Iain Walker
Dr. Walker is the deputy department head for the Whole Building Systems Department of the Building and Industrial Systems Division at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and he serves as leader of the Residential Buildings team. His current research interests include: low peak power homes, affordable low energy home design and construction, energy efficient ventilation, indoor air quality, air filtration, as well as energy, moisture and IAQ simulations of buildings and HVAC systems. Walker has authored over sixty journal articles, ninety conference papers and seventy other publications. His key technical accomplishments include: development of power efficient and low peak power concepts for homes to limit the need for new energy infrastructure, developing the concept of "Smart Ventilation" that allows for lowering energy use and time-shifting of ventilation for grid interactions without compromising indoor air quality, developing new methods for combining infiltration and mechanical ventilation for energy/IAQ modeling and standards, and developing the de-facto industry and R&D model for residential infiltration. Walker’s other areas of technical leadership include the thermal and moisture performance of attic spaces and HVAC distribution systems and diagnostic tests related to air flow in buildings and HVAC systems. Dr. Walker is an ASHRAE fellow, and serves as leader of the Department of Energy core national laboratory IAQ team. He also leads technical committees for ASHRAE, ASTM, RESNET, the IEC and other national and international organizations, and he serves as a board member for the IEA Annex 5 Air Infiltration and Ventilation Center.
Curriculum Vitae
iswcv2025_2page.docEducation
Awards
Societal Impact Award - October 4th 2019
2019 Societal Impact
Citation: In recognition of the Residential Ventilation Team’s scientific research and development of technologies, practices, and standards for residential ventilation that have made millions of homes healthier and more comfortable.
Spot: Rich Brown, Howdy Goudey, Paul Mathew, Iain Walker and Teresa Williams - September 11th 2017
Participation as a Lab Mentor for the first-ever Berkeley Lab Energy Design Challenge.
2014-2015 Service to ASHRAE Research Award - January 23rd 2015
Iain Walker received a research award based on his contributions to the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) technical committees in the area of research, particularly with TC 4.3, a project that addresses ventilation requirements and infiltration.
2014 ASHRAE Award for Technical Paper - June 28th 2014
A group of EETD and other researchers received an ASHRAE award for the paper “Energy Implications of In-Line Filtration in California Homes.” Dickerhoff is a principal research associate, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California; Faulkner, of Lafayette, California, is retired from Lawrence Berkley National Laboratory.; Turner is a research fellow, Trinity College, Dublin; Walker is a group leader, residential building systems, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California.
Building America's Housing Innovation Award - October 4th 2013
The U.S. Department of Energy recognized Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in the area of advanced technologies and practices for research on high-efficiency furnace blowers. The project team consisted of Iain Walker, Darryl Dickerhoff and Jim Lutz of the Environmental Energy Technologies Division. Their work is credited with leading to the incorporation of energy-efficient blowers in U.S. energy efficiency programs and building codes, and the creation of a Canadian standard for rating air system blowers.
2011 Elected ASHRAE Fellow - January 23rd 2012
Iain Walker, Deputy of the Residential Building Systems Group, has been elected a Fellow of the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers.
Alumni Horizon Award from the University of Alberta - September 9th 2003
This award recognizes the outstanding achievements of alumni early in their career.