Constantinos A Balaras, PhD, PEng, FASHRAE

Institute for Environmental Research and Sustainable Development, National Observatory of Athens

Athens, GR15236

Greece

+30 210 3490852

Region: XIV

Honorarium: None

Languages Spoken: English

costas@noa.gr

Costas Balaras is Research Director with the Group Energy Conservation (GREC) at the Institute for Environmental Research and Sustainable Development (IERSD), National Observatory of Athens (NOA), Greece. Dr Balaras graduated from Michigan Technological University in 1984 with a B.S. Degree in Mechanical Engineering, and received a Master of Science Degree in Mechanical Engineering (1985) and he was awarded a PhD from the Georgia Institute of Technology (1988).

As a professional engineer, he setup his own MEP firm and also collaborated with other various engineering and architectural offices on electromechanical design and construction projects. Dr Balaras main research career and primary professional affiliation was initiated in 1995 when he joined NOA that is the first public research center in Greece. He set up the Group Energy Conservation (GREC) and still is the group leader. Costas advanced through all four research positions following external evaluations and achieved a tenure as research director since 2006 at IERSD-NOA. His R&D activities and participation in about 60 projects at NOA have generated over 2.6 million Euros of funding to NOA.

Current research interests and activities in European R&D competitive projects include sustainability assessment of the built environment, resilience to climate change, solar thermal and cooling applications, environmental impact of buildings and embodied energy/emissions, indoor environmental quality and solar air-conditioning. Dr Balaras was instrumental in the development of the national regulation on the energy performance of buildings in Greece in 2010, the supporting legislative and methodological framework, the energy audit and building certification method and tools, along with the supporting training and educational material. To this date, this work has supported all the building energy audits performed in Greece for issuing about 3 million EPCs, used by thousands of energy auditors, energy inspectors and other professionals, while the calculation engine is integrated in all commercial engineering software available in the national market.

Since 1991, Dr Balaras has also been teaching at undergraduate level (e.g. 1991-1995 a 5th Semester course (Theory & Lab) in the Mechanical Engineering Department, on “Renewable Energy Sources”, Technological Education Institute - TEI of Piraeus) and post-graduate level (e.g. 1999-2006 in the distance learning programme on “Conventional & Renewable Energy Sources”, “Energy Systems Analysis”, in collaboration with Open University, UK; 2007-2023 courses on “Energy Studies (2007-2009)” and “Building Energy Management (2010-2023)” in the post-graduate program "MSc in Energy Systems" of the Mechanical Engineering Dept. – University of West Attica and Heriot-Watt University, UK). Since 1990, Costas has been teaching various seminars and short courses and supervising practical training studies at graduate level organized by numerous organizations, e.g. Hellenic Productivity Centre (ELKEPA), Institute of Energy of South East Europe (IENE), Central Institute for Energy Efficiency Education (CIENE) of the University of Athens, Technical Chamber of Greece (ΤΕΕ), National Technical University of Athens (NTUA), Ministry of Environment, Energy & Climatic Change (YPEKA), Hellenic National Defense College (HNDC). In 2022-2023, as a member of an advisory and development committee he participated in the development of a new postgraduate distance learning MSc programme at the Hellenic Open University as a coordinator of the thematic unit on "Natural and Mechanical Ventilation", and since 2023, he is the teaching advisor for the course on Ventilation and Thesis advisor.

Dr Balaras has made many contributions to the international literature with over 350 scientific articles published in international peer reviewed journals, books and conference proceedings and over 170 technical presentations in conferences and other events throughout the world. Although he is active within a small in size research group (GREC averages about 5 researchers), his published work has received an impressive number of over 5,900 citations in Scopus with an h-index of 40 and over 11,000 citations in Google Scholar with an h-index of 50. He is continuously ranked in the world's top 2% scientists since the rankings were initiated in 2017 (https://elsevier.digitalcommonsdata.com/datasets/btchxktzyw/8).

Costas has been an active ASHRAE member at chapter, regional and society levels, having served as Fellow in 2012. Costas has served as a DAL (2007-2010), Society Vice President (2011-2013) and DRC Region XIV (2017-2020), on numerous ASHRAE standing and technical committees, and currently serves on Foundation Trustees, Society Rules Committee, TC 2.8 and TC 6.7, and SSPC 240P on Evaluating Greenhouse Gas (GHG) and Carbon Emissions in Building Design, Construction and Operation. He has received the John F. James International Award (2007), DSA (2006), ESA (2011) and Andrew T. Boggs Service Award (2025). Dr Balaras is a Fellow of ASHRAE, Fellow of ASME, Member of Sigma Xi - The Scientific Research Society and Pi – Tau – Sigma - Honorary Mechanical Engineering Fraternity.

