Dr Rory Jones is an Associate Professor in the School of the Built Environment at the University of Reading. He has joined both the Futures and Flexibility themes to lead the Residential Air-conditioning Demand Futures (RADFutures) project and undertake research on the Flexibility Certificates (FLEX-CERT) project.
His research addresses two principal areas: energy use in buildings and indoor environmental quality. At the core of this work is a deep interest in the dynamic relationship between people and the built environment, specifically, how occupants influence building performance through their interactions with building systems and architectural features, and how buildings, in turn, impact the comfort, health and productivity of their occupants.
A major focus of his current research is on understanding and advancing sustainable cooling solutions in both the UK and Africa, supported by two major research grants as Principal Investigator. Sustainable cooling is a critical global challenge. Rising global temperatures and urbanization are accelerating demand for air conditioning, increasing energy consumption and emissions, and putting climate goals and energy systems under strain.