CT solar investment firm hires first CFO, plans up...

CT solar investment firm hires first CFO, plans up to 15 more hires by year’s end Michael Silvestrini is the co-founder of Chester-based Energea, a clean energy company that allows retail and accredited investors to invest in solar projects around the globe. HBJ PHOTO STEVE LASCHEVER By Andrew Larson August 4, 2026 Energea, a Chester-based renewable energy company that lets individual investors buy into solar projects around the world, has hired its first chief financial officer and expects to add 10 to 15 employees by the end of the year. Peter Lenardos The company on Tuesday announced the appointment of Peter Lenardos as CFO, effective immediately. He will oversee corporate finance, accounting, tax compliance, financial reporting, controls and capital markets initiatives across Energea’s management company, investment portfolios and operating entities. “The CFO role is important for the company in the next stage of growth,” said Mike Silvestrini, Energea’s co-founder and managing partner. “It is a role we have been looking to fill for over a year, as it was important to find the right fit, from a company culture perspective and work experience.” Lenardos will not fully relocate to Connecticut, Silvestrini said, but is expected to spend “a good amount of time” in the Chester office as he onboards with the company. ADVERTISEMENT The hire comes ahead of a broader expansion. Silvestrini said Energea anticipates “a wave of new hires” in the fourth quarter to fill gaps on its fundraising and portfolio management teams. “We anticipate hiring 10-15 new people by the end of the year, and depending on the position, some will be (Connecticut) based and work from our Chester office,” he said, adding that the company offers remote employment for some positions. After the hirings, he said the company expects to have 65 to 70 full-time employees by the end of the year. Founded in 2017 by Silvestrini and fellow Connecticut energy entrepreneur Christopher Sattler, Energea launched its investment platform in 2020, allowing retail and accredited investors to back solar projects with minimum investments as low as $100. ADVERTISEMENT Silvestrini previously co-founded Greenskies Renewable Energy, a Middletown-based commercial solar company that he and his partners sold in 2017. When the Hartford Business Journal profiled Silvestrini in 2025, Energea managed more than $120 million in assets, owned nearly five dozen solar projects and employed 50 people. The company has grown since then. Energea said it has sponsored, arranged or managed nearly $500 million in total invested capital across 228 projects and 655 megawatts of capacity in six countries. According to the company, it now has 20,000 investor accounts and has returned an average of 12.12% to investors in dividends since inception. Lenardos most recently served as head of investor relations at Clear Street, a New York-based capital markets firm preparing for an initial public offering. Before that, he was CFO of investment analytics firm Quant Insight and group CFO of OSTC Group Holdings, a global derivatives trading firm. ADVERTISEMENT Earlier in his career, Lenardos was CEO of Cinnober Financial Technology, a publicly listed Swedish trading technology provider. He also spent seven years as a managing director at RBC Capital Markets. In February, Energea debuted its fourth investment portfolio, a Latin America portfolio anchored by a $100 million commitment in Colombia. In May, it financed the start of construction on Iron Spur Solar, a 140-megawatt project in Snyder, Texas, that represents its first industrial-scale solar investment in the United States. Energea, a Chester-based renewable energy company that lets individual investors buy into solar projects around the world, has hired its first chief financial officer and expects to add 10 to 15 employees by the end of the year. Peter Lenardos The company on Tuesday announced the appointment of Peter Lenardos as CFO, effective immediately. He will oversee corporate finance, accounting, tax compliance, financial reporting, controls and capital markets initiatives across Energea’s management company, investment portfolios and operating entities. “The CFO role is important for the company in the next stage of growth,” said Mike Silvestrini, Energea’s co-founder and managing partner. “It is a role we have been looking to fill for over a year, as it was important to find the right fit, from a company culture perspective and work experience.” Lenardos will not fully relocate to Connecticut, Silvestrini said, but is expected to spend “a good amount of time” in the Chester office as he onboards with the company. ADVERTISEMENT The hire comes ahead of a broader expansion. Silvestrini said Energea anticipates “a wave of new hires” in the fourth quarter to fill gaps on its fundraising and portfolio management teams. “We anticipate hiring 10-15 new people by the end of the year, and depending on the position, some will be (Connecticut) based and work from our Chester office,” he said, adding that the company offers remote employment for some positions. After the hirings, he said the company expects to have 65 to 70 full-time employees by the end of the year. Founded in 2017 by Silvestrini and fellow Connecticut energy entrepreneur Christopher Sattler, Energea launched its investment platform in 2020, allowing retail and accredited investors to back solar projects with minimum investments as low as $100. ADVERTISEMENT Silvestrini previously co-founded Greenskies Renewable Energy, a Middletown-based commercial solar company that he and his partners sold in 2017. When the Hartford Business Journal profiled Silvestrini in 2025, Energea managed more than $120 million in assets, owned nearly five dozen solar projects and employed 50 people. The company has grown since then. Energea said it has sponsored, arranged or managed nearly $500 million in total invested capital across 228 projects and 655 megawatts of capacity in six countries. According to the company, it now has 20,000 investor accounts and has returned an average of 12.12% to investors in dividends since inception. Lenardos most recently served as head of investor relations at Clear Street, a New York-based capital markets firm preparing for an initial public offering. Before that, he was CFO of investment analytics firm Quant Insight and group CFO of OSTC Group Holdings, a global derivatives trading firm. ADVERTISEMENT Earlier in his career, Lenardos was CEO of Cinnober Financial Technology, a publicly listed Swedish trading technology provider. He also spent seven years as a managing director at RBC Capital Markets. In February, Energea debuted its fourth investment portfolio, a Latin America portfolio anchored by a $100 million commitment in Colombia. In May, it financed the start of construction on Iron Spur Solar, a 140-megawatt project in Snyder, Texas, that represents its first industrial-scale solar investment in the United States.