield. The courses were held in partnership with Energy
Alternatives Africa (EAA), run by Mark Hankins and Daniel Kithokoi (and for several years, Frank Jackson) who
were based in Nairobi, Kenya. Gaspar managed the practical sessions as well as arranging for the fieldtrips during
which course participants installed solar electric domestic systems in the Karagwe district. KSTF also ran a solar
apprentice scheme for which Gaspar was responsible. He was also involved in other solar training courses in
Tanzania, Course participants, many of whom later went on to set up solar businesses and work in the growing
African Great Lakes solar industry, got their first hands-on experience of installing solar electric systems under
Gaspar’s experienced and expert guidance. He installed an Ampair Hawk 100 wind turbine at KSTF for charging
batteries, the first wind turbine installed in that part of Tanzania. He also ran his own solar business. While working
with KSTF, Gaspar installed numerous solar systems in local schools, hospitals, clinic refrigeration systems, two-
way radio systems, domestic lighting systems. He also installed systems in the refugee camps that sprung up in
Karagwe after the Rwanda genocide in 1994. He also ran a solar-powered disco in his own village where he lived
with his family on a small farm. Gaspar also worked closely with Harold Burris of Solar Shamba.

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