Jarek Kurnitski

Adjunct Professor
Adjunct Professor
T214 Civil Engineering

Jarek Kurnitski, adjunct professor at Aalto university, operates his research group of Nearly Zero Energy Buildings NZEB at Aalto and Tallinn University of Technology, where he is full professor and head of Civil engineering and Architecture Department. He is the leader of Estonian Center of Excellence in Research ZEBE, Zero energy and resource efficient smart buildings and districts operating 2016-2022. Before the professorship Jarek worked for SITRA, the Finnish Innovation Fund, where he had the main responsibility to conduct the Energy Programme 2009–2012.

Jarek is editorial board member of Energy & Buildings and Building Physics scientific journals as well as The REHVA European HVAC Journal that are leading international scientific and professional journals in the domain. Since May 2012 Jarek Kurnitski was elected to become a vice-president of REHVA, Federation of European Heating and Air-Conditioning Associations, and in 2016 he was reelected for serving term till May 2019. He has been known from a leading role in the preparation of technical definitions and system boundaries for nearly zero energy buildings. In REHVA, the European professional HVAC organization, he is the chair of REHVA Technology and Research Committee where he currently chaired REHVA Task Force on Heat Recovery Residential Ventilation resulting in European Guidebook in 2018.

Jarek has been deeply involved in the work to improve the energy efficiency of the built environment in two countries, he has developed energy calculation frames for present Estonian and Finnish energy performance regulations. Jarek has been working in expert groups of CEN, WHO, CIB, ISIAQ and REHVA, preparing international evidence based guidelines, standards and textbooks for healthy, comfortable and energy efficient buildings. Some examples are the preparation of EPBD 1st and 2nd generation standards in technical committees CEN TC 156, TC 89, TC371 and TC228, and WHO guidelines for indoor air quality.

As one of leading European experts in energy performance of buildings, he has recognized with scientific awards from professional associations SCANVAC (2000), REHVA (2005), and Estonian state research award (2018), and his list of publications includes more than 450 items.

Research area:

  • Energy performance and indoor climate analysis of buildings and systems
  • Low energy and nearly zero energy buildings
  • Microbial growth and moisture safety aspects in buildings
  • Innovative HVAC and energy systems and building simulation
  • Technical definitions for NZEB buildings and energy calculation frames for regulation
  • Sustainability assessment criteria and methods for buildings and construction
Full researcher profile
https://research.aalto.fi/...

Contact information

Areas of expertise

Nearly zero energy buildings

Honors and awards

Recognized reviewer of Applied Energy Journal

Award or honor granted for academic or artistic career Department of Civil Engineering Jan 2014

Recognized reviewer of Sustainable Cities and Society Journal

Award or honor granted for academic or artistic career Department of Civil Engineering Jan 2014

Recognized reviewer of Energy Journal

Award or honor granted for academic or artistic career Department of Civil Engineering Jan 2014

Silver medal of professional service, Finnish Association of HVAC Societies (SuLVI)

Award or honor granted for academic or artistic career Department of Civil Engineering Jan 2015

Recognized reviewer of Energy and Buildings Journal

Award or honor granted for academic or artistic career Department of Civil Engineering Jan 2015

Recognized reviewer of Automation in Construction Journal

Award or honor granted for academic or artistic career Department of Civil Engineering Jan 2015

Recognized reviewer of Building and Environment Journal

Award or honor granted for academic or artistic career Department of Civil Engineering Jan 2015

Outstanding reviewer award 2015 of Sustainable Cities and Society Journal

Outstanding reviewer award 2015 of Sustainable Cities and Society (within the top 10th percentile of reviewers for the Journal)
Award or honor granted for a specific work Department of Civil Engineering Jan 2015

Scientist of the year 2015, Tallinn University of Technology

Award or honor granted for a specific work Department of Civil Engineering Jan 2015

Energy and Buildings Reviewer's Award Energy and Buildings -lehti, Alankomaat

Award or honor granted for a specific work Department of Civil Engineering Jan 2014

