Rob Best
About Rob Best
Rob Best is an Associate in Energy and Sustainability at Arup and a Lecturer at the Academy of Art University, with extensive experience in sustainable building systems and urban energy infrastructure.
Company
Rob Best is currently an Associate in Energy and Sustainability at Arup, a global design, engineering, and consulting firm. He has been with Arup since 2016, starting as an Engineer in Energy and Sustainability, and ascending through the ranks over the years. Arup is known for its innovative approach to sustainable urban development and infrastructure projects. Rob's work primarily focuses on advancing Urban Energy Infrastructure, including district thermal, microgrid, and distributed solar and storage solutions.
Title
In his role as an Associate in Energy and Sustainability at Arup, Rob Best leads regional efforts on advanced urban energy solutions. His responsibilities encompass district thermal systems, microgrids, and distributed renewable energy systems. He also supports the development of the WeatherShift platform, which helps to assess the impacts of climate change on building design.
Education and Expertise
Rob Best holds a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Civil and Environmental Engineering, Sustainable Design and Construction from Stanford University, awarded in 2016. He also earned a Master's Degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering from the same institution in 2013. Prior to that, he obtained a Bachelor's Degree in Engineering and Environmental Studies from Harvey Mudd College in 2010. His research during his Ph.D. involved using computational optimization to enhance energy efficiency in urban planning.
Background
Rob Best started his career in sustainability as an Analyst at SWAPE from 2007 to 2008. He later worked at Constructive Technologies Group as a Lewis Fellow in Engineering in 2009. He served as Senior Interviewer at Harvey Mudd College before becoming the Director of Education and Outreach at Engineers for a Sustainable World. After a year-long Watson Fellowship studying sustainable urban planning globally, Rob joined Stanford University, earning multiple fellowships while pursuing his Ph.D.
Achievements
Rob Best has contributed significantly to the field of sustainable urban development. At Arup, he has led initiatives on district thermal, microgrid, and distributed energy solutions. As a lecturer at the Academy of Art University, he teaches Sustainable Building Systems. Additionally, his participation in the Envirothon national environmental science competition and his Watson Fellowship highlight his long-term commitment to sustainability. His research at Stanford on computational optimization continues to inform his current work in improving energy efficiency for urban centers.