Topic

Operational and Embodied Energy-Carbon-GHG of Buildings

Cover the principles of building energy balance, energy use and identify available international data resources that can be used as baselines and benchmarks. Following the moto “efficiency first” will elaborate the processes for energy gains (from the sun, equipment, and people) and energy losses (through the building's envelope via transmission and ventilation), and an overview of available technologies and systems. Achieving a good balance is key to creating more sustainable buildings. Review available data resources for energy use intensities. Continue with the basics of how to calculate embodied energy-carbon-GHG of buildings. Overview of ASHRAE 240P and 100 Standards for evaluating GHG and carbon emissions in building design, construction and operation.

Sustainability and Resilience Assessment of Buildings and Urban Environments

Collaborative efforts of several European organizations from different countries developed common methods and tools for sustainability self-assessment of buildings and neighborhoods in a decision making framework that can be adapted by cities and interested professionals. A similar approach has been followed to develop a decision making framework to help cities understand and assess the level of climate risk and impacts at urban and building scale and support them to design and monitor climate adaptation measures. All this is supported by educational and training material that is openly available. This will be an opportunity to gain insights and understand the underlying principles of similar assessment systems and tools that are available in the market.

Congratulations for chartering your ASHRAE Chapter! Here are some tips on how to do it and keep it growing

new sections-chapters navigate through the early day hardships. Using personal experiences as an initiator of Hellenic Chapter - the first European chapter, serving as the first Director & Regional Chair of Region XIV – the new European Region, and learning over the years and decades of how to keep growing, explore good practices and learning from each other, deal with challenges and keep on having fun.

Navigating Through the Maze of ASHRAE and its Bright Side of Technology

Help members understand how to engage at chapter, regional and Society level and the opportunities to join Technical & Standing Committees. How does the bright side of ASHRAE look like? What do Techies do it and have fun? How do they do it? How can one be part of this effort? Research proposals and RFPs, are they real? Standards and Guidelines, where do you start and how to participate in the process. Provide practical tips on how to join, keep up with the flow of information and advance on how to chair a TC and run good meetings.

Congratulations for chartering your ASHRAE Student Branch! Here are some tips on how to do it and keep it growing

Supporting topic that can be provided as a complementary presentation to help students, faculty and other interested members of new student branches on how and why to start a student branch and navigate through the early day hardships. Using personal experiences as an initiator and a faculty advisor of the Hellenic Open University student branch, the presentation will explore good practices and learning from each other, help your students with career options and help them grow as ASHRAE members, while having fun.

The Built Environment - A Source of & Solution to the Challenges for a Sustainable Future

Look at the transformation of buildings from being at the center stage of the energy and environmental problems to being part of the solution for a sustainable future. Start with an overview of the role of buildings in the energy and environmental issues. Understand how they are coupled and interdependent. Review the transformation of buildings and their role as part of the solutions for improving the energy and environmental challenges. Review available technologies, from the basics to the more advanced solutions, for all end-uses – space heating, domestic hot water, cooling, ventilation, lighting, equipment and appliances. Present examples of real buildings and installations, including building integration of systems for the exploitation of renewable energy sources.

European Efforts for High Energy Performance Building and the New Bauhaus

Over the past several decades the European Union has introduced and implemented numerous policies and supporting legislations to improve the energy performance of buildings and energy efficiency, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, increase the use of renewables and smartness of buildings, reduce energy import dependency and move towards a secure, competitive and sustainable energy system for serving people and protecting the environment. The presentation will focus on the main EU efforts, instruments, regulations and directives related to the built environment that have been introduced, are in place and are being planned for reaching the near- and short-term energy and environmental targets. The overview also provides relevant data and quantifies key performance indicators that reflect the past trends and current emissions, use of renewables and energy efficiency, energy use intensities, along with the near- and long-term EU targets that are mainly related to the buildings sector. Furthermore, focus on the New European Bauhaus efforts as a creative and interdisciplinary initiative to make buildings, neighborhoods and urban environment sustainable, inclusive and beautiful, leading to a better quality of life for citizens. Review the self-assessment tool that can be used to guide the preparation and implementation of individual local transformation projects focusing on energy, emissions and non-energy related issues, as part of the work in the sustainability dimension.