research overview
- Dr. Zhai’s primary research and teaching interests are in integrated building systems, sustainable building technologies, and indoor environment quality. He has been developing innovative building products and systems with both experimental and computational analysis and optimization. Such examples include innovative building-integrated photovoltaic and thermal systems, personalized ventilation and air-conditioning systems, and smart living wall systems etc. Particular interest has been put into passive and vernacular architectural techniques such as natural ventilation and thermal storage (e.g., using phase change materials). Dr. Zhai has been leading investigation for various indoor environment quality challenges for both conventional spaces (e.g., retail and office) and mission-critical spaces (e.g., hospital and data center). He has also been participating in practical design and consultation for a variety of green and high-performance building projects.
