“The best way to predict the future is to (virtually) create it.”

Jan Hensen is emeritus full professor of building performance in the Building Physics & Services unit at  Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e). His area of expertise is computational modeling and simulation for optimizing design and operation of high-performance buildings in terms of energy use and indoor environmental quality. While building performance simulation has advanced tremendously over the past four decades, many theoretical and practical challenges still need to be overcome before the full potential of building performance simulation can be realized. Jan focusses on widening the  scope to allow for multi-scale and multi-physics problems, and for incorporating optimization under uncertainty approaches. This is directly related to societal challenges such as energy transition and climate adaptation of buildings and neighbourhoods. 

Although the technology has advanced tremendously over the past four decades, many theoretical and practical challenges still need to be overcome before the full potential of building performance simulation can be realized. One of the main challenges is how to use this technology more efficient and effective in high performance building design and operation. Jan’s research addresses this by expanding the modeling and simulation scope to allow for multi-scale and multi-physics problems, incorporating optimization under uncertainty approaches and reducing the energy performance gap (prediction vs. real).

Jan Hensen obtained his MSc and PhD in Building Science from TU/e. In addition to his work at TU/e, he is also a full professor of environmental engineering in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Czech Technical University, Prague. He was the scientific director of the Smart Buildings and Cities post-master program at TU/e. He participated in many international research projects, and is on the scientific advisory board of several international energy institutions, external examiner at 20 international universities, reviewer and editorial board member of 25 international peer reviewed scientific journals and expert evaluator of national and international research projects.

Jan is a Fellow of the International Building Performance Simulation Association (IBPSA), Fellow of the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), Fellow of the Federation of European Heating, Ventilation and Air-conditioning Associations (REHVA) and has received several other national and international scientific and practice awards. He has been or is advisor of over 40 PhD students and 170 final year MSc students. He has authored or co-authored 14 books or chapter in books, over 120 scientific journal papers, and numerous conference contributions and professional magazine articles.