Ruba Amarin is a renewable energy and smart grid research expert with more than 15 years' experience in renewable energy, energy sector reform, remote-sensing and technology commercialization. As the Director, Advanced Energy Technologies in RTI’s International Development Group she supports business development efforts and leads technology innovations to reduce emissions and shape the future of energy in emerging markets.
Dr. Amarin is currently managing the USAID Papua New Guinea Electrification Partnership Activity, a five-year project aiming to help the country achieve 70 percent electrification by 2030 by transforming the PNG Power Limited (PPL) utility into a modernized and financially sustainable entity; developing viable off-grid and mini-grid electrification models; enhancing the country’s energy regulatory authority to enable private sector investment, and mobilizing private capital to drive economic growth. Previously, Ruba served as the Chief of Party for the USAID-funded Enhancing Capacity for Low Emission Development Strategies (EC-LEDS) program, where she supported energy-sector reform and electricity market restructuring efforts in Eastern and Southeastern Europe.
Dr. Amarin is a skilled data analyst and developer of advanced mathematical models and predictive algorithms. She excels at clearly articulating technical concepts and specifications for nontechnical audiences regarding go-to-market plans for clean-energy, smart grid, and power-system products. Her analytical and management specialties include renewable energy modeling, remote sensing analysis, program design and implementation, project management, capacity-building, training, and group facilitation. She has published more than 40 journal and conference papers and has submitted seven patent applications pertaining to renewables and smart grid technologies.
Prior to joining RTI, Dr. Amarin was the business development manager for the Energy and Environmental Management division at Engility Corporation, where she provided strategic and technical inputs for business development endeavors, including donor proposals and pitches. She conducted research and designed technical approaches for proposals, including power sector reform approaches, utility turnaround and commercialization roadmaps, renewable energy penetration strategies for emerging markets, and energy technology deployment pilots.
Dr. Amarin also has extensive experience in commercializing power systems technology, including micro-inverters, net-metering and streetlighting controls. An accomplished researcher, she has served as the principal investigator for projects funded by the Department of Energy, Department of Defense, and the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) related to solar photovoltaic plug-and-play, solar forecasting, microgrids, and solar energy grid-integration systems. She has also developed algorithms to help deploy solar technologies such as solar energy performance and solar shading analysis.
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