Robert Freling has been Executive Director of the Solar Electric Light Fund (SELF) since 1997. During his stewardship, SELF has completed solar energy projects in more than 17 countries, making SELF the leader among non-governmental organizations in realizing practical and cost-effective alternative energy solutions for rural villagers.
On March 27, 2009, Freling was awarded the 2008 King Hussein Leadership Prize by Her Majesty Queen Noor at the Aspen Institute Energy and Environment Forum.
A native of Dallas,Texas. Mr. Freling collaborated with SELF as a Chinese translator and interpreter to coordinate a 1000-house solar electrification project in rural Gansu, China in 1995. He was soon appointed SELF's Director of International Programs. In that role, he facilitated negotiations between the U.S. Department of Energy and the Chinese Ministry of Agriculture to expand the Gansu Province solar electrification project.
Fluent in Spanish, French, Portuguese, Russian, Chinese and Indonesian, Mr. Freling holds a B.A. in Russian Studies from Yale University, and an M.A. in Communications Management from the Annenberg School of Communications at the University of Southern California.