Research groups

  • Performance in Building Design and Construction, Adjunct Professor

Publications

Finnish energy renovation subsidies in multifamily apartment buildings : Lessons learnt and best practices

Hatef Hajian, Petri Pylsy, Raimo Simson, Kaiser Ahmed, Paula Sankelo, Alo Mikola, Jarek Kurnitski 2024 Energy and Buildings

Ventilation effectiveness in classroom infection risk control

Martin Kiil, Indrek Valgma, Karl Villem Võsa, Raimo Simson, Alo Mikola, Teet Tark, Jarek Kurnitski 2023 E3S Web of Conferences

Ilmanvaihto- ja jäähdytysjärjestelmien resilienssi lämpöaaltojen ja hengitystieinfektioiden suhteen : Uudis- ja korjausrakennusten teknisten ratkaisujen toiminta muuttuvissa olosuhteissa

Risto Kosonen, Jarek Kurnitski, Juha Jokisalo, Simo Kilpeläinen, Azin Velashjerdi Farahani, Farhan Ejaz, Raimo Simson, Virpi Kollanus, Timo Lanki, Pekka Tiittanen, Tuula Vasankari, Miia Aro 2023

Post-COVID ventilation design : Infection risk-based target ventilation rates and point source ventilation effectiveness

Jarek Kurnitski, Martin Kiil, Alo Mikola, Karl Villem Võsa, Amar Aganovic, Peter Schild, Olli Seppänen 2023 Energy and Buildings

CPT, CPTu and DCPT Methods for Predicting the Ultimate Bearing Capacity of Cast In Situ Displacement Piles in Silty Soils

Lehar Leetsaar, Leena Korkiala-Tanttu, Jarek Kurnitski 2023 Geotechnical and Geological Engineering

Coronavirus Disease 2019 and Airborne Transmission : Science Rejected, Lives Lost. Can Society Do Better?

L Morawska, W Bahnfleth, PM Bluyssen, A Boerstra, G Buonanno, SJ Dancer, A Floto, F Franchimon, C Haworth, J Hogeling, C Isaxon, JL Jimenez, J Kurnitski, YG Li, M Loomans, G Marks, LC Marr, L Mazzarella, AK Melikov, S Miller, DK Milton, W Nazaroff, PV Nielsen, C Noakes, J Peccia, X Querol, C Sekhar, O Seppanen, S Tanabe, R Tellier, TK Wai, P Wargocki, A Wierzbicka 2023 Clinical Infectious Diseases

Wax actuator’s empirical model development and application to underfloor heating control with varying complexity of controller modelling detail

Tuule Mall Parts, Andrea Ferrantelli, Hendrik Naar, Martin Thalfeldt, Jarek Kurnitski 2023 JOURNAL OF BUILDING PERFORMANCE SIMULATION

Liikuntatilojen sisäilman ja sisäympäristön laatu ja mahdolliset vaikutukset työntekijöiden hyvinvointiin ja terveyteen (LIIKU) - Työsuojelurahaston hanke 200068 Loppuraportti

Camilla Vornanen-Winqvist, Raimo Mikkola, Tuomas Koivisto, Gabriele Del Brenna, Si Nguyen-Ky, Tuomas Kärki, Emmanuelle Castagnoli, Tapio Lokki, Jarek Kurnitski, Heidi Salonen, Martin Täubel, Hanna Leppänen, Maria Valkonen, Pia Sirola, Suvi Hirvonen, Sirpa Rautiala, Pirjo Korenius, Kari Salmi, Katja Tähtinen, Leila Kakko, Mika Kylänen, Sini Ikkala, Emilia Koskipuisto, Elina Nieminen, Riikka Pirttimaa, Prakash Sapkota, Anne-Maarit Pusa-Heittola, Marja Hemmilä 2023

National methods fail to calculate standardized deep renovation concepts for dwellings : Benchmarking in three EU climates

Karl Villem Võsa, Jarek Kurnitski, Clemens Felsmann, Andrea Meinsenbach, Michele De Carli, Massimo Tonon, Mikko Iivonen 2023 E3S Web of Conferences