Benjamin Ritter

About Benjamin Ritter

14-year Solar PV + BESS engineer skilled at managing grid-tied projects for utility-scale developments and data center customers. Portfolio totaling over 2 GWac. Proven track record leading electrical, civil, and structural workstreams from early-stage site screening and interconnection feasibility through contracting, design, and commissioning, while driving scope, schedule, and budget. Adept at translating development objectives into EPC deliverables, reviewing technical studies, resolving RFIs, optimizing designs, and improving constructability. Brings project management, technical sales, and installation leadership rooted in a power-system engineering foundation that strengthens stakeholder alignment and de-risks implementation across PV, BESS, substation, and gen-tie assets.

Experience

1. Solar Project Engineer

   NextEra Energy Resources

   Jan 2021 — Present

   Own engineering workstreams for utility-scale PV + BESS projects totaling over 2 GWac, including data center-oriented developments, from preliminary conception through COD.•Partner with Development, PM, and Environmental teams to evaluate new sites in NY/FL/ID/NE/OK, and perform preliminary design and interconnection feasibility screens to support early-stage decisions.•Develop SOWs for EPC RFPs, defining inverter selections, design parameters, deliverables, acceptance criteria, and performance guarantees to align with project financial models and support contract negotiations.•Supervise EPC and EOR electrical, civil, and structural engineering teams across parallel substation, T-line, PV, and BESS project developments to resolve RFIs and design conflicts and ensure technical coordination.•Manage design reviews to de-risk construction and O&M, identifying opportunities to reduce installation and operating costs while maintaining compliance with budget, schedule, and contract requirements.•Coordinate design change management with stakeholders including development, EPC, and Transmission Owners, quantifying impacts on scope, schedule, and budget and supporting change-order negotiations.•Represent engineering in weekly internal and external project status meetings, presenting progress, risks, and mitigation plans to project management, development leadership, executives, and gen-tie transmission owners.•Oversee utility coordination for assets supporting data center customers, reviewed power-flow/short-circuit studies, aligned POI/protection schemes, and supported LGIA execution to maintain critical-path milestones.

Education

• University of Sydney

  Bachelor of Engineering (BE), Mechanical Engineering

• Western New England University

  Bachelor of Science - BS, Mechanical Engineering, Green Engineering Concentration

• HeatSpring

  Professional Continuing Education, Zero Net Energy Homes

Skills

• Solidworks
• Solar Power
• Sustainable Energy
• Microsoft Office
• Powerpoint
• Microsoft Excel
• Engineering
• Renewable Energy
• Microsoft Word
• Labview
• Wind Power
• Wind Energy
• Matlab
• Solar Energy
• Mechanical Engineering
• Alternative Energy
• Wind Turbines
• Solar Thermal