Researcher

Dr Afroditi Synnefa

Biography

Afroditi Synnefa is a Physicist specializing in energy and environmental issues with focus on the built environment. She has a PhD in Physical Sciences by the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece. She is an adjunct senior lecturer in the High-Performance Architecture Research Cluster at the Faculty of the Built Environment, at UNSW, Sydney, Australia. Her main research interests include: development of innovative materials...view more

Afroditi Synnefa is a Physicist specializing in energy and environmental issues with focus on the built environment. She has a PhD in Physical Sciences by the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece. She is an adjunct senior lecturer in the High-Performance Architecture Research Cluster at the Faculty of the Built Environment, at UNSW, Sydney, Australia. Her main research interests include: development of innovative materials for the built environment to mitigate the urban heat island effect, optical and thermal characteristics of materials for the built environment, urban climate change and heat mitigation technologies, energy efficient building, indoor environmental quality, sustainable energy technologies and energy saving technologies in buildings and settlements. She has contributed in more than 20 research projects funded by the Australian Department of Industry, Innovation and Science, the NT Government, the CRC for Low Carbon Living, the European Commission, the Hellenic General Secretariat for Research and Technology and other national and private funds.  She is the Technical Committee leader of the European Cool Roofs Council where she also acts as a consultant. She has teaching experience in undergraduate & postgraduate levels and in professional education and e-learning. She has co-supervised 10 undergraduate & postgraduate students. She is a reviewer of 17 and editorial board member of 2 international scientific journals and an evaluator of international research programs. She is co author of 7 books and book chapters, she has 32 articles in peer reviewed international journals (1 ISES best paper award and 5 highly cited papers by SCI), 42 peer reviewed conference papers and 13 conference presentations, 18 invited lectures at conferences and universities and 7 articles in the technical press.

 


My Grants

Afroditi has contributed in more than 25 project co funded by the European Commission and she has coordinated and managed 11 of them under the Horizon2020, FP7, Inteligent Energy Europe(IEE), and Med Programs as well as national and private grants. 

At UNSW, Afrodit is contributing to the following projects::

  • Elastocaloric cooling systems for buildings and the built environmentfunded by ARC, 2018-2019 
  • Development and testing of advanced hybrid ventilation systems to improve thermal comfort conditions and reduce the energy consumption and carbon footprint of a school in Sydneyfunded by CRCLCL, 2018 
  • Parramatta Urban Overheating Studyfunded by the Council of Parramatta 2017-2018
  • Alice Springs heat study, funded by the NT State Government, 2017
  • Energy Efficiency Decision Making in the NSW Social Housing Sector, funded by CRCLCL, OEH, 2017-2018
  • Driving Increased Utilisation of Cool Roofs on Large Footprint Buildings, funded by CRCLCL, 2017-2018
  • Scientists engage with communities to improve urban microclimate, funded by the Australian Government Citizens Science Grant,  2017-2019
  • Strategic study on the cooling potential and impact of water based and other urban climate mitigation techniques in Western Sydney, funded by the Cooperative Research Centre for LoW Carbon Living , 2017
  • Theoretical and Experimental Study of the Urban Heat Island and the Corresponding Mitigation Technologies in Sydney, funded by the UNSW Faculty of the Built Environment research development grant , 2017-2018
  • Darwin Heat mitigation, funded by the NT State Government, 2017.

My Qualifications

  • PhD in Physical Sciences, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA), Greece
    Physics Dept., Division of Environmental Physics and Meteorology, Group Buildings and Environmental Studies (GRBES) – Advisor: Prof. M. Santamouris“Energy and environmental technologies for urban heat island mitigation: Development of highly reflective spectrally selective materials for the urban environment”(Scholarship “IRAKLEITOS”, PhD Grant from the Ministry of Education -EU supported)
  • MSc in Civil Engineering (D.E.A. en Génie Civil): Building and Environment, Ecole Nationale de Travaux Publics de l’Etat, Lyon, France
    Civil Engineering Dept. Laboratoire Génie Civil et Bâtiment (LGCB) – Advisor: Prof. G. Guarracino, “A study on indoor air quality in six school buildings”
  • University Degree in Physics (BSc), National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece
    Physics Dept., Division of Environmental Physics and Meteorology. Specializing in: Environmental Physics-Meteorology. Graduated with honours.

My Awards

Best Research Paper Award for 1998-2007 from journal Energy and Buildings Best Research Paper Award for 1998-2007 from journal Energy and Buildings (Synnefa, Santamouris &  Akbari, 2007)

ASA Best Paper Award – 2nd place at the 52nd International Conference: “Engaging Architectural Science: Meeting the challenges of higher density” of the Architectural Science Association (ASA) 28 Nov - 1 Dec 2018, Melbourne, Australia (for the conference paper: (Paolini, Haddad, Synnefa, Garshasbi  & Santamouris 2018)

SES Best and Outstanding Paper Award published in Solar Energy Journal during 2005-2006, granted by the International Solar Energy Society (ISES) (Synnefa, Santamouris & Livada, 2006)


My Research Activities

  • development of innovative materials for the built environment to mitigate the urban heat island effect,
  • optical and thermal characteristics of materials for the built environment,
  • urban climate change and heat mitigation technologies,
  • energy efficient buildings,
  • indoor environmental quality,
  • sustainable energy technologies and energy saving technologies in buildings and settlements.
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