K.a. Μπαλαράς

Active in the areas of energy conservation, high performing buildings, decarbonisation, sustainability assessment of buildings-neighborhoods-cities, thermal and solar applications, energy audits-diagnosis and retrofitting, national regulations - technical guidelines –tools for EPBD transposition, environmental impact of buildings, indoor environmental quality, thermal energy systems and building thermal simulations, solar air-conditioning.

Dr Balaras is a mechanical engineer, research director with the Group energy Conservation at the Institute for Environmental Research and Sustainable Development, in the National Observatory of Athens, Greece, a public research organization. He was instrumental in the national EPBD transposition (Greece), the preparation of national legislation, guidelines, educational material, certification exams of building inspectors, the development and the revisions (2010-2017) of the supporting technical guidelines, and the development of the national calculation engine and software tool for performing all the energy audits and issuing EPCs in Greece. He has been a project coordinator, scientist-in-charge, task leader and participant in over 60 projects financed by the European Commission, national Ministries and organizations, and the private sector.

Teaching experience on sustainability, decarbonization, ventilation, building energy management, renewable energy sources, rational use of energy, heat transfer. Developed postgraduate learning material and long distance learning programmes in collaboration with Hellenic Open University and West Attica University.

Dr Balaras received a Ph.D. & a Masters in Mechanical Engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA and a B.S.M.E. from Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI, USA.