Professor Kurnitski (b. 1970) is internationally highly distinguished researcher in the field of energy performance and indoor climate of buildings. His main research achievements include sustainable solutions in building technology and developing of nearly zero energy buildings. 

He is editorial board member of Energy and Buildings journal and The REHVA European HVAC Journal which are leading international scientific and professional journals in the domain. He has deep involvement in the European professional HVAC organization REHVA with leading role in the preparation of European technical definitions for nearly zero energy buildings.

Kurnitski has been working in several expert working groups preparing international evidence based guidelines, standards and textbooks for healthy, comfortable and energy efficient buildings. He is one of the developers of the Finnish Indoor Climate Classification and he has developed energy calculation frames for present Estonian and Finnish energy performance regulations. His work for WHO resulted in WHO guidelines for indoor air quality, dampness and mould, published by World Health Organization in 2009.

Beside his professorship at Aalto University, Jarek Kurnitski works as Professor in Tallinn University of Technology where his research area is energy performance of buildings and indoor climate. Since April 2012 Jarek Kurnitski has been the leader of Nearly Zero Energy Buildings nZEB research group at Tallinn University of Technology.

Previously he has worked as Senior Lead in the Energy Programme for Finnish Innovation Fund SITRA during 2009–2012. At Aalto University he has been employed in various teaching and research tasks since 1995. In 2005 he was appointed Adjunct Professor (2005–2010) at Department of Energy Technology in the area of HVAC, especially ventilation and building envelope Interactions.

Jarek Kurnitski is an alumnus of the Helsinki University of Technology. He completed his M.Sc. (Tech.) degree in 1995, and as the youngest D.Sc. in Finland in the area of HVAC and building physics he defended his doctoral dissertation at Department of Mechanical Engineering in 2000. His thesis entitled: Humidity Control in Outdoor-Air-Ventilated Crawl Spaces in Cold Climate by Means of Ventilation, Ground Covers and Dehumidification.

Throughout his career he has worked in academic research and many national and international committees and possesses extensive experience in indoor climate and energy performance of buildings, ventilation and air conditioning as well as building physics, sustainability and building simulation. The list of his publications includes more than  300 items of which about 40 articles in international journals with strict referee practice, about 10  book contributions and 80 in international conferences.